NEASC
NEASC visit to LHS
The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) conducted an on-site Decennial Accreditation visit of Longmeadow High School from December 4, 2022, through December 7, 2022. The visit was conducted under the direction of the Commission on Public Schools of NEASC.
The purpose of this visit was to review and determine from an outside professional viewpoint the extent to which the school is aligned with the Standards for Accreditation. As part of the assessment, the visiting team met with all school constituents, reviewed the school’s Self-Reflection, visited a number of classes, and examined examples of student work submitted by the school. The goal of the Decennial visit was to stimulate a continuing drive for improvement in the school. The members of the visiting team were teachers and administrators from a variety of schools in the Massachusetts area.
The New England Association of Schools and Colleges is a voluntary membership organization of more than 2,000 public schools, colleges and universities, independent schools, and vocational, technical, and career institutions. Of these, over 725 schools have been accredited through the Association's Commission on Public Schools. The Commission works with individual public schools to improve the quality of education through a continuous process of Accreditation and evaluation.
View the Report of the Visiting Team for Longmeadow High School
NEASC Final Summary Report
Longmeadow has received our final summary report regarding the NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) Accreditation process. As part of their requirements, schools must share copies of the report with various entities - the Superintendent, the School Committee, the MA Department of ESE, the local press and Storrs Library. Additionally, we want to share it here on our website so it is easily accessible to stakeholders.
As an FYI, Longmeadow HS began this process during the 2018-2019 school year. In addition to the staff, students and community providing feedback and input, there were two formal NEASC visits to LHS - the first being in November of 2020 (virtual visits of online classes, virtual interviews with staff and students) and the final visit being in person in December of 2022. There were several aspects of the process but the highlight was the development of our Vision of the Graduate, which identifies six competencies (independence, accountability, problem solving, communication, collaboration, critical thinking) and challenges us to embed these into teaching and learning activities, assessments and the overall student experience.
Additionally, there were several commendations and recommendations included in the report.
Commendations:
The safe and supportive school environment that supports students in meeting the schools' expectations.
The positive relationship between the students and faculty that help to foster the school's safe and secure environment.
The administration's efforts to develop a supportive and inclusive school environment.
The school's many extracurricular activities that support and honor diverse perspectives and identities within the school community.
The extensive integration of the Vision of the Graduate into both the school's physical and digital environments.
The School Committee's support of the expansion of the Vision of the Graduate into the district at large.
The commitment of the district and school to fully execute the school's improvement plan.
The school's allocation of resources and staffing to develop extensive Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions.
The MTSS/Child Study Team's continued advocacy to develop tiered interventions for students.
Recommendations:
Ensure that the school's core values, beliefs about learning and Vision of the Graduate are known and understood by all members of the school community.
Develop and implement a plan to ensure a wide range of assessment strategies, especially formative assessments, to inform and differentiate instruction.
Develop and implement a plan to track and measure student achievement to justify entry and exit into Tier II and Tier II interventions and establish measures of program efficacy.
Ensure that the display cases in the school do not pose a safety risk (already completed).
Administer a graduate survey, share the data with stakeholders and use the data to inform decisions about next steps. Revise the survey as needed.
Strengthen classroom teaching by sharing best practices/modeling of Tier I and Tier II interventions happening in classrooms now.
Develop additional opportunities for student internships/hands-on learning experiences that involve connections with the community.
Rebuild and re-engage the student body in the arts and music programs that were impacted by the pandemic.
Develop and implement rubrics with subject and discipline-specific language.
Develop more teacher-led professional development opportunities to align the curriculum with the Vision of the Graduate.
Thank you. Please see the full report below.
Thomas Landers
Principal
View the Final Summary Report of the Visiting Team for Longmeadow High School