Schools earn Southern
accreditation
By FULLER ROYAL
Staff Writer
After more than a year of planning – and implementing those plans – the Columbus County Schools have been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACSCASI).
During a March 28 ceremony at Vineland Station Depot, the team listed the system’s strengths, accomplishments, commendations, limitations and challenges.
This is the first time that the entire school system – all 19 campuses – has been through the accreditation process as one unit.
In the past, each school was on its own schedule with re-accreditation every five years.
SACS-CASI volunteers from across the nation arrived in Columbus County to assess each school. They comprised a SACS-CASI quality assurance review team which toured each campus.
“The district wide SACS-CASI accreditation process has been a rewarding experience for the Columbus County Schools,” said Superintendent Dan Strickland. “It has enabled us to become a district focused on continuous school improvement.”
Strickland said that the system’s strategic planning efforts have provided enormous benefits for the schools.
“It has also been instrumental in the establishment of partnerships with various business and community stakeholders,” he said.
The team interviewed Strickland, 14 central office administrators, four board members, 20 principals, 65 parents, 49 representatives of the business community, 80 teachers and 18 students.
System strengths
According to the team, the strengths of the school system include:
A strong working relationship between the county school board and the superintendent of schools.
A well-trained school board, which is knowledgeable of the school improvement process and is supportive of the county level administration in the implementation of the district strategic plan.
The district strategic plan is a document that shows the steps the county schools are taking to improve their test scores.
There is alignment with the strategic plan, the school improvement process, No Child Left Behind and SACS-CASI accreditation for the improvement of student performance system-wide.
The team said there is great pride in the Columbus County Schools and a system-wide emphasis on technology use and technology integration into the curriculum.
Another strength is the use of data analysis for instructional decision-making.
•Academic needs have been identified such as math, writing, reading and science. Appropriate staff development has been planned and provided and improvement results are being monitored.
•The stakeholders of Columbus County Schools are well informed about, appreciative of, and involved in the school improvement process.
•The week-long administrative summer retreats for administrators and principals have provided focus for the improvement process for the schools.
•A communications network has been established by the school system to reach all stakeholders – parents, students and residents.
The team cited the classroom walk throughs, conducted by school and county level administrators, as being effective in supporting the ongoing school improvement process. They are viewed positively by classroom teachers.
•The county level administrative team is viewed by all schools as positive and supportive in the implementation of the district strategic plan.
•There is a school system focus on educating the whole child.
Accomplishments
The team then listed the school system’s accomplishments. They include:
•The active participation by, and communications among, all system stakeholders.
•The outstanding countywide arts festival (Celebrate the Arts) has resulted in the integration of arts into the total school curriculum.
Commendations
The team commended Columbus County Schools for:
•Its mission to instill in students the academic and social skills essential for responsible and productive citizenship in a global society.
•The established beliefs of the school system support and direct the Columbus County Schools’ ongoing school improvement initiative through the district strategic plan.
•The superintendent models expectations for all employees and is accessible to all stakeholders.
•The district leadership team and school administrative teams have an open-door policy.
•Individual student data is used on a consistent basis to assist student performance.
•District leadership engages stakeholders in the development and implementation of plans and processes for continuous improvement.
•Character education is implemented in all grades K-12.
•Good feedback and dialog with Southeastern Community College.
•County and school leaders work as a team and have established a culture of trust in modeling administrative and classroom expectations for teachers.
•Resource officers assigned to the high schools.
•The use of effective schools survey data from all stakeholders help determine school needs.
•The Columbus County school system web site is informative, user friendly for all stakeholders and is updated in a timely manner.
•The libraries and media centers are open for extended hours to address students and stakeholders who have limited or no Internet access.
•Early College High School blends high school and college into a coherent educational program.
•Writing across the curriculum has been implemented based on standardized test results.
•The integration of the arts into all curricular areas is a direct result of the arts festival.
•Within the framework of the district strategic plan, schools have the flexibility to determine and implement strategies that support their school improvement plans.
Limitations
The team pointed out what it sees as limitations for the system. They include:
•The inability of the Columbus County Commissioners to provide additional funding for system needs due to low tax base.
•Aging facilities with limited capacities, especially electrical wiring, to support the increased use of technology.
•A high poverty rate and low level of parent education.
•The geographic size and sparsely populated areas of Columbus County.
•Funding a large number of small schools with limited resources, finances and personnel.
•Limited amounts of current educational technology to prepare students to be competitive in a global society.
Challenges
Listed next were the challenges the school system faces. They are:
•Meeting state and federal accountability as mandated by No Child Left Behind. The system is in year one of corrective action.
•Closing the achievement gap subgroups on Adequate Yearly Progress required by No Child Left Behind.
•Managing and making system improvements with existing funding.
•Recruiting and retaining quality teachers.
•Creating and maintaining safe and secure environments in all schools.
•Projected population growth in eastern and southern portions of the county leading to increased student enrollment.
•Increasing parental involvement countywide.
•Researching and obtaining appropriate grants.
•Insufficient science equipment and materials in all schools.
Recommendations
The Quality Assurance Review Team recommends that Columbus County Schools:
•Establish school based grant committees and create/assign a county level position for a grant writer.
•Establish a Columbus County Educational Foundation to promote and seek funding for education and technology advancements.
•Assign district leadership to ensure data analysis is mined effectively and utilized to address identified critical instructional needs for continuous improvement.
•Employ resource officers for all middle grade level schools.
•Provide full time guidance counselors for schools with middle level grades.
•Reorganize the existing administrative responsibilities in each high school to reflect a curriculum assistant principal/curriculum coordinator to guide the school improvement process.
•Investigate consolidating small schools that are inefficient to operate, have exceeded their expected life span or have small enrollments.
Strickland saisd that the relationships formed, the focus on continuous school improvement and the mission that all students will obtain the academic and social skills needed does not end with SACA-CASI.
“We have already begun to evaluate and take actions on the recommendations by the team,” he said. “Our district SACS-CASI school improvement steering committee, comprised of board members, central office administration, principals, assistant principals, teachers, parents, grandparents, volunteers, business and community members will continue to meet to guide our strategic planning efforts.”
“Realizing that our children are our most valuable resource, it is important to remember that all stakeholders in Columbus County are vital to their educational success.”