As many of you have already heard the North Central Association has developed a partnership with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SAC CASI) located in Atlanta and the National Study of School Evaluation (NSSE) in Schaumburg, Illinois. The new organization will represent more than 23,000 schools in 30 states and serve more than 15 million students. The partnership will strive to enhance and support the three pillars of accreditation.

• High Standards
• Quality Assurance Review
• Continuous Improvement

The partner organizations are working together to establish shared, research-based accreditation standards that will support improvement efforts in schools and districts. Implementation of the improved accreditation process is scheduled for the 2007-08 school year. Schools should continue with the implementation of their current school improvement plans.

Combining the best practices of NCA CASI and SACS CASI with the research base developed by NSSE will result in a high quality process designed to support local efforts to improve student performance.

I am excited about the future of NCA as we begin this journey of continuous improvement with our new partners.

Please check the web-site regularly for the latest updates and information.

Sincerely,

Susie Morrison