West Valley School earns AdvancED accreditation
West Valley School District has earned accreditation from AdvancED following an extensive evaluation process.
The K-8 school began the accreditation process more than two years ago.
West Valley Superintendent Cal Ketchum said the district received high ratings for school culture and climate and was noted for its caring staff. The district also was rated highly for how it allocates school resources.
Areas cited as needing improvement included collection of academic data, charting growth, including stakeholders outside the school in decision-making and creating a five-year strategic plan. The district will start the strategic planning process in August, Ketchum said.
AdvancED is a nonprofit organization that “conducts rigorous, onsite reviews of a variety of educational institutions and systems to ensure that all learners realize their full potential” with a “commitment to help these institutions continuously improve,” according to the organization, which conducts external reviews of educational institutions around the nation and world.
The AdvancED accreditation process is voluntary and schools pay for the service. It is not associated with state accreditation. Once accredited, schools may opt to go through a renewal process every five years.
An external review team composed of AdvancED-trained educators rated the school district in 31 “performance standards,” to assess leadership, learning and resource capacities. The evaluation included input from staff, parents, students, school board trustees and other stakeholders through interviews and surveys.
The district was rated in each standard to identify areas that met or exceeded expectations, needed improvement, or were considered “emerging,” meaning there were efforts in place that should continue to be built upon.
Ketchum himself has served on an external review team for other schools and said the process is comprehensive, which he saw as a benefit of going through the rigorous process.
“You get a good picture of where your school is at with the standards,” Ketchum said. “The results give you a good idea of where to go.”
The district plans to use the results as a springboard for strategic planning. Based on the report from AdvancED, the district sketched out topics and listed areas where it could grow, such as higher-level thinking skills and real-life experiences being used in the classroom; collecting and analyzing data; technology use and training; and engaging multiple stakeholders in decision making, among others. It also listed areas of strength, such as the work being done in regard to school climate and culture; data being used for student support; use of instructional coaches; curriculum and training in place in most subject areas across grades and fair treatment of students.
“In August we’ll start working on a strategic plan with a group of 25 staff, community members and board members,” Ketchum said.
The district now has a diagnostic tool from AdvancED to assess school quality and serve as a guide for continual improvement.
“We don’t want to stop just because we’re doing well in one area,” Ketchum said.
Other area schools and districts with AdvancED accreditation include Evergreen School District, Flathead High School, Glacier High School, Stillwater Christian School, Libby School District and Troy School District.
Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.