Does NEASC Deserve all the Hate?
NEIRAD enilno edition
The posters are all over the school, mostly everyone has heard about it, and some students are even helping out the cause. But what is it – the thing that most people simply refer to as, “the NEASC thing?”
NEASC, or “New England Association of Schools and Colleges,” is an organization that “provides accreditation services for more than 2000 public and private institutions in the six state region,” according to their website. Every 10 years, DHS must undergo this process of accreditation, and the time has come for Darien High School to once again prove itself as a school that represents high-quality standards.
Mr. Matt Pavia, American Literature teacher at DHS, took on the role of chairman of the steering committee, in charge of readying the school for NEASC’s arrival. Mr. Pavia described the accreditation that NEASC gives as “a comprehensive review of curriculum, instruction, assessment, school resources, and the culture of the school.” He also said that this spring NEASC “will send a team of teachers to sit in on classes, interview students, teachers and parents, and go through curriculum and student work.” What they will be looking for is that what happens at DHS is guided by a set of core values, which are clear to students, administrators, and staff, and furthermore are followed by them.
The accreditation that NEASC provides “allows a school to regularly take stock of its strengths and weaknesses, and make sure that the education provided and resources available are the best they can be,” Mr. Pavia said. “Often when you’re involved in something, it’s hard to see it in a different light.” He stressed that NEASC is able to give invaluable insight, perspective, and objectivity to the way DHS operates. On top of that, with the tight budget in recent years, the accreditation will make it easier for DHS to get things that are needed – like computers, paint, and other essentials. Further, he said that if teachers feel that there is something that needs to be changed, “this helps them make their case.”
Another example of what NEASC can accomplish comes from Stamford High. In the fall of 2010, Mr. Pavia went to evaluate the school in order for him to participate, and learn about the accreditation process. There, it was decided that class sizes were too large. For instance, Mr. Pavia said that an honors American literature class there had 28 students. Compared to one of his this year that has only 16, the difference is drastic. NEASC was able to show Stamford High that their classes were too big – NEASC is able to identify these and other types of critical needs.
Mr. Pavia’s trip to Stamford kicked off the preparation process. The steering committee (the group of teachers in charge of the preparation) also went on a 2-day workshop to learn the ropes.
In March of 2010, the steering committee, student council, board of education, faculty, and the DHSPA, began working on forming the school’s core values and beliefs – a list of which now hangs in every classroom. Mr. Pavia described this as the first step – or the “key stone” to the accreditation process, since the core beliefs are essential for accreditation. A wiki page was created where teachers could all formulate ideas and provide input, and then the faculty voted on revisions and a final list was established.
With this past fall, “self-study” began, as Mr. Pavia put it. At this point, the faculty focused on the leadership and culture of the building, and the committee had to collect documentation and interview people to see if DHS meets standards – “from inspection of the cafeteria to students knowing the core values and beliefs.” He described it as part of the “no stone left unturned” mentality.
The first action teachers took was to reform their rubrics. The 7 core beliefs should be followed in each class and should be over-arching departmentally, and the school-wide rubrics should involve the beliefs. “It’s long, tedious, and a lot of work,” said Mr. Pavia, but in the end he hopes they will be recognized with success.
A big part of this process is that they feel teachers should be able to meet with other teachers formally, to make sure that everything is equal. This is in terms of grading, i.e. the intrinsic value to an A, B, or C, but it’s also to discuss the course and review student work. For example, Mr. Pavia said all the world studies teachers can meet to talk about the class and the work they’re doing/giving. If teachers want to do this now, it must be accomplished on their own time.
The PLC – or Professional Learning Committee – designates that there is scheduled regular time for teachers to meet and discuss, and make revisions to the course. Mr. Pavia predicts that they’ll point this out and say we need it.
In terms of student involvement with the process, there is a school atmosphere committee, composed of around 20 students, who have what Mr. Pavia described as a lot of power – in promoting the core beliefs and educating the rest of the student body. “How often do students have the ability to really actively shape the environment?” Mr. Pavia asked, i.e. formulating pep rallies, and changing the way that the hallways look.
Mr. Pavia stressed that students will benefit from the process. He said that now, teachers will spend time thinking about how to provide students with the best type of education.
He also said that diversity in teaching styles is a beneficial differentiation, and that it’s important for students to be immersed in and learning in different types of classes – such as those that stick to lectures, or those that lean more towards class discussions/seminars. “But at the same time, we want teachers to look at other teachers, and learn from them,” Mr. Pavia said.
To observe teachers, Mr. Eagan – American History teacher – works as cochairman of the instructional committee with math teacher Mr. Jockers, who is the chairman. On the committee, Mr. Eagan said they go to different classrooms to watch what teachers are doing, and look for things like whether or not they’re personalizing instruction, and using other important teaching methods. They come prepared with a checklist of all positive things that teachers can do, to pick up on the good aspects of their teaching. This inspired Mr. Eagan with the catch phrase “I better be good today.”
The goal is to make teachers say to themselves “that’s a good idea – how can I use this to be a better teacher?” said Mr. Eagan. Mr. Pavia also wants an atmosphere like this, where teachers can pop in to observe other teachers, and foster a relationship with their colleagues as well as with the students. “There’s so much to be gained from teachers stopping in to classes,” Mr. Pavia said. He made the point that the school really doesn’t encourage this, seeing as most of the doors automatically close, and teachers can’t simply leave their doors open to other faculty members. On top of that, Mr. Pavia added that the building is so big, and is not conducive to bumping into each other like the old school. Added to the constant influx of new teachers, it’s hard for some faculty members to develop relationships with each other.
For example, Mr. Pavia described how language teacher Ms. Tara Allen had to introduce herself to the librarian Ms. Jackie Bennett, when they were working on a committee together, after both having been working at DHS for years. “Teachers all operate in their own heads,” Mr. Eagan explained. Mr. Eagan also further said that one of his favorite days of this year was the Friday before April break, when the committees all worked together. Stress was relieved considering break was on the way, and the teachers were able to relax and discuss. “I feel I really gained an understanding of my colleagues,” he said.
In the end, is the NEASC process a way to bring teachers together, and strengthen the curriculums in order to benefit the students? “Without a doubt,” said Mr. Pavia, “students can only benefit from teachers getting together, and having relationships with them.” What he hopes can be accomplished is for DHS to be not just an institution, but also a neighborhood, in which students and teachers can respect each other, and teachers can also respect their colleagues. This is what can hopefully be accomplished though the strenuous accreditation process.
