School system receives accreditation from AdvancED
The Coffee County Board of Education received notification recently that the District has earned the distinction of system accreditation from AdvancED (SACS). AdvancED formerly known as SACS, is the global leader in advancing excellence in education through continuous improvement, organizational effectiveness and accreditation.
The District welcomed an Engagement Review Team from AdvancED in February as part of the five-year review process for accreditation. During the Engagement Review Team’s visit, February 24-27, members interviewed 421 stakeholders and visited 7 of the 12 schools. Based on the Engagement Review Team’s assessment, the District received an overall Index of Education Quality (IEQ) Score of 335.16 on a scale of 100-400.
This score, one of the highest scores received by a Georgia school district under AdvancED’s new review process, is based on ratings from the three domains of leadership capacity, learning capacity and resource capacity, as well as classroom observations. Under each of these domains, the District met all standards with ratings of Exceeds Expectations, Meets Expectations and Emerging. The District did not receive any ratings of Needs Improvement.
Superintendent Dr. Morris Leis states, “The score of 335 is well above the international average range of 278 – 283. This is evidence that our faculty and staff are focused and committed to our children and our mission of Destination Graduation for College, Career and Life. I could not be more proud of all of our employees, students, parents and entire community. Coffee County is truly brewing stronger than ever and this report is evidence of our commitment to excellence in Coffee County!”
Some of the powerful practices the Engagement Review Team noticed within the District included:
- The District commits to a purpose statement that defines beliefs about teaching and learning, including the expectations of learners.
- The District and school leaders have proactively engaged stakeholders to collectively demonstrate actions to ensure the achievement of the system’s purpose and professional practice.
- The system engages in a continuous improvement process that produces evidence, including measurable results of improving student learning and professional practice.
- The District demonstrates strategic resource management that includes long-range planning and use of resources in support of the system’s purpose and direction.
The Engagement Review Team identified three opportunities for improvement:
- The District’s learning culture promotes creativity, innovation and collaborative problem-solving.
- The District implements processes to identify and address the specialized needs of learners.
- The District integrates digital resources into teaching, learning and operations to improve professional practice, student performance and organizational effectiveness.
In conclusion, the Engagement Review Team noted it, “applauds the system on its effective leadership team and encourages the continuation of that intentional focus on processes and practices that will become deeply ingrained in the system’s continuous improvement process. The school system’s effective leadership ensures a strong commitment to continuous improvement.”
An AdvancED Review Team last visited the District during the 2013-2014 school year. The 2013-2014 review also resulted in the district receiving full district accreditation. To view the final accreditation engagement review report from the visit in February 24-27, 2019 which was approved by the AdvancED’s Board in April 2019, you may visit coffee.k12.ga.us.