Accreditation

Saint Mary’s School is accredited by the Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE), a body recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia that accredits all private schools. The accreditation is granted upon completion of two “merged” continuous improvement programs, one offered by the Virginia Catholic Education Association (VCEA), and one supervised by the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS). Perhaps the best known and universally accepted accreditation is that offered by SACS.

For Saint Mary’s, accreditation activities are on a five year cycle. The most comprehensive review of our program is done during a “self – study” year that culminates with an on-sight review of our school and programs. The self – study year allows for an intense review of every aspect of a school’s program, as defined by standards. Each standard is reviewed for compliance and best practices by the faculty. Goals for the next five years are developed from the review that address each standard. the self – study year concludes with a review by a visiting team composed of Diocesan administrators and teachers. the visiting team reviews all of the “evidence” gathered by the faculty during the self-study year and confirms both the achievements of the school and goals set for the following years.

The remaining four years are devoted to achieving the goals set during the self – study year. The school leadership (Pastor, School Board, PTO Board, Administrators, Faculty and Staff) all have input into the goals and all have responsibility for monitoring progress towards meeting those goals.

The 2009-2010 school year is the self – study year for Saint Mary’s. Faculty and staff are busy gathering evidence that speaks to our achievements in the required standards. On March 10, 11, and 12 we will be visited by a team to review our progress and validate our conclusions from the self – study. The team will meet with school leaders, parents, students and others to determine compliance with the standards. At the conclusion of the visit, a report will be made to the Faculty and Staff (and any others interested in attending the report).  The visiting team has requested that school be dismissed at Noon on March 12th to allow for the presentation of this report to all faculty. Although I am reluctant to have an early dismissal, it is important to the Faculty and Staff that they receive this important feedback from their colleagues on the visiting team.

The accreditation process is extensive in its review of school functions. The faculty and staff work diligently to document and explore our compliance with rigorous educational and operational standards. Saint Mary’s School constantly looks for opportunities for improvement and demonstrates, through the accreditation process, a willingness to work on continuous improvement.