It is a 10-year process, and Old Rochester Regional High School Principal Mike Devoll is dashing toward the goals he is setting out for the high school as part of the accreditation process for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
The school assessment visit was originally scheduled for 2016, but due to the overbooking of these visits on behalf of the NEASC, ORRHS has been given until 2018 to complete its accreditation requirements, and Devoll was happy to tell this to the ORR School Committee on May 12.
It is a systematic approach, said Devoll during a slide presentation that outlined the standards regarding the systems, processes, and practices of school personnel for accreditation as well as the 10-year cycle.
The essential question NEASC asks of the school once it completes its self-assessment, Devoll said, is to what extent does ORRHS adhere to the indicators in each standard for accreditation? What are the strengths? What improvements have been identified?
In addition, the school must identify its core values, beliefs, and learning expectations and sum them up in a core values statement. Devoll said he has formed a committee with that goal in mind.
The one word you will hear over and over again, Devoll said, is “community.”
“Community. And community involvement,” said Devoll. “That is an essential component to accreditation.”
Devoll said the NEASC last visited the school in 2006 for an evaluation visit.
“I lived through that,” said Devoll, who was a teacher then. “I feel I didn’t truly understand. I feel like we checked a lot of boxes that year.”
Within two years of that visit, Devoll told the committee, the school was supposed to submit a two-year report to the NEASC, followed by a five-year report. These two reports were not submitted in time.
“Somewhere after 2006, we jumped the tracks with our accreditation,” said Devoll. Devoll stepped in as principal in 2009. The school was subsequently put on warning status.
Where did we go wrong? Devoll said administrative turnover had a lot to do with the lapse. “Since [then], we have submitted our two year report,” as well as the five-year. “We are, in fact, back on track with NEASC…. And I am now looking forward to … the visit and not fearing it like I did in 2006.”
The staff began to write the core values during a meeting last Monday.
Devoll looked toward an impending vote at the Joint School Committee meeting scheduled for the following day pertaining to eight additional professional development hours and related it to the school’s values.
“That’s why it’s (approval) needed. There’s some work to be done,” Devoll said, “and the products will be worthwhile.”
Also during the meeting, ORRHS Vice-Principal Michael Parker introduced four changes to the student handbook, all approved by the School Committee that night.
Starting next year, an excused absence for illness must be substantiated with a doctor’s note instead of a parent’s note. Parker said students are allowed nine unexcused absences from full-year classes and four unexcused absences from half-year classes before credit is lost.
Also, juniors attending the junior semi-formal will be required to attend a full day of school the day of the event in order to be allowed to attend the dance and after party.
“Past history reveals massive amounts of dismissals on this day, disrupting the educational process,” Parker said.
As part of the no smoking policy, electronic cigarettes will not be allowed on campus in light of a noted rise in e-cigarette use at the school.
Finally, possession of any pornographic materials on school grounds is prohibited, and “sexting” (sexually graphic texting) shall be considered pornography as per state law.
In other matters, the committee approved a school health unit application to allow trained chaperones on field trips to administer the Epi-Pen to students in the case of an anaphylactic emergency, and they also approved a senior trip to Martha’s Vineyard.
The price of school lunch will increase by 25 cents next school year, up from $2.75 to $3.00.
The next meeting of the Old Rochester Regional High School is scheduled for June 10 at 6:00 pm in the ORRJHS media room.
By Jean Perry
