Let`s Stop Waiting for Superman - MSA-CESS

building sustainable commitment with superhero results is to engage in the process of accreditation. When
implemented with conviction and commitment, accreditation can provide us with the ability to “leap in a
single bound” to accomplish those things that are most
important to parents, school communities and government agencies responsible for school improvement.
Let’s Stop
Waiting for
Superman
Accreditation provides a framework “more powerful
than a locomotive” to create the conditions necessary
to improve the quality of education: building a schoollevel commitment to school improvement, basing that
school improvement on self-study, comparing school
performance against world-class standards and creating and implementing a school improvement plan
sustainable over time. Since 1887, the Middle States
Association has assisted schools in the process of cultivating their own superheroes to lead a school in defining its mission, contrasting that mission against current
reality and formulating plans to achieve a preferred future.
Message from the President
Henry G. Cram Ed.D
The recent release of the documentary movie Waiting
for Superman has generated debate about the current
quality of education and the alternative paths to generate improvement. But too many of us have waited
far too long for a superhero or a silver bullet to address
the need to improve the quality of education.
Unlike government-sponsored accountability systems,
accreditation helps a school to look beyond its current
student performance by examining the organizational
issues that are often the root causes of these performances. Only by coming to understand the antecedents to current student performance can decisions be
made “faster than a speeding bullet” regarding what
needs to be changed and how best to make those
changes.
The truth is, the super powers required to improve every school and raise the achievement of all students
have always resided in each of us. The superheroes we
continue looking for have been among us for decades.
Allowing outside parties to define what must be done,
or--worse yet--prescribe how to get it done, has failed
to yield improved results in education for more than
30 years.
It is the self-study process, not a “caped crusader” that
helps a school determine its aspirations. Improvement
starts with an honest self-evaluation of the current reality. It is the vision of school community stakeholders,
not the superhero powers of outsiders, that best sets
the course for school improvement.
“Super” superintendents, scientifically-based programs, and consultants professing the newest innovations cannot create enduring change. Real school
improvement requires time, energy and sustainable
commitment--three things that many schools have
found to be in short supply.
(Continued on Page 4)
One way to better use available time and energy while
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In its short, 10-year history, the Academy has recorded
a number of remarkable accomplishments, including:
• 100 percent college acceptance rate for the Academy’s first five graduating classes
• First in math achievement and second in reading
achievement among D.C. open enrollment high
schools
• US News & World Report Bronze Rating – student
test scores over three times higher than those of
students in surrounding schools
• Strong track record of academic remediation for
incoming students – most enter with 5th or 6th
grade reading levels.
he Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High
• An educational program that includes 17 honors
School, located in southeast Washington, D.C., opened
and AP courses
in 2001 with 80 9th graders and added a grade each
• Internships for students with the DC Superior
year, now serving students in grades 9–12. In addition
Court, a law firm tutoring program, and mentorto achieving accreditation by the Middle States Asships
sociation in only its seventh year, Thurgood Marshall
• 94 percent of students take advantage of extendAcademy has already earned a reputation as a high
ed day “homework help” program
performing school that serves the diverse needs of its
• A newly-renovated, state-of-the-art building with
students.
13 classrooms, a library that can hold 10,000 volumes, an outdoor classroom, and a moot courtThe Academy grew out of the experience of law sturoom.
dents and professors in the D.C. Street Law clinical program at Georgetown University Law Center who, while
teaching at a neighborhood high school, saw the need The Academy’s educational program is based on a set
for an alternative for students who were not succeed- of Driving Principles, which include:
ing in other schools.
I. Community. We believe that:
We H
Thurgood Marshall
Academy
Public Charter High
School
T
The founders collaborated
with education experts
and community members
to create a school that
would provide committed students with the academic and youth development resources they need
to succeed and become
active citizens. They decided to use their expertise
in the law and legal principles as teaching tools to
educate and empower the
bright and energetic students they encountered.
4Students belong to multiple communities -- educational, familial, cultural,
national, global -- each
with its own benefits and
responsibilities.
4A learning community
where all students and
staff thrive requires genuine respect among all
members.
4Justice is a key component in a healthy community, and practicing justice in our school prepares
us to pursue it elsewhere.
4Thurgood Marshall Academy must be an active,
just, and respectful member of the Ward 8 community.
The founders chose to name the school after Thurgood
Marshall in honor of his battle for educational equality,
a hallmark of his career as a lawyer, public servant, and
Supreme Court Justice.
(Continued on Page 4)
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Edgewood Learning Community- A New Idea
Before her untimely death in 2009, Harford County
its observations by stating:
(MD) Public Schools Superintendent Jackie Haas had
an idea she shared with Commissions on Elementary
and Secondary Schools President Hank Cram. “Could
the accreditation process,” she asked, “be used to help
a six-school cluster create a new culture as a unit rather
than as a feeder system of six individual schools?”
“We were moved by the passion of the building leadership teams. There was a consistent
level of professionalism among all the staff who
expressed an admirable student-centered and
customer service orientation. This was evident
in the scope and quality of the range of student
services and support functions including facilities, technology, transportation, food services
and health services.”
That question led to numerous meetings and conversations between Dr. Haas, her staff, and the staff of Middle States Commissions on Elementary and Secondary
Schools. The result was a first-ever project by the Commissions—to accredit a group of schools, in this case,
the six-school Edgewood cluster, as a single entity rather than as individual schools, which had been the only
Middle States accreditation option until that time.
The team saw evidence of a strong commitment in the
educational program to providing the necessary interUnder Dr. Haas’ direction, and with the technical as- ventions for students struggling academically, as well
sistance of the Commissions’ staff, members of the as behavioral programs and extended social services to
county’s central staff—primarily Katie Post, Leann meet the full range of needs presented by a substantial
Schubert, and Susan Brown—organized a self-study percentage of the school community’s students. And
and accreditation process that would align Harford the team found both a focus on and an interest in usCounty’s school improvement plan and processes with ing more effectively the abundant student data in ways
which will inform educational decisions as this learning
the Commissions’ requirements for accreditation.
community and the school district as a whole continue
In the end, nearly everyone’s expectations for this proj- their pursuit of educational excellence…
ect were exceeded in every way. Most impressive was
“We believe that the Edgewood Learning Comthe degree to which the principals of the Edgewood
schools and the project’s coordinators embraced the
munity is moving forward on a bold journey
idea of working together in school improvement prothat has the potential to demonstrate to itself,
cesses and in self-study for accreditation.
to its county and perhaps to an ever increasing
audience that it is possible for all students to
succeed when those responsible for education
understand the antecedents to excellence and
strive to create the conditions for every child to
achieve. We hope that, in some small way, by
our examination of your progress and our recommendations to you, we have contributed to
helping you in charting that journey and achieving your vision.”
Rebranding themselves as the Edgewood Learning
Community, the six schools and the Harford County
coordinators joined together to develop this new identity and culture in which they would see themselves as
a kindergarten through grade 12 learning community.
Gone were references to the six schools as a “cluster”
or a “feeder system.” They received additional assistance and cooperation from the Greater Edgewood
Educational Foundation, a community organization established to strengthen the sense of community in the
communities served by the schools of the Edgewood
Learning Community.
In May 2009, the Middle States Association sent a team
of visitors to the Edgewood Learning Community and,
at the end of its three-day visit, the team summarized
(Continued on Page 5)
3
Let’s Stop Waiting for Superman
(Continued from Page 1)
The collective wisdom of peer review is far superior to the opinions
of Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen in determining the veracity of a school’s
improvement efforts. Looking beyond test scores and examining all
the measures of a school’s effectiveness is more effective than the
super powers of consultants du
jour, politicians and bureaucrats in
determining a school’s value to its
community.
Unlike Metropolis, the educational
community is exceedingly diverse.
The challenges we face are more
complex than a single nemesis. Our
problems cannot be solved in a single episode on the wisdom of Mr.
White or by hiding our identities
behind horn-rimmed glasses.
Improving education and increasing student performance requires
thoughtful solutions and sustained
effort that surpass science fiction
plots and characters.
If we are going to succeed in improving education for every child,
we must look within ourselves and
stop waiting for Superman.;
WE HIGHLIGHT
Thurgood Marshall Academy
Public Charter High School
(Continued from Page 2)
II. Diversity. We believe that:
4A rich education promotes the respect of multiple
perspectives and experiences.
4In order to meet the needs of each community
member and create opportunities for success,
we must respect that individuals learn and demonstrate learning in different ways.
4When we are confronted with uncompromisingly
high expectations, challenged with meaningful
work, and provided with appropriate tools, the
best is brought out in each of us.
4True learning occurs when we question, investigate, and evaluate ideas.
4Genuine growth requires constant reflection.
4We must support each other’s wellness, because
it is paramount to our individual and collective
success.
4To realize these principles, we must work as a
team. We each bear responsibility for the success
of the entire community of Thurgood Marshall
Academy.
III. Democracy/Participation. We believe that:
4With the privilege of being a citizen of the community comes the charge of service and responsibility.
4Our school reflects democratic principles of fairness, due process, equality, and justice.
4When we are decision-makers in our educational
and social experiences, we become agents of
change in our own communities.
4Preparation for post-secondary education demands that we integrate the elements of a liberal
education—science, the creative arts, mathematics, technology, and the humanities—in order to
possess the skills to understand and influence
To learn more about the Academy, visit its website at
our world.
www.thurgoodmarshallacademy.org.;
IV. Excellence. We believe that:
4Excellence requires passion, focus, and commitment—and nothing less.
4
Edgewood Learning
CommunityA New Idea
(Continued from Page 3)
Based on what it saw and heard during its visit,
the team was pleased to recommend that the
Edgewood Learning Community be accredited,
a recommendation that was accepted and acted on by the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools in October 2009.
To signify the importance of this accreditation
Harford county Superintendent Robert Tomback and Project Coordinator to the Harford County Public Schools and to
Leann Schulburt display the Edgewood Learning Community’s accredita- the Middle States Association, a presentation
tion banner. Observing are Maryland State Superintendent Nancy Gras- of the accreditation certificates was held at a
mick (I) and Harford County Board of Education President Mark Wolkow. meeting of the Harford County Board of Education. Each school in the Edgewood Learning
Community was represented by its principal, a
student, and a parent. Adding further significance to the presentation ceremony was the presence of Maryland
State Superintendent of Schools Nancy Grasmick.
Noting the significance of this event, current Harford County Superintendent Robert Tomback praised the entire
Edgewood Learning Community for its groundbreaking efforts that led to the first Middle States accreditation of
a system of schools rather than six individual schools.
The Middle States Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools also benefited from this project by using what it learned in the accreditation of the Edgewood Learning Community to develop its new accreditation
standards and protocol for the accreditation of school systems as a unit rather than as a collection of individual
schools.;
Coming In March
Cess’s Bi-annual membership survey
In March, we will ask each member school to complete a survey to determine its satisfaction with the accreditation services provided by the Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools.
Please take a moment to complete this on-line survey, as your feedback is important to us as we continue
our efforts to provide the services your school needs to be accredited and to sustain a culture of continuous improvement. The survey results will be published in a future edition of The Standard.
Thank you in advance for your participation.
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Fall 2010 Accreditation Actions
At their Fall 2010 meetings, the Middle
States Commissions on Elementary and
Secondary Schools took the following actions:
Actions Taken by the
Commission on Elementary
Schools
Accreditation - Seven Years
Academy of Saint Dorothy,
Staten Island, NY
Al-Rahmah School, Baltimore, MD
Community Services for Children, Inc., Allentown, PA
Conshohocken Catholic School,
Conshohocken, PA
DC Bilingual Public Charter School,
Washington, DC
E. L. Haynes Public Charter School,
Washington, DC
Fourteen Holy Helpers School,
West Seneca, NY
Gwynedd-Mercy Academy Elementary, Spring House, PA
Holy Family Catholic School,
Harrisburg, PA
Holy Family School, Hicksville, NY
Holy Name of Jesus School, Valhalla, NY
Immaculate Conception Academy,
Douglassville, PA
Immaculate Heart of Mary School,
Wilmington, DE
Kingston Catholic School, Kingston, NY
Long Beach Catholic Regional School,
Long Beach, NY
Maternity B.V.M. School, Philadelphia, PA
Mother Teresa Regional School,
Atlantic Highlands, NJ
Mount Carmel-Holy Rosary School,
New York, NY
Mountain Christian School, Joppa, MD
Mt. Lebanon Montessori School and
Academy, Mt. Lebanon, PA
Nativity of Our Lord School,
Warminster, PA
Northampton Community College
Children’s Centers (The), Bethlehem, PA
Our Lady Queen of Angels School,
New York, NY
Our Lady Queen of Apostles Regional Catholic School, Center
Moriches, NY
Prince of Peace Regional School,
Sayville, NY
Rhema Christian School,
Moon Township, PA
Sacred Heart School, North Merrick, NY
Saint Ann School, New York, NY
Saint Christopher School, Baldwin, NY
Saint Dominic Elementary School,
Oyster Bay, NY
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Regional
Catholic School, Bellmore, NY
Saint John Baptist de LaSalle Regional School, Farmingdale, NY
Saint Joseph Catholic School, Danville, PA
Saint Mary, Mother of Jesus-Saint Frances Cabrini Academy, Brooklyn, NY
Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic School, Silver Spring, MD
Saint Patrick School, Brooklyn, NY
Saint Patrick School, Huntington , NY
Saint Patrick School, Smithtown, NY
Saint Patrick’s School, Bedford, NY
Saint Patrick’s School, Rockville, MD
Saint Peter School, Yonkers, NY
Saint Philip the Apostle School,
Camp Springs, MD
Saint Raphael School, Hamilton, NJ
Saint Richard School, Philadelphia, PA
Saint Rose of Lima School,
Philadelphia, PA
Saint Stephen of Hungary School,
New York, NY
Saint Vincent de Paul School,
Springbrook, NY
Saints Peter and Paul School,
West Chester, PA
Sligo Adventist School, Takoma Park, MD
Stella Maris Regional School,
Sag Harbor, NY
Tender Care Learning Center-Lower
Burrell, New Kensington, PA
The Goddard School-State College,
State College, PA
Accreditation - Mergers
Cape Trinity Catholic School,
North Wildwood, NJ
Good Shepherd Catholic Regional School, Ardsley, PA
Holy Family Regional Catholic School, Levittown, PA
Saint Francis International School,
Silver Spring, MD
Saint John Vianney Regional School,
Allentown, PA
Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Academy, Pittsburgh, PA
Accreditation - Additional
Grade(s)
Saint Francis De Sales, Salisbury, MD
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Probationary Accreditation
Removed-Remainder of Term
Granted
Montessori Corner at Princeton
Meadows, Inc., Plainsboro, NJ
Saint Fidelis School, College Point, NY
The Jefferson School, Georgetown, DE
Saint Francis Xavier School,
Philadelphia, PA
Actions Taken by the
Commission on Secondary
Schools
Accreditation - Seven Years
Aquinas Institute of Rochester,
Rochester, NY
Archbishop John Carroll High School, Radnor, PA
Archbishop Ryan High School,
Philadelphia, PA
Baltimore City College, Baltimore, MD
Bronxville High School, Bronxville, NY
Catholic Central High School, Troy, NY
Cedar Cliff High School, Camp Hill, PA
Cedar Grove High School, Cedar Grove, NJ
Chancellor Academy, Pompton Plains, NJ
Colts Neck High School, Colts Neck, NJ
Crestwood High School, Mountaintop, PA
Danville Area High School, Danville, PA
Dauphin County Technical School,
Harrisburg, PA
Elkton High School, Elkton, MD
Father Judge High School,
Philadelphia, PA*
George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science,
Philadelphia, PA
Gwynn Park High School, Brandywine, MD
Hershey High School, Hershey, PA
Hill School (The), Pottstown, PA
Hospitality High School, Washington, DC*
James J. Ferris High School, Jersey City, NJ
John F. Kennedy Memorial High School, Iselin, NJ
Kennard - Dale High School,
Fawn Grove, PA
La Salle Academy, New York, NY*
Link Community School, Newark, NJ
Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls,
Philadelphia, PA
Manalapan High School, Englishtown, NJ
Mercyhurst Preparatory School, Erie, PA
Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop
Prendergast Catholic High School,
Drexel Hill, PA*
Fall 2010 Accreditation Actions (cont.)
Mother Seton Regional High School,
Clark, New Jersey
Murrell Dobbins Career Technical High School, Philadelphia, PA
Nazareth Area High School, Nazareth, PA
North Brunswick Township High School, North Brunswick, NJ*
North East High School, North East, MD
Notre Dame Academy High School of Staten Island, Staten Island, NY
Paramus Catholic High School,
Paramus, NJ
Patapsco High School and Center for the Arts, Baltimore, MD
Philadelphia Mennonite High School, Philadelphia, PA
Pittsburgh Allderdice High School,
Pittsburgh, PA
Rising Sun High School, North East, MD
Saint John the Baptist Diocesan High School, West Islip, NY
Saint Patrick High School, Elizabeth, NJ
Saint Raymond Academy for Girls,
Bronx, NY
Serra Catholic High School,
McKeesport, PA
Steel Valley High School, Munhall, PA*
Trinity High School, Camp Hill, PA*
Voorhees High School, Glen Gardner, NJ
Western High School, Baltimore, MD
Accreditation - Six Years
Blue Mountain Academy, Hamburg, PA*
Keystone School (The), Bloomsburg, PA
Pine Forge Academy, Pine Forge, PA*
Takoma Academy, Takoma Park, MD
WorldStrides, Charlottesville, VA
Accreditation - five years
ASI Career Institute, Turnersville, NJ
Accreditation - Remainder Term
Darrow School, New Lebanon, NY
Field School (The), Washington, DC
Freeport High School, Freeport, NY
James H. Groves Adult High School (The), Dover, DE
Knox School (The), Saint James, NY
Owen J. Roberts High School,
Pottstown, PA
Accreditation - Merged School
Union City High School, Union City, NJ
Accreditation – Removal of
Stipulations
Edward Bok Area Vocational/Technical High School, Philadelphia, PA
Greater Altoona Career and Technology Center, Altoona, PA
Marylawn of the Oranges,
South Orange, NJ
Overbrook High School, Philadelphia, PA
Rosa L. Parks School of Fine & Performing Arts, Paterson, NJ
Probationary Accreditation
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute,
Baltimore, MD
Benjamin Franklin High School,
Philadelphia, PA
Camden High School, Camden, NJ
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School,
Washington, DC
Sayville High School, West Sayville, NY
Woodrow Wilson High School,
Camden, NJ
Removal of Accreditation
Interboro Senior High School,
Prospect Park, PA
Mineola High School, Garden City Park, NY
Divided School
New Alliance Academy, Paramus, NJ
Actions Taken by the
Commissions on Elementary
and Secondary Schools
Accreditation – Ten Years
International School of Florence,
Florence, Italy
Accreditation - Seven Years
Academia Espíritu Santo, San Juan, PR
Academia La Milagrosa, Cayey, PR*
Academia Santo Tomas de Aquino,
Bayamon, PR
American International School of Lome, Lome, Togo
American School of Milan, Milan, Italy
Colegio Adianez, Guaynabo, PR*
Colegio Evangélico Capitán Correa,
Arecibo, PR*
Doane Academy, Burlington, NJ* Garden School, Jackson Heights, NY
Garfield Park Academy, Willingboro, NJ
Hunter College Campus Schools,
New York, NY
Instituto Modelo de Enseñanza
Individualizada, San Juan, PR
Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Institute of Catholic Charities, Washington, D.C.
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Niagara Falls City School District (11 schools), Niagara Falls City, NY
Cataract School
Gaskill Preparatory School
Geraldine J. Mann Elementary School
Harry F. Abate
Henry J. Kalfas Magnet School
Hyde Park Elementary School
Lasalle Preparatory School
Maple Avenue School
Niagara Falls High School
Niagara Street School
Seventy-Ninth Street Elementary School
Palmas Academy (The), Humacao, PR*
Point Pleasant Beach School District (2
schools), Point Pleasant, NJ
G. Harold Antrim Elementary School
Point Pleasant Beach High School
QSI International School of Brindisi,
Brindisi, Italy
Sahel Academy, Niamey, Niger
Universal College of Aley, Beirut, Lebanon
Wesleyan Academy, Guaynabo, PR
Winnie’s Active Learning Kids School (WALKS), Mayaguez, PR
Worcester County Public Schools, Snow
Hill Cluster (5 Schools), Snow Hill, MD
Cedar Chapel Special School
Snow Hill Elementary School
Snow Hill High School Snow Hill Middle School
Worcester Technical High School
Accreditation - Six Years
Huntington Learning Center BAL,
Baldwin, NY
Huntington Learning Center BDG,
Bridgewater, NJ
Huntington Learning Center CAR,
Carle Place, NY
Huntington Learning Center EDI,
Edison, NJ
Huntington Learning Center LDG,
Succasunna, NJ
Huntington Learning Center MAS,
Massapequa Park, NY
Huntington Learning Center MID,
Middletown, NJ
Huntington Learning Center MOR,
Morristown, NJ
Huntington Learning Center NOR,
Westport, CT
Huntington Learning Center NTH,
East Northport, NY
Fall 2010 Accreditation Actions (cont.)
Huntington Learning Center SPG,
Springfield, NJ
Accreditation - Five Years
Harrisburg Christian School,
Harrisburg, PA
Accreditation - Remainder of
Term
American School of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Ibn Khuldoon National School,
Manama, Bahrain
Modern Knowledge Schools,
Manama, Bahrain
Tower Hill School, Wilmington, DE
Probationary Accreditation
Academia Nuestra Señora de la
Providencia, San Juan, PR
American Academy for Girls,
Hawalli, Kuwait
International School of Nice, Nice, France
Additional Grades
West Nairobi School (Grade 12),
Nairobi, Kenya
International Credential
American School of Milan, Milan, Italy
*Accredited with Stipulations
May We Introduce...
The Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools recently named three new members to its staff.
Patrick Impreveduto has been appointed an Associate Director. In his new role, Impreveduto will be the liaison for schools in northern New Jersey and eastern New York.
Impreveduto’s 34-year career in education includes service to the Secaucus School District as the principal of Secaucus Middle and High Schools and an English teacher. He
also served as director of educational media.
Impreveduto earned a bachelor’s degree in English and Elementary Education from St.
Peter’s College. He earned two master’s degrees-- one in administration/supervision
with principalship and another in library and media communications, both from Jersey
City University. He earned a certificate in youth sports safety from Rutgers University
and holds a certificate of eligibility as chief school administrator.
Augusto Hernandez Alvarado has been appointed as the Commissions’ Regional
Representative in the Caribbean. Augie (as he is known to his friends and colleagues)
joins MSA after a long career in education that includes work as a secondary school
director, PK-12 assistant director, general administrator, teacher, assistant principal and
guidance counselor at schools in Puerto Rico. Augie has been a longtime volunteer for
the Middle States Association, so he brings with him a strong background in both the
educational systems in the Caribbean and the accreditation process.
Augie earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy, Cum Laude, from St. Alphonsus
College and a Master of Arts degree in Administration and Supervision from New York
University. He has also completed work toward a doctorate.
Jennifer V. Hart has joined the staff as a clerical assistant. Her work experience prior
to joining Middle States included coordinating a graduate support program for a middle
school in Chicago and serving as a residential assistant at La Salle University, where she
earned her Bachelor of Science degree as a double major in Psychology and Communications.
Jennifer is currently a candidate for a Master of Arts in Clinical and Community Counseling Psychology at Eastern University.;
8