FOUNTAIN SPRINGS - The North Schuylkill School District has earned accreditation through the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools.
District Superintendent Andrew D. Smarkanic said it is a great accomplishment for the district.
"Now we are officially a Middle States accredited junior-senior high school," Smarkanic said recently.
According to the Middle States website, more than 3,000 schools, school districts and educational institutions throughout the United States and in more than 85 countries around the globe are accredited by the MSA-CESS. The organization's standards, protocols and accreditation services reflect the latest research on school effectiveness and school improvement and uses volunteers trained in critical peer review to provide an external validation of a school's or school district's performance.
"It was an 18-month process," Smarkanic said. "We had to apply to the Middle States accreditation board for the opportunity to show a visiting committee the rigors of our curriculum and so forth. They (committee) spent four days in the school, going into the classes, meeting with staff members, board members, administrators, teachers and students and talking to them about the school. They looked at our curriculum standards and courses and did a full evaluation. They essentially came back with a 'Good Housekeeping' stamp of approval, so to speak."
Smarkanic said the MSA board met in October and approved the North Schuylkill accreditation, which went into effect Sunday.
"The seven-year accreditation goes into the year 2020," he said. "It's a pretty big deal. There is a lot of planning and self-study that was done. It was something that I felt was important for the district to have."
MSA accreditation provides its members with the knowledge and processes necessary for implementing school improvement and achieving higher levels of student performance.
Recent research suggests the critical differences between schools that make the grade and those that struggle are the:
- Degree to which the school clearly understands what it needs to do to improve;
- Extent to which the plan to improve is supported by school and community stakeholders; and,
- Capacity of, and commitment by, the school to implement and sustain its plan to improve over time.
Middle States accreditation helps a school critically review its current performance, set a course for improvement and build the commitment and support necessary for significant and long-term improvement. Accreditation helps ensure that schools are making the most efficient use of available resources. Middle States accredited schools are better positioned to use time, talent and money in the most efficient and effective way possible.
During the Nov. 20 meeting, Smarkanic said outgoing North Schuylkill board members Robin Hetherington and Deborah Hampton were each presented with a plaque and watch for their years of service. Hetherington and Hampton did not run for reelection this year.
The board acted on the following agenda items:
- Approved Gwen Sites as a long-term substitute secondary art teacher at a salary of $38,000 for the current school year, retroactive to Aug. 20 and until on or about Apr. 9, 2014.
- Approved Nancy Snyder as a part-time special education aide at $9 per hour, pending written satisfactory evaluation after a 60-day probationary period, retroactive to Oct. 30.
- Approved the return of Lisa Balkiewicz as teacher aide retroactive to Oct. 15 at an hourly rate of $11.75.
The school board also approved the following extracurricular appointments and activities:
- Approved the following high school assistant track coaches and salaries: Robert Moyer, $5,668; Anthony Chatkiewicz, $3,200; George Kriesher, $2,300.
- Approved the following junior high assistant track coaches and salaries: Rachael Hughes, $950; John Darrah, $1,700.
- Approved Ty Wartman as as assistant varsity basketball coach for the winter season at a salary of $2,000.
- Approved Marc Wislosky as a seventh grade boys basketball coach for with winter season at a salary of $700.
- Approved Garrett Kelly as a ninth grade boys basketball coach for the winter season at a salary of $509.18.
- Approved Cory Houser as a junior varsity boys basketball coach for the winter season at a salary of $800.
- Approved Michael Tomko, Chris McCormick and Scott McCormick as volunteer assistant track coaches.
- Approved Lindsey Weist as a volunteer girls basketball coach.
- Approved Jeremy Keiter, Joseph Newhouser and Steve Ennis as volunteer assistant boys basketball coaches.
- Approved the formation of a junior fire fighters group under the supervision of science teacher Ryan McGurl.
- Approved the 2015 North Schuylkill prom to be held at Capriotti's Catering, McAdoo, on May 19, 2015.