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Getting Specific: Livermore Elementary School Accreditation Report
Darren J. Akerman
Supervisor of Instruction
Now that we are well into the school year, we have had the opportunity to celebrate our status as an accredited elementary school. The National Educators Association for Schools and Colleges will be honoring those schools accredited in December at their annual Boston Conference, and we will be pleased to be in attendance.
Commended for taking the time and effort to develop a Mission Statement and core beliefs, the evident school pride and  community support, our commitment to utilizing and implementing best instructional practices (particularly in the K-3 literacy model), as well as the use of assessment to evaluate students and the review of curriculum to improve teaching, our self-report has been validated.
In addition, Livermore Elementary School has been commended for the availability of technology, both hardware and software, to support student learning and instructional strategies. Of course, we can list more, but there’s a lot more to accreditation than the NEASC flag flying above our school.
 We addressed a Special Progress Report last June (well before the due date of October 1, 2007) regarding the traffic pattern, which the Visiting Committee felt needed immediate attention. As any of you who visit our school, you have undoubtedly noticed that the ‘flow’ of traffic has dramatically improved, and more importantly, the safety of our students.
Although our Two-Year Progress report cannot be submitted until October 2008, we are already underway, following the recommendations of the NEASC Visiting Committee.
1.) Identify and delegate responsibilities to be shared among staff, faculty and administration to ensure that all stakeholders have the opportunity to feel empowered and share in the decision-making that affects teaching and instruction.
 With the development of our literacy team, and the use of Professional Learning Community guidelines, we have already begun to address this recommendation. The expertise of the instructional staff is honored and has become a major driving force behind our efforts. With the implementation of literacy coaches and a literacy-based intervention classroom, staff members are taking charge in new and exciting ways. Of course, this is an on-going process, and we are pleased to see our staff members take the professional and personal responsibility to create a richer, more diverse educational environment. Did you know that our Special Education students operate a school store? This is an idea that began last year. Or did you know that our formal student recognition program began as a teacher-generated initiative? The list goes on to extend caring and services for our students.
2.) Develop a formal process for supervision and evaluation for all faculty, instructional, and support staff and administration, which is used for continued improvement of the quality of the educational program.
This year our district’s school board approved a standards-based evaluation system. We have already begun implementation, and for instructional staff the system reflects 4 domains: Instructional Skills, Program Management, Learning Environment, and Assessment (5 domains for Special Educators, including Program Management.) It is vital to the performance of a high-functioning staff to have regular evaluations, and we’re well on our way to providing the constructive feedback they need to keep growing.
3.) Develop and implement a comprehensive, planned program of professional development to support best practices.
Our Instructional Design Team takes pride in tailoring professional development to suit the individual needs of each school at MSAD # 36. At Livermore Elementary, we provide intensive, on-site literacy training and coaching, as well as numerous professional development opportunities to improve the use of Compass Learning, an intervention program, and most recently, NWEA, a compatible, on-line assessment system that provides a wealth of data to help us differentiate instruction. That means we are doing everything we can to support our students through best practices. Take a look at our Instructional Design Team link on the district website for more information: www.sad36.org
4.) Investigate and resolve the removal of several large rocks protruding in the middle of the playground.
This is an issue that is under investigation. We expect to have it resolved it
in the spring.
5.) Develop and implement strategies that ensure that communication is clear, concise and promptly given to all faculty to provide consistent, meaningful communication within the school.
With the implementation of Professional Learning Communities, we have set up parameters that help improve communication. Education is a complex process, which requires a good deal of dialogue, and Professional Learning Communities (PLC) is a means to facilitate that process, keep goals clear, and allow all voices to be heard. We make extensive use of email communication via first class, and utilize the site for such important activities as evaluations and goal-setting. Regular staff meetings provide opportunities to share information; additionally, administrative evaluations ensure that this recommendation is met.
6.) Develop and implement an action plan for administering the consequences of students’ infractions of the school and classroom rules and expectations that is consistent and supports all faculty, staff, and administration.
Currently, student infractions are logged into an administrative database, and the code of conduct is explicit; teachers spend the first 25 days of each school year reviewing those expectations with students. With 445 students, there are bound to be behavioral problems at times. The principal is responsible for behaviors that cannot be dealt with in the classroom. Our Home-School Coordinator uses proactive approaches in help students avoid negative behaviors.
It’s important to remember that Accreditation is an on-going process, and the recommendations here highlight only the most general. There are more detailed recommendations as well, and many, many commendations. At Livermore Elementary School, we take pride in achieving NEASC status as an accredited school. Please take the time to visit the NEASC website and find out more about what accreditation means for our students, staff, and community at http://www.neasc.org/
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