Accreditation

St. Mary’s South Side Catholic High School is a St. Louis Archdiocesan High School accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). The NCA is subdivided into two distinct commissions: the Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI) and the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The NCA CASI evaluates and accredits K-12 schools Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. North Central Accreditation Seals are recognized across the United States and around the world.


TO BE ACCREDITED, SCHOOLS MUST:

Meet High Standards

The standards require that the school has a clear vision and purpose; has effective and responsive leadership; has a rigorous curriculum taught through sound, research-based methods; collects, reports and uses performance results; provides adequate resources and support for its educational programs; and values and communicates with its stakeholders.

Engage in Continuous Improvement

Schools must implement an improvement plan based on student performance and school/community data that include clear goals for raising the achievement of all students. Schools also must document the growth in student performance and organizational effectiveness.

Demonstrate Quality Assurance through External Review

Schools must be evaluated by a team of professionals from outside the school on a periodic basis.

 

NORTH CENTRAL ACCREDITATION THROUGH THE ADVANCED PROCESS

Since 1931, St. Mary’s South Side Catholic High School has been participating in the Missouri High Schools Accreditation process. The idea of school accreditation was first developed more than 100 years ago by American universities and secondary schools. Maintaining accreditation is of the utmost importance to every educational institution in the United States. While the process and the accreditation agency names have changed over the years, being accredited becomes even more important to American high schools as we take on expanded curriculums, diverse populations, and the demands of preparing students for a rapidly changing future. When a school is accredited, stakeholders can be assured that the school has qualified teachers, a rich and sound curriculum, a range of student activities and support services, and transferability of credits from school to school. To keep accreditation, the school must meet the COGNIA (formerly AdvancED) standards, engage in a continuous process of improvement, and demonstrate quality assurance through internal and external review.

“The standards require that a school have a clear vision and purpose, effective and responsive leadership, and a rigorous curriculum taught through sound, research-based methods. In addition, a school must collect, report, and use performance results, provide adequate resources and support for its educational programs, and communicate effectively with all stakeholders. To demonstrate continuous improvement, schools must implement an improvement plan based on student performance and school/community data that include clear goals for raising the achievement of all students. Schools also must document the growth in student performance and organizational effectiveness.”
(AdvancED, Advancing Excellence in Education Worldwide document, 2009)

St. Mary's South Side Catholic is proud to have received extraordinary recognition in our December 2021 review.

 

 

Should you have any questions about the St. Mary’s accreditation process, please do not hesitate to contact me.