Making The Grade – Accreditation process underway at WHS

Eva Kearney of Winthrop High School submitted a press release this week about the ongoing accreditation process at the school which will culminate with a four-day site visit evaluation by the accreditation team in October. Winthrop was last accredited in 2000 for a period of 10 years.

The WHS faculty and staff have been working hard on the accreditation process for the past 20 months and the importance of the process cannot be minimized.

Because almost all colleges look at the report from the NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges), the students at the high school will be greatly affected by the group’s evaluation of the educational process at the high school.

Although, as Ms. Kearney noted, Winthrop High graduates have gone on to the most prestigious colleges in the country, it’s important that all students are given every opportunity and resource to maximize their educational experience.

While we believe that the department heads and teachers are second to none in terms of the dedication and commitment to excellence that they bring to their jobs every day, the accreditation team will give a professional and unbiased evaluation of whether our students are getting the best possible education.

We recall that the last accreditation process pointed to some changes that were necessary to make the high school better equipped for the needs of physically challenged individuals.

We know that the school department is working toward addressing that issue of handicapped accessibility, and the accreditation team will no doubt be apprised of the improvements that are going to be made.

Kearney said residents interested in participating in the process may call her at the high school.