AdvancED Team recommends national district-wide accreditation

During a March 8, 2017 special called meeting of the Lexington County School District One Board of Trustees, the board received a report from an AdvancED External Review Team as part of the district’s continuous improvement process.

In his presentation to the board, Lead Evaluator of the review team, Dr. C. Stephen Oborn, retired superintendent from Ripley, Ohio, stated, “This is an outstanding school district. Your work and preparation, your openness and honesty is uncommon and your results outstanding. Frankly, your district is wonderful. The community support, family nature and opportunities for students are just unbelievable. Congratulations on your wonderful score.”

Oborn also stated that the team was recommending to the AdvancED Accreditation Commission that Lexington County School District One earn the distinction of accreditation by AdvancED.

After their observations and visits, the team created a theme for the district that summed up their findings. “A compassionate, welcoming and empowering school system committed to the creation of learning opportunities for all children, energized by the notion of a global community, and dedicated to preparing 21st century graduates while serving as the center for community learning.”

The team commended the district on these powerful practices:

• Indicator 2.3 — The Board of Trustees ensures the leadership at all levels has the autonomy to meet goals for achievement and instruction and to manage day-to-day operations effectively.
• Indicator 3.5 — The system operates as a collaborative learning organization through structures that support improved instruction and student learning at all levels
• Indicator 2.1/2.2 — The Board of Trustees operates responsibly and functions effectively while supporting practices that ensure the effective administration of the system.

• Indicator 2.5 — Leadership engages stakeholders effectively in support of the system’s purpose.

The team recommended the following as an opportunity for improvement:

• Indicator 3.12 — Review and implement a system-wide plan that is designed to provide and coordinate learning support services to meet the unique needs of all students caused, in part, by increased enrollment and the diversity found in various buildings throughout the system.

The team recommended the following as improvement priorities:

• Indicator 3.9 — Develop and implement structures in all schools whereby each student is well-known by at least one adult advocate in the student’s school who supports that student’s educational experience.
• Indicator 3.2/3.4/5.3 — Design and implement a plan that provides for the analysis, interpretation, training and use of data by all staff so as to support the monitoring and adjustment of curriculum, assessment and instructional programs to ensure student success.

The team’s Index of Education Quality overall score for the district was 336.89 out of a possible 400. The AdvancED Network Average score is 278.94. These results indicate that the district is performing well as compared to expected criteria and to other institutions in the AdvancED network.

Dr. Gregory D. Little, superintendent, remarked, “We are thrilled that an international educational leader like AdvancED rates us so highly. It speaks to the hard work of our students and staff. It also speaks to the supportive community we have in Lexington One, who believe strongly in public schools. This visit pushes us to be better, as we focus on continuous improvement.”

The district hosted an eight-member External Review Team from Sunday, March 5, 2017, through Wednesday, March 8, as part of this continuous improvement process coordinated through AdvancED, a non-profit, non-partisan organization that conducts rigorous, on-site external reviews of Pre-K through Grade 12 schools and school systems.

Team members visited Central Services and 16 schools during their visit, reviewed data from parent, certified staff and student surveys, and reviewed the district’s intensive self-evaluation which used AdvancED’s five standards for quality schools systems: purpose and direction; governance and leadership; teaching and assessing for learning; resources and support systems; and using results for continuous improvement.

During their visit, they observed teaching and learning in 96 classrooms and interviewed 669 individuals (seven board members, the superintendent, 79 administrators, 156 teachers, 337 students, 41 support staff and 48 parents, community and other stakeholders).

In addition to Dr. Steve Oborn, Lead Evaluator, team members included Associate Lead Dr. Terry O. Pruitt, Deputy Superintendent in Spartanburg School District Seven; Ms. Catherine Berry, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction in North Carolina’s Randolph County School System; Mr. Joe Bishop, retired principal from Worland, Wyoming; Ms. Jacqueline Jamison, Executive Director of Elementary Schools in Orangeburg Consolidated School District Five; Mr. Neal Vincent, Florence County School District 2 Superintendent; Dr. Beth Taylor, Director of Secondary Education in Greenwood School District 50; and Ms. Ondie Mitchell, Indian Lake Elementary Principal in Sumner County Schools in Gallatin, Tennessee.