HUTCHINSON, Kan. – A team of educators will take an objective look at Hutchinson Public Schools during the district’s AdvancED® accreditation visit April 25 to 27.
USD 308 is one of only eight districts in Kansas to undergo the more rigorous AdvancED® accreditation process. A total of six AdvancED® team members will be on hand – three from Kansas and three from out of state.
On Monday, April 25, the team will interview administrators, parents, community and Board of Education members. Day 2, Tuesday, April 26, the team will visit district schools in pairs. They will interview the principal and available members of the building leadership team. After that interview, they will visit classrooms.
The visit concludes on Day 3 in front an open meeting of the Board of Education at 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 27, at the Administration Center, 1520 North Plum. Wednesday’s meeting, known as the Exit Report, will summarize the team’s findings.
“Utilization of the AdvancED® accreditation model assures our public that our district utilizes globally recognized best practices within our educational system,” said USD 308 Superintendent Dr. Shelly Kiblinger. “It also provides us with an objective external review of what we are doing well and areas where we can improve. We will use the information we receive to improve the quality of our educational system.”
The district will be assessed for its performance in five areas. This information is from AdvancED’s® website.
The school implements a comprehensive assessment system that generates a range of data about student learning and school effectiveness and uses the results to guide continuous improvement.
Other Kansas school districts accredited by AdvancED® are Riverton USD 404, Fort Leavenworth USD 207, Concordia USD 333, Caney USD 436, Ottawa USD 290, Fredonia USD 484 and Douglass USD 396.
Hutchinson Public Schools’ last accreditation visit was in 2011 when its accreditation was renewed for five years. USD 308 has a long relationship with AdvancED® and its predecessor – the North Central Association. Hutchinson High School became accredited by NCA 110 years ago. The rest of the district schools became accredited on a school basis 15 years ago with the district receiving district-wide accreditation 12 years ago.