Midstate school system removed from ‘under review’ status to keep accreditation
After a three-year period, the Hancock County School System is back on solid footing.
The AdvancED Georgia Council accepted a monitoring review report from an on-site review held in May, and approved a recommendation to remove the “under review” status from the school, according to a letter from Annette Bohling, COO of AdvancED to school interim superintendent Charles Culver.
The school system was recognized for its improvement.
“I extend congratulations on your system’s commitments to excellence in education,” Bohling said. “Hancock County Schools should be proud of its dedication to continuous improvement and quality assurance focused on helping every student succeed.”
Poor reviews from AdvancED in 2015 led to the school district being placed on probationary status — the last step before losing accreditation. AdvancED findings dating to 2015 include improper board operation and failure to follow good policies on hiring and firing.
The on-site reviews were held in May 2015, October 2015 and September 2016, with a final review in May, Culver said. The review board also held interviews with school board officials, principals and support staff employees to monitor progress being made in meeting the cited priorities.
The school system met three out of the five improvement priorities that were cited for them, including regular review of board policies, routine operation of board matters, board member training and compliance, strategic planning and superintendent evaluation.
“These two priorities, which are partially met, relate to strategic planning and staff evaluations,” according to the report. Those priorities will be assessed by AdvancED for Hancock Central Middle School and M.E. Lewis Elementary School during the 2017-2018 school year.
AdvancED encouraged the school system “to keep up the spirit of improvement and make a concerted effort to address student achievement in a thoughtful manner”
Staff writer Amy Leigh Womack contributed to this story.
This story was originally published July 27, 2017 at 6:53 PM with the headline "Midstate school system removed from ‘under review’ status to keep accreditation."