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Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Earns District Accreditation From Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

Posted on: Wednesday, 7 December 2005, 12:00 CST

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has received districtwide accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI), CMS officials announced today.

CMS is the first large urban school district in the United States and one of only 20 districts of any size nationally to receive districtwide accreditation from SACS CASI, the largest accrediting agency in the world and one of only six agencies that accredit both public and nonpublic educational institutions.

"This is a significant achievement that demonstrates CMS is committed to improving student achievement and has programs in place to drive continuous improvement," said Superintendent Frances Haithcock. "Districtwide accreditation by SACS CASI, together with last week's announcement of our district's outstanding performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, sends a clear message that we have an excellent school system in Charlotte, and we're committed to making it better."

"We commend Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools for its strong commitment to the achievement of all students and its pervasive culture of high expectations," said Nikki Armato, associate executive director for SACS CASI. "Our review team was most impressed with the quality and scope of system-wide programs, methods of assistance and resources provided to schools to support them in meeting district goals."

Districtwide accreditation, which will be announced Saturday at SACS CASI's national conference in Houston, follows a rigorous review process that was conducted over a three-day period. A total of 996 stakeholders involved in Charlotte's public schools were interviewed. CMS principals and central staff members, teachers, students, parents, business partners, school board members and Haithcock were among those interviewed. The process also included review of data and documentation as well as visits to a representative sample of schools.

The Quality Assurance Review Team conducting the review commended CMS for accessing and using pertinent data to improve student learning, as well as for developing and implementing a systematic and systemic framework for continuous improvement and quality assurance at the district and school level.

"CMS implemented a continuous improvement process for the district and individual schools three years ago, and districtwide accreditation is proof positive that it's paying off," said Elva Cooper, lead project manager for CMS on the review process. "The bottom line is that the SACS CASI review team put us under the microscope and found that school improvement is continuing and students are doing better."

The SACS CASI districtwide accreditation is good for five years, and districtwide performance against the quality standards required for accreditation will be monitored annually through an online reporting and review process every March, Cooper said. The district's "focus schools" will be checked on a quarterly basis.

While recognizing the district's strengths, the SACS CASI review team also acknowledged the limitations and challenges that CMS must overcome in order to continue showing improvement in student achievement. Chief among these limitations are the continued rapid growth of the school system and lack of instructional space to support student learning.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

CONTACT: Natasha Suber, +1-980-343-0472, or Pager, +1-704-505-8399, orFax, +1-980-343-3647, or Damon Ford, +1-980-343-6243, or Pager,+1-704-559-1387, or Fax, +1-980-343-3647, both of Charlotte-MecklenburgSchools

Web site:

Source: PRNewswire

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