Accreditation

St. Matthew Accreditation Report

As many of you are aware, every seven years a team of professionals visits our school to ensure we are meeting criteria to be considered an accreditated school. They evaluated us on eleven standards.

Below are the standards, description of the standards, summary of what the team found, commendations they reported and recommendations for growth.

The Accreditation Team has informed us that they will be recommending us for accreditation.

STANDARD 1: Foundational Statements

Principle/Standard: The identity and unique purpose of a religious and independent school is rooted in its foundational statements that specify its vision, mission, and core values. The foundation statements are cooperatively identified, clearly stated, and mutually accepted, and direct the learner throughout his/her educational and formational experience.

SUMMARY: St. Matthew School has foundational statements that are reviewed annually and are lived out in the student body using the "MAGIC" principle.

COMMENDATIONS: In speaking with parents it is clear that St. Matthew is a loving community that reaches out to those in need.

Teachers are dedicated to integrating the faith into their classrooms, and are continually striving to improve their efforts. They see themselves as a family both inside and outside of school.

RECOMMENDATIONS (Please cite Quality Indicator number first):

Consider printing mission statement on all meeting agendas, and reciting it regularly at meetings.

STANDARD 2: Communication and Community Relationships

Principle/Standard: Members of the school community have developed, implemented, and communicated an effective school-community interaction plan: (1) to strengthen the school and community, (2) to facilitate support for the school, and (3) to provide opportunities for parent education and participation in the activities of the school that encourages cooperation and collaboration among home, school, religious, and civic communities.

SUMMARY:

St. Matthew Catholic School has demonstrated that it has an effective school-community relationship. They have provided opportunities for communication to effectively take place between home, school, religious, and civic communities.

COMMENDATIONS:

St. Matthew students are strongly involved in community events and projects. The students interact with each other school wide to foster quality student relationships.

The St. Matthew School community is very welcoming to students of all abilities, and to those new to the faith community.

RECOMMENDATIONS (Please cite Quality Indicator number first):

2.06 The recommendation is for the school to create a formal written marketing and development plan in conjunction with the GRACE System.

The recommendation is to update the website more often to create reliance on the information provided.

STANDARD 3: The Environment for Teaching and Learning

The Climate of the School and Classroom

Principle/Standard: School climate may be defined as the combination of those qualities of the school environment that affect the attitudes, behavior, and achievement of the people involved in its operation - students, parent/family members, administrators, faculty, staff, governance/consultative body, and members of the faith and civic communities. In quality schools, the adults and students care for, respect, and trust one another. School personnel believe that all children are able to learn. Students and staff expect to be successful as life-long learners. Morale is high, and social and academic growth are continuous. The environment for teaching and learning is the lived experience of the foundational statements of the school.

SUMMARY: St. Matthew School has an overall school climate of trust between adults and students. The school personnel believe that all students are able to learn, and provide an atmosphere conducive to student learning.

COMMENDATIONS:

St. Matthew School has a positive, caring environment with a sense of family throughout the school.

The staff collaborates extremely well.

The students and staff show an outward love for their administrator, and there is a mutual respect between the administrator and staff.

The staff is very professional, pulling together in times of crisis .

RECOMMENDATIONS (Please cite Quality Indicator number first):

Revise and update the handbooks so that the policies and procedures are current.

While evidence is clear that bullying is being addressed, a school-wide (more global) policy and program on bullying is desired. This comprehensive program should include a parent code of conduct.

STANDARD 4: Leadership and Governance

The Responsibility for the Educational and Organizational Effectiveness

of the School

Principle/Standard: An effective school community operates under the guidance of a governing/consultative body and the leadership and management of an administrator. The members of this body and the administrator fulfill their roles and responsibilities in a manner that supports the foundational statements of the school community.

SUMMARY: St. Matthew School has an administrative body that operates with an understanding of Catholic identity, and of the policies that govern the school. Because of the transition into the GRACE system, new policies are being developed only in extreme circumstance, however the Site Advisory Council does understand and embrace their role in this process. The principal understands what is required to make the school successful and actively works toward improvement regularly.

COMMENDATIONS:

The Site Advisory Council is actively engaged in a variety of projects that have a wide scope.

The principal is qualified, has clear direction and communicates goals and objective very well. Her dedication to the school and its constituents is obvious.

RECOMMENDATIONS (Please cite Quality Indicator number first):

Continue to work closely with GRACE to transition policies into the system format, yet maintain local initiatives critical to the success of St. Matthew School.

The principal evaluation must be completed as directed by the Diocese. All 360 evaluations completed by parents and/or staff members should be used only to set goals for the following year, and not to assess performance for the past.

STANDARD 5: Resources

Human (5.01), Financial (5.20), Physical (5.30)

Principle/Standard: An effective school has a qualified staff supported by the financial and physical resources necessary to advance the foundational statements of the school. A professional and competent staff is provided in sufficient numbers to support student learning. Professional development and support services are aligned with quality planning needed to accomplish the school improvement plans of the school.

SUMMARY: St. Matthew Catholic School has a high quality staff that provide a strong faith-based education. There are sufficient financial and physical resources to provide this education.

COMMENDATIONS:

The CLASS teacher evaluation process that the administrator is trained in and is using is very objective.

RECOMMENDATIONS (Please cite Quality Indicator number first):

5.30 Emergency evacuation diagrams needs to be posted in every room in the building, including teachers lounge; gym; and all other rooms in the building.

Consider investing in a security system for the school to regulate access.

STANDARD 6: Learning and Teaching

Curriculum - Standards, Assessment, Strategies

Standard/Principle: An effective learning environment is the hallmark of a religious and independent school in so far as it provides a guaranteed and viable curriculum, an assessment program which reports the proficiency and achievement of the learner, and research-based instructional strategies which foster active meaningful engagement in learning. The professional instructional staff, under the guidance of the administrator, develops this learning environment which is based on standards for content, disposition, and process so as to encourage the learner's development of critical and creative thinking skills, problem solving ability, and performance skills.

SUMMARY: St. Matthew School has an effective learning environment with a guaranteed and viable curriculum. Curricular decisions are data driven and learner centered.

COMMENDATIONS:

A wide variety of instructional strategies are used.

The teachers are encouraging and student-centered.

While using the overall curriculum, each teacher specializes well in their area.

The overall learning environment is positive and fosters learning.

RECOMMENDATIONS (Please cite Quality Indicator number first):

None

Standard 7:Materials and Resources for Learning

Instructional Media and Technology

Principle/Standard: An effective learning environment in a religious and independent school is enhanced with materials and resources for the learner which includes instructional media and technology.

SUMMARY: St. Matthew School effectively utilizes technology and media to further the learning/teaching process. Teachers are focused and supported in using technology and media to deliver the curriculum to students.

COMMENDATIONS: Resources and equipment are used both in the media center and classrooms.

There is good support for technology throughout the school, with qualified technology personnel.

The "Technology for Teachers" class provides excellent support for staff.

RECOMMENDATIONS (Please cite Quality Indicator number first):

None

Standard 8: Student Services to Support the Learner

Principle/Standard: The intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual growth and development of the learner are supported by all members of the school community. Student services are provided for all learners with the understanding that each learner is given opportunities to develop his/her abilities and talents.

SUMMARY:

Student services are provided at this school that support the intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual growth and development of the learner.

COMMENDATIONS:

St. Matthew's offers a wide variety of co-curricular activities to meet the interests of all students. The administrator at this school is open and available to meet with teachers, students and parents whenever needed. Individual students' needs are addressed promptly.

RECOMMENDATIONS (Please cite Quality Indicator number first):

8.09 The school Wellness Plan is mentioned but not available for documentation. The recommendation is that the Wellness Plan be included in faculty and parent/student handbooks.

The recommendation is to provide CPR and AED training annually.

A list should be developed and included for substitute teachers to make them aware of students with special medical needs.

STANDARD 9: School Improvement Program

Strategies and Tools for Improving the School

Principles/Standards: The members of the school community plan to ensure the continuous effectiveness of the school and its programs for students.

RECOMMENDATIONS (Please cite Quality Indicator number first):

9.01 Develop a written, strategic, five year plan.

Include planned collaboration in the strategic plan.

STANDARD A: Early Childhood Education

Principle/Standard: An early childhood program reflects a developmentally appropriate learning environment. This environment is both age and individual appropriate.

SUMMARY: The learning environment of the early childhood programs at St. Matthew are developmentally appropriate and foster learning.

COMMENDATIONS:

The children in the program were clearly actively engaged and enjoying themselves.

The teachers are active and nurturing with the children.

The learning environment is visually stimulating, creating excitement and engagement for the children.

Religion class in incorporated into the programming.

RECOMMENDATIONS (Please cite Quality Indicator number first):

As expressed by the Site Advisory Council, consider expanding the program

Appendix C: Religious Identity

Principle/Standard: At the foundation of a religious school is its religious identity to a specific religion or denomination. The religious school operates in conformance with the dogmas, teachings/doctrines, and laws of the religion or denomination. It is committed to teaching the fullness of faith, values, and practices and to integrating these core values into all facets of the learner's life. This integration of faith and values according to the religion or denomination distinguishes the religious school from other religious, independent and public schools.

SUMMARY: St. Matthew School's warm and welcoming environment demonstrates prayer and social justice efforts throughout the community and its commitment to teaching the fullness of the faith. The religion curriculum is balanced between teaching of the doctrine and encouraging faith in action and service work.

COMMENDATIONS:

Faith is integrated throughout the school environment.

The priest is a wonderful resource to the children here at the school and gears masses to meet the educational level of the students.

Staff prayer and mandatory mass attendance by all staff is excellent.

RECOMMENDATIONS (Please cite Quality Indicator number first):

Continue to work toward exposure to diversity throughout the school and community.

Summary of Staff Debriefing 2/11/10

First and foremost, the team said they "could feel the MAGIC when they walked in the door." They felt the sense of strong leadership from the pastor, principal, teachers and the Parish TEAM. They felt St. Matthew School was a model of what welcoming should be to all. They felt decisions were made with data and not impulsively. They saw this from the administrator to the teachers to the support staff. They saw the staff living the faith, not just integrating it. They loved the long standing traditions, the way the staff knew everyone's story, and the authentic compassion for each other. They were impressed by the principal's relationship with the students. It was evident that the students were the driving force in all decisions for the school. They felt the parent involvement was "top notch". Lastly, they said the relationship between the school and the parish was outstanding, which is not easily accomplished.

All and all they were impressed. Thank you for supporting St. Matthew School and allowing me to serve in this ministry with this welcoming community. God Bless you and may He keep St. Matthew Parish and School a place where we are always Modeling All Goodness In Christ.

Respectfully submitted,

Renee Dercks-Engels, Principal

Renee Dercks-Engels
432-5223
stmatthews1@new.rr.com

Submitted by Mary Mueller
Date Published: 02/24/2010

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