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School gets exemplary review
By Michael Butler
The five-year accreditation review on the Tallassee City School System is complete with solid results. Cognia conducted the study.
"Cognia is the latest iteration of what was formerly known as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)," Tallassee superintendent Dr. Brock Nolin noted. "Why is being an accredited school so important? Why do we subject ourselves to a 'test?'
"According to Cognia, accreditation is, 'Based on a set of rigorous research-based standards and evidence-based criteria, the accreditation process examines the whole institution-its policies, programs, practices, learning conditions, and cultural context-to determine how well the parts work together to carry out the institution’s vision and meet the needs of every learner. Accreditation isn’t about passing a one-time inspection. Rather, accreditation recognizes education providers that demonstrate and sustain their commitments to continuous improvement and better learner outcomes."
Nolin was appreciative to all who participated in the extensive process.
"I’d like to thank all of the TCS board members, community members, staff, students, and business partners for their participation in this review," said Nolin. "You actually grade yourself. You say we're a 4 out of 4. They complare what you say you are with the evidence you provide.
"Looking more closely at the process, Cognia uses three learning domains in its review. These include 1) Leadership Capacity, 2) Learning Capacity, 3) Resource Capacity. Cognia notes, 'The domains are statements that define the capacity of an organization or institution to provide quality and meet the rigorous demands of continuous improvement. Each domain is further defined by standards.'"
Tallassee's score of 318.23 was "significantly" above the average, according to Nolin.
"This presents an average across all institutions reviewed by Cognia. The 5-year average range is 278.34-283.33."
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