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Accreditation

Proven Practices to Engage Stakeholders in the Accreditation Process

By September 18, 2018December 30th, 2021No Comments

Audience #1: Parents

Demystify the Process
Prior to beginning the accreditation process, tell parents what to expect. This can be done during a meeting, by publishing an article in your newsletter, placing a post on social media, or by sending a letter home with students. Describe the steps in the process and how parents may get involved. (We have sample language you can use.)

Communicate Through Their Kids
Talk to your students about the process, and explain why it’s important their parents get involved. Celebrate the class with the highest parent participation in the self-study survey with a pizza party.

Hablas Espanol?
Translate self-study parent surveys to make them accessible to all parents. Middle States’ schools throughout the world have translated the surveys into more than a dozen foreign languages. (Contact us for samples.)

Appoint a Liaison
Include a parent liaison on the Planning Team. This person should be the primary communicator to other families, and a champion of the process.

Be Transparent
Survey the entire parent community as part of the process and then share the results of those surveys. Compare parent responses to what students and faculty said. Let parents know how you are going to address any areas of concern.

Feed Them!
When there are parent meetings to discuss accreditation or an organized time for survey completion, provide food and drinks.

Open Hours at the Computer Lab
Not all parents have access to or comfort with technology. Keep the school computer lab open one evening and encourage parents to meet with teachers or administrators and fill out the self-study surveys in person.

Writers and Editors Wanted
There are several parts of the self-study that require creative writing skills. Invite parents who enjoy writing and are skilled writers to draft some of the report narrative or provide editing services.

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