The Quality Assurance Review team from AdvancED, the accreditation organization that includes the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), completed an extensive review of Floyd County Schools in March 2011 and recommended the system receive District Accreditation.  Floyd County Schools is the first school system to undergo a SACS review as a charter system.  Floyd County is one of seven school systems in Georgia operating as a charter system and the largest charter system in the state.

Dr. Drew Moore, lead evaluator of the Quality Assurance Review (QAR) team, addressed a called meeting of the Floyd County Board of Education to present the team’s findings to the board.  “Truly outstanding, this is an unbelievable place,” stated Dr. Moore as he addressed the board. “You have a truly wonderful school system with incredible things happening in the classrooms here in Floyd County.”    The QAR team presented five commendations for excellent examples of education at work for children in our schools during their report to the board and three required actions they would like the system to make for continued improvement. 

Commendations
Required Actions

The SACS team rated the school system on the seven standards as a part of the review.  Each school system reviewed for District Accreditation is rated on the same seven standards using the SACS rating scale.

Standards ratings for Floyd County Schools

Floyd County Schools was very pleased with the validation of the quality education available to the students in the community.  The system has begun the process of developing a plan of action to move the system forward after the Accreditation review.  Dr. Lynn Plunkett stated, “We do not look at the completion of the SACS review as the end of a process, but rather, a beginning point to launch our school system toward an even higher level of performance for the children we serve.”    

The SACS review team will now submit a written report recommending accreditation approval to the AdvancED Accreditation Commission.  The Accreditation Commission grants the term of accreditation for local school systems.   AdvancED is the world’s largest educational network encompassing 27,000 public and private schools throughout the United States and 69 countries worldwide, all Department of Defense schools, 15 million students, and more than 3 million teachers.  News reports in the last few years about school systems in Georgia being in danger of losing their accreditation underscores the importance of this review to our school system and community.  Floyd County Schools is proud to be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

SACS Final Report

If you would like to know more about the SACS CASI accreditation process, click www.sacscasi.org to view the SACS website and gain insight into their mission and purpose.

Questions

1. What is SACS CASI?
2. Who is AdvancedED?
3. Is being an accredited school or school system that important?
4. What does accreditation mean for our students?

Answers

1. What is SACS CASI?
   Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement
   
   
2. Who is AdvancedED?
   Advanced is the unifying organization for a large number of accreditation commissions including SACS CASI. AdvancED is dedicated to advancing excellence in education worldwide through accreditation, research, and professional services.
   
   
3. Is being an accredited school or school system that important?
   Yes, accreditation is vitally important! It is the accreditation of a school or school system that documents its value and       importance. SACS CASI is the most respected and demanding accreditation commission in the southeast. It is the same   commission that provides accreditation to major colleges and universities.  We have seen the turmoil that losing      accreditation causes in communities with the recent problems in other school systems in Georgia.  Accreditation is      important to our schools, our children and our community.
   
   
4. What does accreditation mean for our students?
   Students who attend a school accredited by SACS CASI can rest assured that the school is committed to raising student performance and held accountable for improving student learning on a continual basis. 
   Accreditation means that students have:
   
   
• qualified teachers who are continually working to improve their practices and teaching methods in order to increase student achievement.
• access to a rich, diverse, and sound curriculum
• access to a range of student activities and support services
• transferability of credits from school to school
• greater access to federal loans, scholarships, post secondary education, and military programs that require accreditation

The school credits that students earn at an SACS CASI accredited school are recognized globally by schools, colleges, and universities. Through AdvancED's reciprocal agreements with sister accrediting organizations, students can continue their educational goals at schools in the United States or around the world.