AdvancED Systems Accreditation

Holly Area Schools Awarded AdvancED Systems Accreditation

During the last full week of February, Holly Area Schools was visited by a team of educators from Michigan and other parts of the country as part of an external review process. The team observed instruction in numerous classrooms throughout the district, interviewed school leaders, teachers, administrators, school board members, and stakeholders including parents, students, and community members.

At the end of the site visit, a special board meeting was held to review the external review exit report. District Superintendent Dave Nuss announced at the board meeting that Holly Area Schools earned Systems Accreditation from the AdvancED Accreditation Commission, the national commission that confers the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI) accreditation seal. This means that the system and all of its schools are accredited, and that Holly Area Schools is recognized across the nation as a quality school system. Mr. Nuss praised the systems planning team and thanked staff, students, parents, and school board members for their efforts in making Holly Area Schools a wonderful place to learn.

NCA CASI provides nationally-recognized accreditation, the purpose of which is continuous school improvement focused on increasing student performance. To earn accreditation, schools must meet NCA CASI’s high standards, be evaluated by a team of professionals from outside the school district and implement a continuous process of school improvement.

“Accreditation demonstrates to our students, parents and community that we are focused on raising student achievement, providing a safe and enriching learning environment, and maintaining an efficient and effective operation staffed by highly qualified educators,” stated Scott Roper, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. Mr. Roper, who headed up the Holly Systems Planning Team, added that this is a very proud moment for Holly Area Schools and it reflects the ongoing commitment of our staff to school improvement initiatives we support each day to ultimately improve the impact of teaching and learning for our students. 

“School System Accreditation as conferred by the AdvancED Accreditation Commission provides Holly Area Schools a nationally-recognized mark of quality for our system and all the schools within our system,” shared Nuss. “It demonstrates to our community our commitment to excellence, our openness to external review and feedback, and our desire to be the best we can be on behalf of the students we serve.” NCA CASI accreditation assures parents that the school is meeting nationally accepted standards for quality and successful professional practice. Nuss also added that in a time where parents have choices to send their kids to a traditional public school or charter, study online via cyber school, attend a school outside the district, or choose a private school, having the AdvancED stamp of approval is not only a “badge of distinction,” but also validates to our community that Holly Area Schools is a great school system and that our students are getting the education necessary to be successful in college, career, and life.

“When a school district receives outside validation from a nationally recognized body, the school community can be confident that great things are happening,” added Roper.

Dr. Mark Elgart, President/CEO of AdvancED, the parent organization of NCA CASI, stated, “NCA CASI Accreditation is a rigorous process that focuses the entire school system on the primary goal of creating lifelong learners. Holly Area Schools is to be commended for engaging in this process and demonstrating a commitment to continuous improvement.”