FEATURE
Connecting the dots from accreditation to strategic plan
How did we do?
Albert College’s strategic plan, Small School • Open Minds • Bright Futures, is in its final year, and the Board of Governors will be launching the new plan in fall 2023. Are the CAIS accreditation report and the strategic plan connected? Mr. Musca says that the timing was perfect for one to feed into the other. “CAIS looks at our strategic plan and they want to see that we are implementing what we committed to,” he adds. Two new roles at the school, that of Dr. Suparna Roy (Coordinator of Teaching, Learning and Innovation) and Jennifer Fagan (Health and Wellness Counsellor) were both created during this strategic plan, to address students’ academic and wellness needs. The CAIS report has served as a key document as the next strategic plan was being developed. If the purpose of the CAIS accreditation process is for a school to “discover its strengths, areas for growth, future strategy, and examining how well its program fulfils its mission,” the future of Albert College following our accreditation appears to be well in hand.
In its report, the visiting committee shared that they were struck by the sense of community and pride that shone through in their discussions with Albert staff, students, alumni and board members. The strength of the school’s mission and the 5 ‘A’s - Academics, Arts, Athletics, Active Citizenship and Adventure – were clearly lived on a daily basis, both in school and in the boarding program. The school was lauded for its academic and extra-curricular programs, its personalized approach to enrolment, and a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion priorities, as well as health and wellness initiatives. Mark Musca, Head of School, found the visit and subsequent report gratifying. “Any evaluation is nerve- wracking, whether you’re a student giving a speech, or a teacher having a principal evaluate your lesson. We really wanted to put our best foot forward,” he explains. “It was rewarding to read the final report, which reaffirmed all of the excellent work we are doing.” The committee’s recommendations included aligning our new strategic plan with a long-range financial plan; keeping our focus as a school on student and staff wellness;
bolstering the technology plan at the school; formalizing mentoring and goal-setting for faculty and staff, to support excellence in teaching; and prioritizing the school’s environmental responsibility. Keeping our community connected, through alumni events, building a culture of philanthropy and focusing on student retention were also mentioned. Ms. Purdie appreciated the recommendations on boarding life in particular. “The boarding life program was an area that needed work, and after the CAIS recommendations, we researched university and school examplars for strong programming that is more inclusive, life skills- oriented and culturally aware,” she explains. “We also found that what we needed is something very unique, and tailored to our boarders.” The recommendations were also welcomed by Mr. Musca. “In independent schools, we are constantly trying to improve, based on our own observation, trends in education and best practices of our peer schools,” he shares. “The recommendations they made were areas that we had already targeted for improvement, so in that way it reaffirmed the direction we want to go as a school.”
CAIS Accreditation Standards
1. Mission, vision, values and strategy 2. Co-curriculum and the learning environment 3. Academic program 4. School leadership
5. Human resources 6. School and community 7. Enrolment management 8. Governance
9. Finance 10. Physical plant,
health and safety
11. Commitment to
school improvement
12. Boarding
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ALBERT TALKS
SPRING/SUMMER 2023
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