NORTH CENTRAL ACCREDITATION

Continuing Accreditation School Announcement

Date 05/15/07

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT:

Name

Principal Mary Ann Schnedler

School Canyoncito Montessori School

Phone number 505-662-2910

e-mail canmschool@hotmail.com

__√__ School Awarded NCA Accreditation

Los Alamos New Mexico – 05/15/07 – Principal Mary Ann Schnedler announced today that Canyoncito Montessori School was granted continuing accreditation for the 2006-07 school year from the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI). The Association recognized the school on April 1, 2007, at its annual meeting held in Chicago. Canyoncito Montessori School joins 8,500 schools across a 19 state region that were honored for earning accreditation. Canyoncito Montessori School has maintained its accreditation status since 2001.

To earn accreditation, schools must meet NCACASI’s high standards, be evaluated by a team of professionals from outside the school, and implement a continuous school improvement plan focused on increasing student performance. The accreditation process is voluntary and requires annual review.

“NCA 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 Principal Mary Ann Schnedler. “NCA CASI accreditation is recognized across state lines, which not only eases the transfer process as students move from accredited school to accredited school but also assures parents that the school is meeting regionally and nationally accepted standards for quality and successful professional practice.”

Accreditation provides an external mark of quality and a focus on continuous school improvement. Mary Ann, who leads the school’s improvement team, stated, “The real value of NCA CASI accreditation is the focus on improvement. The accreditation process focuses the school staff on analyzing student performance data, identifying areas of weakness, and developing clear goals and plans for improvement. We regularly assess and measure our progress in all goal areas, and NCA CASI holds us accountable for demonstrating growth. The process keeps everyone in the building focused on raising student achievement.”

Parents and interested community members can learn more about NCA CASI accreditation at www.ncacasi.org.

###

The North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement is a non-governmental, voluntary association that accredits 8,500 public and private elementary and secondary schools in 19 states, the Navajo Nation, and the Department of Defense Schools. NCA CASI is an accreditation division of AdvancED, which represents the unification of NCA CASI, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement, and the National Study of School Evaluation..