Colstrip Public Schools Awarded AdvancED School System Accreditation

by Robert "Bob" Lewandowski

It is official, I just received confirmation on our system accreditation status. See the news release below.

(Colstrip, MT – July 19, 2016) – Superintendent Bob Lewandowski announced today that Colstrip Public School District #19 was granted AdvancED School System Accreditation from the AdvancED Accreditation Commission, the national commission that confers the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI) accreditation seal.  This means that the system and all of its schools are accredited, and that Colstrip Public School District #19 is recognized across the nation as a quality school system.

The accreditation process involves three ongoing components:  1) meeting high quality standards; 2) implementing a continuous process of improvement; and 3) engaging in quality assurance through internal and external review.  The system’s accreditation is for a five-year term with regular monitoring of progress and reporting occurring during the term.

“School System Accreditation as conferred by the AdvancED Accreditation Commission provides Colstrip Public School District #19 a nationally-recognized mark of quality for our system and all the schools within our system,” shared Bob Lewandowski.  “It demonstrates to our community our commitment to excellence, our openness to external review and feedback, and our desire to be the best we can be on behalf of the students we serve.”

Dr. Mark Elgart, President/CEO of AdvancED, stated, “AdvancED School System Accreditation is a rigorous process that focuses the entire school system on the primary goal of creating lifelong learners.  Colstrip Public School District #19 is to be commended for engaging in this process and demonstrating a commitment to continuous improvement.”

Parents and interested community members can learn more about the System Accreditation Process at www.advanc-ed.org.

About AdvancED and NCA CASI
Dedicated to advancing excellence in education through accreditation, research, and professional services, AdvancED is the world's largest education community, serving and engaging 30,000 public and private schools and school systems in more than 70 countries and serving over 16 million students.  AdvancED is the parent organization of the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI).

NCA CASI is a non-governmental, voluntary association of nearly 10,000 public and private elementary and secondary schools throughout the world.