THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 11, 1995 TAG: 9501100108
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 09 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
LENGTH: Short : 40 lines
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, through its Commissions on Elementary and Middle Schools and Secondary Schools, has awarded accreditation to all eight Isle of Wight County schools.
The award was made last month during the Association's 99th Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, and announced last week by Isle of Wight school administrators.
The county's elementary schools are Hardy, Carrollton, Windsor and Carrsville. Middle and secondary schools are Smithfield Middle, Smithfield High, Windsor Middle and Windsor High.
Accreditation is based on an evaluation of each school to determine if the needs of the students and community as well as the standards of the Commission on Elementary and Middle Schools and Secondary Schools are being met, the schools' statement said. The evaluation process includes a self-study by each school's faculty and a review by a visiting committee of professional educators representing the association.
Founded in 1895, the Southern Association is a voluntary, nongovernmental agency comprising more than 12,000 accredited colleges and universities, occupational institutions, secondary, middle and elementary schools. Headquartered in Decatur, Ga., it is one of six regional accrediting associations in the United States and serves 11 Southern states - Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia - as well as Mexico, Central and South America and island nations of the Caribbean.
The purpose of regional accreditation is school improvement. To maintain accreditation, each accredited school must conduct a continuing program of educational improvement, meet standards of accreditation and submit annual reports that include plans for educational improvement. by CNB