10.20.11
TC Receives AdvancED Accreditation
Did you know that Timothy Christian Schools has been accredited since 1978. But is that a good thing? Yes….that is a very good thing! North Central Accreditation has been in existence since 1895 and according to their mission statement exists to “fosters quality, encourages academic excellence, and improves teaching and learning. It is a national mark of distinction to be named a North Central Accredited school, one which recognizes excellence and strives for continuous improvement.
Every five to seven years, Timothy Christian School submits itself to an intensive scrutiny by outside educational professionals through AdvancED, a national accreditation organization. From October 9-12, four visiting evaluators reviewed every facet of the school including mission and vision, teaching and learning, facilities, governance, and resources. The team observed the school in action for two and a half days to get a feel for what happens on a day to day basis. In addition, they interviewed students, parents, teachers, and administrators.
The team’s visit is the culmination of five years of effort as much of the work of accreditation happens before they arrive. For the past five years, our school has been fine-tuning recommendations from the previous report. Writing and technology were the focus of two goals that emerged from the 2005-2006 evaluation. Since then, teachers have worked intensively and are continuing interventions to improve students’ writing skills. Many teacher in-service days concentrated on teaching writing. The technology committee upgraded and added a large amount of hardware, software, and supporting technology to enhance learning and communication.
The report that was submitted to the four visiting team members included links to thousands of documents collected by Timothy’s Data Team made up of Sue Schemper, Kevin Hackert, Ann Raley, and Shari Buma. AdvancED requires specific artifacts showing how Timothy fulfills the seven standards as defined by AdvancED. The Standards Assessment Report (SAR) helped us to assess ourselves and gave the visiting team a detailed view of the school. Timothy is an outstanding school with many areas to celebrate. Through the process we also have ideas about the areas we intend to focus on for improvement during the next cycle of accreditation.
On Wednesday afternoon, the AdvancED team presented their preliminary findings. We are pleased to announce that once again Timothy qualifies for accreditation.
The accrediting team gave the following commendations:
- A tradition of excellence in teaching and learning that is widely understood and embraced by many stakeholders.
- A staff that demonstrates high levels of commitment to the mission and care for students on a personal level.
- Maximization of system resources and stewardly management of finances.
But now that it’s over, it doesn’t mean we get to exhale and rest on our laurels. In addition to the commendations, all schools who participate in AdvancED are given required actions to pursue in the future. These are the actions that Timothy will be focusing on:
- Develop educational vision for twenty-first century teaching and learning based on best practice and research.
- Increase accountability measures related to student learning outcomes.
- Develop and maintain educational facilities based on educational vision and student learning needs.
We’d like to recognize Sue Schemper, assistant principal of the elementary school, who chaired the Timothy accreditation team. Also, thank you to all the teachers, administrators, parents, students and board members who took time out of their day to meet with the team. And finally, we are grateful to our visiting AdvancED team members who included:
- Dan Beerens – Chair: Education Consultant, DB Consulting
- Rachel Trimble - American Institutes for Research, Naperville
- Dr. John Murphy – Education Consultant for the American School and retired superintendent
- Dr. Mary Kearney - Associate Superintendent of Archdiocese of Chicago Schools.