Accreditation Relaxation

Each spring most schools around Oklahoma start a mad scramble. We begin by gathering up a lot of information that the Oklahoma State Department of Education requests from us. This is called an Accreditation Checklist. It is a lengthy list of all the stuff we are supposed to have to do or have in place for each school year. It is one of the areas that when we gripe about paperwork it is included in that grouping. I would like to see the OSDE make a few changes in this area.

First, I would like to see it broke up into two areas. The first area would be those things we need in place before the school year started. It doesn't make any sense to ask me in April if I have policies in place for the current school year. If I don't, it's a little late. March or April is a little late to ask if we are using PASS skills, if my teachers know their Conducts and Standards. To check and see if our teachers have certificates. This all needs to be done in September at the latest. There are several areas like Safety Drills, Teacher Evaluations, and proper number of Professional Development hours that can still be checked later in the school year.

Second, I would like the OSDE to check every other year for those items that have not been changed or updated. An example would be a counseling plan requirement. Let's say in the 2014-2015 school year that my Regional Accreditation Officer came and checked my policy and it met all the requirements. If no changes by the State Legislature or OSDE were made in requirements for the counseling plan, then the following year it shouldn't be on the checklist to provide. So in the 2015-2016 school year it is one less item that needs to be brought out. This would reduce time on the part of both school officials and OSDE staff members. We obviously have a plan and its current. I do believe that should be no longer than a one year hiatus from the checklist though.

Let me be clear. I wholeheartedly believe that we need accreditation standards and they be followed. My Regional Accreditation Officer is a pleasure to work with and I think she does a wonderful job. I want to have in place every policy I need, and want to follow whatever rule we need to follow. I just think we can do that and simplify the process as well. We eat up enough time on Teacher Evaluations as it is. This would help alleviate so time that can be better spent on kids and instruction.