By By MaryClaire Foster
Continuing efforts to make the education of kindergarten through second grade students the best available, Rachel Patterson Elementary School recently went through the Advanced Quality Assurance Review and achieved reaccredidation.
RPES Principal Susan McKenzie said the entire school is both excited and proud of their achievement.
The process to be reaccredited began a year ago, and is the first time McKenzie has gone through such a process as an administrator.
The process requires the school to complete a Standards Assessment Report, which serves as a self-assessment tool to prepare for the actual review. The report makes sure the school gathers all of the necessary documentation and data to evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses as well as serving as the main tool for preparation for a review team that visited the school to evaluate it.
Out of seven standards, RPES scored highly functional, the highest possible on five and operational, the second highest, on two.
The seven standards included Vision and Purpose, Governance and Leadership, Teaching and Learning, Documenting and Using Results, Resource and Support Systems, Stakeholder Communications and Relationships and Commitment to Continuous Improvement.
McKenzie said she was proud the school been recognized for all the good they are doing.
McKenzie said the recommendations for improvement made by the review team are ones she is already aware of and working on.
Math is a main area of improvement recommended to be worked on. McKenzie said that math scores across the state are down, and it is an issue already being addressed.
Overall, McKenzie said the accreditation proves how well the school is doing.
Friends of Education Board Member Peggie Byrd participated as one of the community members in a focus group and said she participated as an opportunity to share what she has seen at the school.
The accreditation stands for five years and after two years the school will begin showing how they have begun working on the recommendations.