5408 SW 13th Street Gainesville, FL 32608 352-373-5223
"Academic Excellence Enhanced by the Arts"
During our fourth year of operation, Expressions became accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). We had prepared and gathered the necessary information and documentation during the previous year.
The accreditation process requires that a school document and demonstrate compliance with SACS standards in the following areas:
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Institutional Beliefs and Mission |
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Governance and Administration |
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Leadership |
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Human Resources |
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Faculty |
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Support Services for Student Learning |
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Student Affairs and Services |
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Educational Standards |
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Instructional Design |
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Curriculum |
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Institutional Effectiveness |
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Assessment |
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Financial Resources |
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Facilities |
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Student Teacher Ratios and Class Size |
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Library and Media Resources |
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Communication and Community Relationships |
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Citizenship and Conduct |
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Continuous School Improvement |
Our school is fortunate to have good relationships with our sponsor, The School Board of Alachua County. We are monitored by the school board yearly using uniform monitoring instruments. This monitoring process is so thorough, that when it was time to prepare for the SACS inspection, we found that we already had most of the items and documentation needed.
The SACS team visited our school in November of 2002. This site visit was very thorough and included interviews with students, staff, parents, board members, and the director. Their review was positive and at the annual SACS meeting in December, we were approved for accreditation. This is especially significant for a small charter school such as ours. The accreditation of our school shows that we are a legitimate, successful school employing best educational practices.
We would encourage all charter schools to complete the application process to become accredited. It allows your school to show that best practices, management, and accountability of your charter school are comparable to successful regular public schools.