This fall, George School began an institutional self-evaluation process in preparation for reaccreditation through the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS), a membership organization serving more than one hundred independent schools in Pennsylvania.

The document that will guide the process, PAIS Evaluative Standards for Accreditation, is extensive and contains ten sections and twenty-five standards. The school must respond to each standard and provide the supporting documentation that is requested.

The self-study will be closely aligned with the school’s strategic plan and involve the entire school in a dialogue about our strengths, challenges, and our priorities for the future.

Our current ten-year accreditation expires in April, 2011. We are seeking joint reaccreditation from The Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges and PAIS, using the PAIS Evaluative Standards for Accreditation as our protocol. The purpose of the periodic evaluation is to involve the entire school in a process of self-examination as the school seeks to provide excellence in education.

The reaccreditation process includes participation in a year-long study of the school’s practices and the submission of a written report to PAIS by January 2011 that documents those practices. In March 2011, a visiting team of independent school educators conducts the evaluation on site and subsequently writes a comprehensive report of its observations. The PAIS Commission for Accreditation considers both the school’s report and the visiting team’s reports before recommending accreditation for ratification by the PAIS Board.

The process is guided by a steering committee of faculty and staff that is clerked by Wendy Nierenberg. If you have questions about the process or the document, please contact Wendy Nierenberg at wendy_nierenberg@georgeschool.org.