FEATURE
In June 2022, Albert College received an important, long-awaited document: the CAIS (Canadian Accredited Independent Schools) accreditation report. As a CAIS independent school, Albert College participates in a rigorous accreditation process every five to seven years. The process serves as an arm's-length peer review of the school, while also enabling Albert to be accountable to its constituents, from the Board of Governors and leadership team to students, parents, staff and alumni. Ultimately, the CAIS accreditation helps Albert College be the best school it can be for its students. Kudos from CAIS How Accreditation Helps Albert Thrive
How does it work?
The process includes three steps: an internal evaluation, which was written by Dianne Purdie, Assistant Head – Senior School, with school- wide input; a visit by a CAIS committee with expertise in each of the 12 standards, resulting in a 70-page report; and finally, Albert’s response to recommendations, which outlines the school’s plans to address the committee’s areas for improvement. While the internal evaluation can be a challenge to prepare due to its depth and breadth, Ms. Purdie found the experience constructive. “It is a very reflective process and is valuable to everyone at the school,” she shares. “Looking at our school under a sort of microscope gets us thinking about our strengths and ensures that we do not ignore areas that we need to develop.” Normally a one- to two-year endeavour, Albert’s accreditation took much longer, due to a change in Head of School with Mark Musca’s arrival in 2019, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. The three-day visitation by the committee was virtual, which was no small feat in itself to organize. That said, they met with staff members, students, parents and board members, and were even led on student tours by cell phone. “The committee was so impressed with our students, the way they truly live and breathe Albert College,” notes Ms. Purdie. “They meet with teachers and students, and they want to see that authentic learning is going on, and what the learning environment looks and feels like. We were a bit worried that the small school feel would not come across, but it really did.”
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ALBERT COLLEGE
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