AHS receives Middle States accreditation

ALLENTOWN - Allentown High School has received accreditation through the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools (MSCSS) of the Middle States Association (MSA) of Colleges and Schools.

Allentown High School was among five Monmouth County schools to earn the accreditation after a three-year review process. Biotechnology High School in Freehold Township, Ocean Township High School, St. Rose High School in Belmar, and Shore Regional High School in West Long Branch also earned the accreditation, according to MSCSS.

"These five schools join a prestigious network of Middle States-accredited schools committed to a more fair and comprehensive assessment of achievement and success that goes beyond standardized test scores and students' performances to encompass programs, services and facilities," said Henry Cram, MSCSS' president and executive director.

Based in Philadelphia, the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is an internationally recognized leader in the accreditation of schools, universities and colleges, particularly in the mid-Atlantic region but also around the world. The association's commissions have accredited more than 3,500 schools in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and overseas schools mainly in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Subcontinent of Asia.

The association consists of three commissions - elementary schools, secondary schools and higher education - as well as a Committee on Institution-Wide Accreditation. The Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools accredits public, nonpublic and charter middle, intermediate and secondary schools as well as nondegree-granting career and technical postsecondary institutions, special-purpose schools, supplementary education centers, educational service units and distance education institutions.

MSCSS' review of Allentown High School culminated with a 3 1/2-day visit to the school by a volunteer validation team of educators appointed by Middle States, according to MSCSS.

During the visit, the Middle States team met with and interviewed stakeholders of the school, including teachers, students, parents and administrators, as well as representatives of the Upper Freehold Regional Board of Education.

Team members toured the facility, studied the district's strategic plans for improvement and other documents related to the school's work, and observed teaching and learning in classrooms, according to MSCSS.

"These school communities should be commended for their commitment to becoming model academic institutions," Cram said of the five schools in Monmouth County chosen for accreditation.

To become accredited through an MSCSS protocol, a school must meet the Middle States Association's standards for mission, beliefs, objectives, governance and leadership, organizational design, staff, educational programs, learning media services, technology, student services, student life, activities, facilities, health and safety, finances, assessment of student learning and planning, according to MSCSS.

According to Cram, school quality is best measured by individual student growth over time and the value added to each child by the educational experience the school provides.

"Accreditation can help a school and its community to understand better not only how it is doing, but more importantly, learn what it needs to do to improve, a key element of most state assessments," Cram said.

When contacted for comment about the new accreditation, Allentown High School Principal Chris Nagy said he would like to comment, but he did not get back to the Examiner with those comments prior to press time.

To learn more about the MSA's Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools, visit www.css-msa.org.