Strategic Planning for Student Success
The Capital Region BOCES Career & Technical School is one of nearly 3,000 schools around the world accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
To earn this rigorous accreditation, BOCES 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.
To maintain that accreditation, Career and Technical Education staff, students, business partners and other stakeholders are involved in ongoing accreditation activities met with a Middle States team in the spring of 2018 as the team toured each of the Career and Technical School campuses and classrooms. Following the visit, Middle States continued accreditation of Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical School until Dec. 1, 2028.
An ongoing, strategic planning process
The Middle States re-accreditation 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.
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:
- New York State Education Department CTE Program Approval/Re-Approval
- BOCES CTE Quality Indicators
- Collaboration with other BOCES (Joint Management Team)
- Charting the Future, Senior Survey, Alumni Survey Research Projects
- Middle States Self-Study
According to the Middle States Association, an accredited school:
- Adheres to the Middle States Standards for Accreditation.
- Uses its mission, beliefs, and goals as the basis for daily decision-making.
- Operates in the public interest and in accordance with ethical practice.
- Accepts responsibility for the level of performance of its students.
- Remains committed to continuous improvement in student learning and to its capacity to produce the levels of learning desired and expected by its community.
- Operates in a collegial and collaborative way with all of its stakeholders.
- Sustains its focus on implementing recommendations, addressing monitoring issues and correcting stipulations that may be part of its notification of accreditation and fulfills its maintenance requirements to the Commissions.
Why Accreditation?
The Middle States accreditation process provides school with the knowledge and processes necessary for implementing school improvement and achieving higher levels of student performance.
According to Middle States officials, research suggests the critical differences between schools that make the grade and those that struggle are the:
- Degree to which the school clearly understands what it needs to do to improve.
- Extent to which the plan to improve is supported by school and community stakeholders.
- Capacity of, and commitment by, the school to implement and sustain its plan to improve over time
Middle States accreditation helps a school critically review its current performance, set a course for positive change and build the commitment and support necessary for significant and long-term improvement.
Accreditation helps ensure that schools are making the most efficient use of available resources. Middle States accredited schools are better positioned to use time, talent and money in the most efficient and effective way possible.
Evaluation for Accreditation
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools accreditation team last visited CTE in spring 2018.