middle states: strategic planning for student success

The Capital Region BOCES Career & Technical School is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. To earn this nationally recognized accreditation, our school successfully completed an intensive stakeholder survey, which includes self-study by staff, students, parents, component school district representatives. Such self-assessments are comprehensive and provide data to be used as a tool for continuous improvement and positive change. Indeed, to maintain our accreditation and prepare for a visit by a Middle States team in the spring of 2012, Career and Technical Education (CTE) staff, students, business partners and other stakeholders are involved in ongoing accreditation activities.

From March 20-23, 2012, Career & Tech is scheduled for an accreditation evaluation visit by a validation team from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools. Our school is seeking reaccreditation.

An ongoing, strategic planning process

The Middle States reaccreditation process is an ongoing, strategic planning effort, rather than a short-term preparation for the upcoming visit by the Middle States team. By becoming active in various subcommittees, the steering committee and by just voicing input into the self-study and planning efforts, Career & Tech staff, community members and students all help move our school in a positive direction.

Middle States Accreditation as a Protocol for Growth & Improvement at Career & Tech

The Middle States protocol is part of a strong, single plan for growth and improvement that uses multiple, rich sources of data and information, including:

NY SED CTE Program Approval/Re-approval

BOCES CTE Quality Indicators

Collaboration with other BOCES (JMT)

Charting the Future, Senior Survey, Alumni Survey research projects

Middle States Self Study

Interesting Middle States facts

The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools was established in 1887.

The association is a non-profit, peer-administered organization.

The activity now known as accreditation is traceable to the guild orientation of the medieval academic communities. The word "accreditation" is derived from middle French, old Italian usage. The first meaning of its root term is "trustworthiness."

Accreditation agencies enjoy a unique "public trust" role in the United States. In other words, accredited institutions can be trusted by the public to be what they claim they are and to do what that they claim to do.

Middle States accreditation is voluntary and it is a volunteer-driven process.

The focus of the Middle States accreditation is on overall institutional and organizational issues, rather than on a specific program or operation

Career & Tech Executive Principal Terry Swett wrote an informative overview of the Middle States process in early 2012. DOWNLOAD THE OVERVIEW (PDF)

Notice of Evaluation for Accreditation

From March 20-23, 2012, the Capital Region Career & Technical School is scheduled for an accreditation evaluation visit by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools.

The Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools accepts comments from members of the institution’s stakeholder community with first-hand information pertaining to the institution’s qualifications for accreditation and will consider such comments when making its accreditation decision.

The Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools’ Standards for Accreditation for Career and Technology Institutions can be viewed at http://www.css-msa.org/pdfs/Standards_for_Career_Tech_with_Indicators.pdf.

To be considered, comments must be in writing, include the printed name, address, and telephone number of the writer, and must be signed by the writer. Anonymous comments will not be considered.

Comments must be received not later than 30 days prior to the first day of the visit by the Evaluation Team and must be mailed to:
Deputy Executive Director
Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools
3624 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104

 download a pdf of this notice

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