Page 14 - Paduan Fall/Winter 18-19

Academic
News
School Improvement Plan: Reaching Higher to Be Better
To be a premier school it is essential that Padua continues to identify growth areas and create plans to strengthen our core mission of excellence in Holiness and Learning. In the state of Ohio, all non-public Catholic schools must go through the process of accreditation in order to maintain a compliant school status. Padua is accredited by the Ohio Catholic Schools Accrediting Association (OCSAA). The process consists of a six year cycle that results in a school improvement plan that focuses on growth in the areas of Catholicity and Academics. To begin, an ad hoc committee is formed to oversee the six-year process. Years one and two focus on reviewing the schools current status and iden- tifying growth needs. This is followed by the creation of a plan and the implementation of identified strategies over the next four years. Results of the implementation are reviewed yearly and adjustments are made. At the end of the 6th year the process begins again.
First and foremost, all faculty and staff must go through a verifi- cation process to ensure proper certification and licensure. This includes the diocesan mandate for Virtus training, as well as up-to-date background checks. Additionally, the school must maintain records for and verify compliance with the Ohio school operating standards. Under section 3301.07 of the Ohio Revised Code, “the purpose for adopting operating standards for Ohio school districts and elementary and secondary schools is to assure that all students are provided a general education of high qual- ity. The operating standards establish specific expectations and provide additional guidelines for school
districts and schools to use in creating the
Two years ago Padua began its new accreditation cycle
by reviewing the mission statement and administering multiple surveys to all stakeholders, including faculty, staff, students and parents. At the same time, research on best practices in both areas of academics and Catholicity were considered to ensure that Padua is using the absolute best research-based practices in the education and develop- ment of our students. A review of the surveys defined and identified growth needs in the areas of academics and Catholic values. Beyond the steps detailed above, there are several more elements to the process of being accredited in the state of Ohio.
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