You asked several questions about Connecticut high school accreditation. Specifically, you wanted to know (1) how many Connecticut high schools are currently on probation, (2) how many have lost their accreditation in the last 10 years, (3) how the probation process works, and (4) if schools have a specific amount of time in which to correct the problem leading to their probation.

SUMMARY

The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accredits many types of educational institutions, including public secondary schools. NEASC accredits 135 Connecticut high schools, of which five are currently on probation. No Connecticut high school has lost its accreditation within the last 10 years. But schools on probation that fail to make substantial progress in addressing their problems risk losing their accreditation.

SCHOOLS ON PROBATION

Five Connecticut high schools are currently on NEASC probation. Table 1 shows the schools and when they were first placed on probation.

Table 1. Connecticut high schools on probation

PROBATION PROCESS

NEASC's Commission on Public Secondary Schools (CAPSS) puts schools on probation when such significant or extensive problems exist that CAPSS wants the public to know that a school is not meeting NEASC standards and that CAPSS will be paying close attention to the school's progress. CAPSS is comprised of 26 representative educators from the six New England states. It monitors the schools NEASC accredits by (1) requiring schools to submit periodic reports on their progress and (2) sending teams out to visit schools. Schools must demonstrate in their reports that they meet specified standards in all areas, including curriculum, instruction, assessment, and resources. A complete list of standards is available on NEASC's website. In addition, CAPSS performs a comprehensive evaluation of each school every 10 years.

CAPSS will place a school on probation if it has serious problems and is not meeting standards. When a school is on probation, it must submit progress reports to CAPSS semiannually or quarterly. It must continue to make progress toward fixing the identified problems, or it risks losing its accreditation altogether. CAPSS closely monitors schools on probation to ensure their commitment and cooperation in addressing its concerns.

LENGTH OF PROBATION

Before placing a school on probation, CAPSS will put it on warning. During the warning period, CAPSS specifies the amount of time the school has to address the identified problems and resolve them to CAPSS's satisfaction. If the school fails to make significant progress toward resolving these problems, CAPSS may ask it to show cause why it should not be put on probation. Once a school is on probation, it must continue to work toward curing its defects. No specific amount of time

applies to all probationary procedures. CAPSS may designate the length of time a school has to resolve its outstanding issues, but regardless, schools must show they are making a serious effort toward fixing the problems.

JG: eh