The Greenwich Education Group’s Beacon and Spire schools have recently obtained accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
The NEASC is the oldest accrediting association in the nation. They serve over 2000 private and public schools, as well as colleges and universities across New England and internationally.
The accreditation process involves one part self-study and one part peer review completed by visiting committee representatives from other schools. To receive accreditation through this standards based assessment means that the school has achieved compliance with qualitative standards, have proven integrity to the public statements that describe the school’s programs and possess a sufficiency of institutional resources.
“Accreditation has been a longstanding stimulus for educational improvement throughout New England,” says Cameron C. Staples, CEO of NEASC. “The peer-review process brings educators from all over New England together and allows for honest, objective and comprehensive evaluations carried out with the utmost integrity and commitment to research-driven standards.”
It is a long rigorous process, but to receive accreditation from such a prestigious association is worth the efforts.
Beacon’s head of school Meredith Hafer reflects, “This accreditation process was much more comprehensive and demanding than any we had undertaken previously, which makes the results that much more satisfying.”
Additionally to acknowledging the high standards of the schools, “the process creates a road map for expansion” says Tammy Moscrip, executive director of Spire.
All GEG schools experience their highest enrollment levels to date in the 2014-2015 school year, and expect even higher enrollment this year. With NEASC accreditation under their belt, the school systems hope to continue innovating and expanding their services to more students.
