While it may seem like St. Dominic is already going through so many new changes with the new building process, there are many other advances the community has been working on for a very long time. One of the most important things St. Dominic has been working on is the approval for accreditation.

Accreditation is a method of quality assurance that has been in usage for more than 100 years. This method applies to an entire institution such as St. Dominic, and it measures how a school has improved since the last accreditation meeting. Several members of the accreditation group will be coming to our school this Wednesday through Friday to evaluate different standards we need to meet.

When the evaluators arrive, they will listen to a one-hour presentation about the mission, vision and goals of St. Dominic. The leaders of this presentation will share about the past, present and future of the school as well. Then, the team will visit classrooms and interview teachers, students, parents and staff over the next couple of days. They are mainly watching for students’ engagement in class with their teachers and communication while being evaluated on the 30+ educational objectives.

After this week, a report that expresses strong and weak points in the community will be given back to St. Dominic’s administration. With the report, there will also be suggestions for what could be revamped or improved.

“It is important for St. Dominic to complete this process of school improvement to see where we stand against these educational standards. It is a solid process that encourages us to look at each program of our building and student success to be able to identify areas to improve. There is always room for improvement!” Mrs. Stewart said.  

To gage how long this process has been in the works, the administration team at St. Dominic learned last spring that the accreditation would be taking place. Throughout the summer, administration worked on bettering the standards that needed to be met in order to get approved for accreditation. They also worked tirelessly to provide evidence and documents to showcase St. Dominic’s progress.

“I am proud of the team that worked on the standards. They are an impressive group of teachers, administrators, and staff that care deeply about our school. The work they put in is priceless!” Mrs. Stewart said while discussing the preparation for the program.

After months upon months of hard work, the evaluation time is finally here. Everyone, from the staff to the students, is prepared to demonstrate that St. Dominic is the best school and community. The next three days are crucial for the accreditation approval, so gear up Crusaders, and let’s make our school look great!