It's Time For An Outside Look

Beginning tomorrow evening, we will be going through an external audit at South. The purpose is to see if we are doing what we claim to be doing in regard to school improvement. In this case, an external review team made up of five educators will take a close look at what we do, why we do it, and how we do it.

During two full days on December 3-4 the team will meet with many stakeholders of the South community. This list will include students, teachers, parents and administrators. The visiting team will take a close look at our specific school improvement goals and the rationale behind them. They will check to make sure we use data effectively and have instituted programs that address weak areas identified by the data.

This audit is part of earning "accredited" school status. Over the years, the process has changed as a result of legislation and changes in governing bodies. What used to be simply North Central accreditation has come under the umbrella of an organization called AdvancEd. This group has developed a process for school improvement combining No Child Left Behind (national) and Education Yes (state) initiatives. There are now seven standards and 40 indicators of success that must be addressed. The visiting team will look for artifacts or evidence of our commitment to the process.

An external review gives us a look at our school that we can't through our own eyes. Going into the audit, we feel we are in good shape. However, my greatest hope is that we will get honest feedback so that we can get even better. After all, when it comes to school improvement you should never be finished.

Wish us luck!