McKinley Middle Academic Magnet/Visual and Performing Arts School has earned accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI). At this time in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System (EBRPSS), all high schools are SACS CASI accredited. This is the first accredited middle school in the System.

In addition, EBRPSS Superintendent Charlotte Placide has initiated the process to earn district-wide SACS accreditation. Once approved, it would allow all School System schools, not just the high schools and McKinley Middle School, to be accredited by SACS CASI.

The Council’s Standards Assessment Report, a self-assessment report, serves as the primary resource for the SACS Quality Assurance Review Team’s review. In the report, which engages the school community in an in-depth assessment of each of SACS’ seven AdvancED standards, areas of strength and opportunities for improvement are identified.

The McKinley Middle School report is a testimony of all the hard work done by Principal Herman Brister and his staff. Reviewers of the assessment noted “The school has leaders who are advocates for the school’s vision and improvement efforts. The leaders provide direction and systematically allocate resources to implement curricular and co-curricular programs that enable students to achieve expectations for their learning. …”

In addition, the report reviewers said “The school implements a collaborative and ongoing process for improvement that aligns most functions of the school with the expectations for student learning. Improvement efforts are sustained, and the school demonstrates progress in improving student performance and school effectiveness.”

Founded in 1895, SACS CASI accredits more than 13,000 schools and school systems throughout the United States and overseas. SACS CASI is an accreditation division of AdvancED. AdvancED also is the parent organization of the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI) and the National Study of School Evaluation (NSSE).

Students who attend a school accredited by NCA CASI or SACS CASI can rest assured that the school is committed to raising student performance and held accountable for improving student learning on a continual basis.

Accreditation means that students have:

• Qualified teachers who are continually working to improve their practices and teaching methods in order to increase student performance
• Access to a rich, diverse, and sound curriculum
• Access to a range of student activities and support services
• Transferability of credits from school to school
• Greater access to federal loans, scholarships, post secondary education, and military programs that require accreditation

For more information, visit online at http://www.sacscasi.org/ or contact Brister at McKinley Middle School, (225) 388-0089.