Excellence of diocesan highs recognized by outside agency

Those involved in Catholic education in the Albany Diocese have long thought the four diocesan high schools offered an excellent education. Now the high schools are hearing from outsiders that that is indeed the case.

Notre Dame/Bishop Gibbons School in Schenectady was recently awarded a ten-year accreditation from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Ten years is the maximum granted.

Bishop Maginn High School in Albany and Saratoga Central Catholic School are expecting their accreditation in the fall, and Catholic Central High School in Troy will be evaluated during this school year.

Objective view

"This is important because the high schools have always been involved in an evaluation from within the Diocese," said Thomas Fitzgerald, assistant superintendent for administrative services. "Now we've had educators from outside evaluate us."

The accreditation from Middle States, one of six accrediting agencies in the country, means that the standards and outcomes at Notre Dame/Bishop Gibbons are on par with other accredited schools in the nation.

There are many benefits to accreditation. Many foundations require schools to be nationally accredited before they can qualify for grants or matching gifts. There are also benefits for students.

"When students apply to college and they are coming from a school that's accredited, that can be the deciding factor in their admission," said Mr. Fitzgerald.

Self-study and visit

The accreditation process involves a year of self-study followed by a site visit by a Middle States team. The team is composed of 8 to 12 public and non-public school educators from the Northeast.

Middle States meets twice a year in April and October to give official accreditation of the schools. Mr. Fitzgerald expects that Bishop Maginn and Saratoga Central Catholic will receive theirs in October. He said CCHS in Troy will have their site visit later this year and then will be eligible.

The process itself can be beneficial, said Mr. Fitzgerald. "The primary benefit is bringing the faculty and community together," he said.

Brother Mark Staniecki, CFC, principal of ND-BG agreed, noting that "the year of self-study brought groups together in the school community. It helped bring [everyone] to a heightened appreciation."

'Affirming'

Melanie Anchukaitis, chair of the school's Middle States committee and chair of the school's Spanish department found the process to be a positive one, although it involved much work.

"It was affirming," she said. "It never hurts anyone to be introspective. You can't help but stay current and vital."

She was most pleased by the comments of the Middle States evaluation team because they recognized what the ND-BG community sees as its strengths.

"One thing they affirmed and what we affirm is the sense of community in the school. Parents and kids buy into this. It is a nurturing community. They [Middle States] could feel that in their three days," Mrs. Anchukaitis said.

Pluses

The school was cited for its Christian atmosphere and spirituality. According to Mrs. Anchukaitis, the charism of Marguerite Bourgeoys and Edmund Rice, founders of the religious orders that staff the school, have continued despite the smaller number of religious present on staff.

The staff was also pleased to be recognized for its professionalism. Said Brother Mark, "They commended the staff and administration for their passionate commitment."

The students were also recognized by the evaluating team. "They noticed and highlighted the students," Brother Mark said. "They noticed how good, happy and proud of their school they are. They are happy kids. The kids recognize this as a good type of place where they are accepted for who they are."

Getting better

The school enrolls approximately 480 students from a diverse population. The Middle States team interviewed both students chosen by the administration and randomly selected kids.

The process also pointed out areas where the school needs to improve. The school was encouraged to involve the students in more decision-making, for example, and to improve science and technology facilities.

The ND-BG community knew of its weakness in science and technology prior to the study, and had begun plans to improve in those areas. Work began earlier in the summer on the school's new science center and a technology center. The project is expected to be complete by the first day of school.

While part of gaining accreditation is agreeing to make improvements in the areas Middle States recommends, ND-BG was in a unique position to be able to respond to the science and technology concerns in a matter of months.

Bishop Howard Hubbard recently inaugurated the school's 40th anniversary campaign, "A Legacy of Excellence," to fund this project. The goal is $500,000. At the kick-off event, Brother Mark reported that $200,000 had already been raised.

Both the renovation project and the accreditation are particularly exciting for the school since five years ago, school faced a deficit and declining enrollment, the principal said.

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