Stonington High School to have reaccreditation visit next week
Stonington — A team of 16 educators will be at Stonington High School next week as the school enters the final phase of its reaccreditation process with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
The team will meet in executive session with members of the school board on Sunday afternoon and then be at the school through Wednesday talking to teachers, administrators, students and residents, as well as sitting in on classes and examining student work.
Principal Mark Friese said he and his staff have spent the past 18 months completing a self study as part of the accreditation process.
“We take a good hard look at what we do and we rate ourselves based on their standards,” said Friese, who has been part of accreditation teams that have visited other high schools.
The reaccreditation team, which is chaired by Cathy Knowles, the assistant superintendent of the Wachusett Regional School District in Massachusetts, will identify the school’s strong points as well as offer recommendations for areas of improvement.
Friese said he welcomes “an outside look to make sure we’re doing all the right things.”
Friese said the NEASC team will offer some preliminary input to school staff on Wednesday before it departs. It will issue a formal accreditation report this summer, which Friese later will present to the school board.
“The goal of an accreditation visit is to stimulate a continuing drive for improvement in the school,” said Friese in announcing next week’s visit.
“We anticipate a good report. We have a very strong teaching staff and the support of the school community,” he said.
The reaccreditation process takes place every 10 years.
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