Bibb County School District

Department of Communications
484 Mulberry Street, Suite 365, Macon, Georgia 31201, (478) 765-8548 http://bibb.k12.ga.us Dr. E. Steven Smith Interim Superintendent of Schools Dr. Wanda West Board President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Stephanie Hartley (478) 765-8620

BIBB COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT RECEIVES OFFICIAL NOTICE OF ACCREDITATION

July 18, 2013 (MACON, GA) - Bibb County School District received official notification this week that the District has been accredited. Interim Superintendent Dr. E. Steven Smith presented Board members with notice of the District's accreditation status on Thursday, July 18. Following the successful completion of the 2012-2013 AdvancED External Review, the District received a status of "Accredited Warned." This designation indicates that the external team had several concerns with areas related to the standards, and possibly other minor concerns. Institutions given this designation have two years to address required actions. AdvancED is the global leader in advancing excellence in education through continuous improvement, organizational effectiveness and accreditation. An External Review Team from AdvacED led by Dr. C. Stephen Oborn recommended the Bibb County School District be accredited May 1, with monitoring by a special review team appointed by the Georgia Office of AdvancED. During the External Review Team's visit, April 28-May 1, members interviewed 461 people and visited eight schools and 48 classrooms. The team also was provided with school self-assessments, which were "done incredibly well," Dr. Oborn said. The team scored the District in the following standards: Purpose and Direction: 2.50 Resources and Support Systems: 2.25 - MORE Mission: Each student demonstrates strength of character and is college ready. Vision: Develop a highly trained staff and an engaged community dedicated to educating each student for a 21st century, multiethnic, global economy.

Governance and Leadership: 1.67 Teaching and Assessing for Learning: 2.33 Using Results for Continuous Improvement: 2.00 Early Learning Addendum to Standard Four: 2.86

The highest score possible for each of these categories is a 4. Some of the powerful practices noticed within the District included: The Bibb County Strategic Plan, along with individual school plans, provided a very significant platform for improvement, student-based discussions on learning for all students, and a platform for discourse that is sufficient to support the purpose and direction of the system, individual schools, system operations and educational programs. The Bibb County School District is recognized and commended for its use and placement of literacy coaches in every elementary building that support the improvement of instructional practices and ensure student success. The school buildings within the Bibb County School District are recognized for their impressive, passionate and student directed use of collaborate learning communities designed to use data that are reliable and current to change instructional strategies, incorporate best practices, and provide a foundation for the improvement of student learning. The Bibb County Schools AdvancED committees, at both the building and central office level, are recognized and applauded for their incredible attention to detail, their transparent sharing of artifacts and issues, and their uncommon and personal commitment to the review process and the students of the Bibb County Schools. The Bibb County Schools Welcome Center is recognized, for what it represents, by providing instructional resources and communication channels that are tasked with a multitude of resources designed to help all children within Bibb County.

Some of the opportunities for improvement within the District included: Evaluate and discuss the alignment of the various implementation plans in the buildings with the districts strategic plan, so to implement a continuous improvement process that provides clear direction for improving conditions that support student learning Review and develop communication channels that are available, both internal and external, so to increase the flow of information, the solicitation of stakeholder input, and the increase of staff feedback so multi-directional conversations can assist in the implementation and design of district policies and procedures that support the systems purpose and directions. Implement a committee tasked to evaluate all instructional initiatives and programs in the various buildings to develop a consistent protocol for implementation, evaluation, review and continuation that is based on student outcomes and instructional feedback. Revisit and operationalize the Districts Technology Plan that is contained in the strategic plan so it represents a growth toward the demands of 21st century learning, and balances fiscal restrictions with student centered decisions. - MORE Mission: Each student demonstrates strength of character and is college ready. Vision: Develop a highly trained staff and an engaged community dedicated to educating each student for a 21st century, multiethnic, global economy.

The External Review Team also determined the following required actions that must be implemented by the District within the next 24 months: Develop and implement, with the involvement of various stakeholder groups, a board level plan tasked to allow the Bibb County Schools to operate under governance and leadership that will promote and support student performance and system effectiveness, and communicate a system-wide purpose for student success. Develop and use a protocol that ensures decisions are ethical, free of conflict of interest, and in accordance with state statutes and roles and responsibilities of the governing body a defined and described in the systems policy. Implement a governance policy that ensures leadership at all levels will have consistent autonomy to meet goals for achievement and instruction, and to manage day-to-day operations effectively. Develop a District wide plan that will focus on an ongoing involvement with all staff and stakeholders so feedback and communication channels are in place that will develop a culture consistent with the Districts purpose and direction; inasmuch, provide data that are reflective of the incredible number of student successes, instructional practices and improved results. Review the grading procedures across the district with an emphasis on administrative policy that will enforce an instructional based grading system that is responsive to data driven accountability, student classroom performance and understood by all stakeholders and staff. Implement, and periodically review, a professional development plan that takes into consideration the various data that are provided by student assessment, the instructional strategies that are part of the differentiated instructional programs, and represents the various concerns and needs of all faculty and staff.

Dr. Oborn, as lead evaluator, had 30 days to complete his final report for AdvacED, with the final determination for accreditation coming at the June 2013 Board Meeting of AdvancED. To view the PowerPoint presentation by Dr. Oborn, click here. To view the letter from AdvancED designating the District's accreditation status as "Advanced Warned," click here.

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Mission: Each student demonstrates strength of character and is college ready. Vision: Develop a highly trained staff and an engaged community dedicated to educating each student for a 21st century, multiethnic, global economy.