Gravette schools receive AdvancEd accreditation

GRAVETTE -- The Gravette school district received a plaque at the AdvancED Arkansas Conference in Little Rock on Oct. 18. The plaque was presented to certify that the district has met the criteria for educational quality established by the AdvancED Accreditation Commission and by the NCA Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement, the Northwest Accreditation Commission and the SACS Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. Gravette was one of seven districts in the state to receive such certification.

A team of experienced educators came to Gravette in March to hold an external review of the district. AdvancED is an accrediting agency having five standards that were reviewed as part of observations, surveys and interviews at each of the Gravette schools. The standards are listed as 1) Vision and Purpose, 2) Governance and Leadership, 3) Teaching and Learning, 4) Documenting and Using Results and 5) Resource and Support Systems. Students, parents, staff, community representatives and school board members were involved during the three-day review.

Zane Vanderpool, principal of Glenn Duffy Elementary School in Gravette, attended the AdvancEd conference to receive the plaque. Results of the external review will be used as part of the district's ongoing efforts to improve educational opportunities within the Gravette School District, Vanderpool said.