Middle States Accreditation Process

Excellence by Design is an accreditation protocol that uses strategic planning as a vehicle for growth and improvement in student performance and in the school’s capacity to effect that growth. The protocol, developed by the Middle States Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS) of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, links various planning and school growth and improvement efforts. Excellence by Design leads the school to establish objectives for improving student performance and organizational capacity based on its vision of a preferred future for its students. Therefore, Excellence by Design is a future-oriented and visionary process. In addition, the protocol provides for a continuous review of programs and services and of the results of student performance. It also allows diverse constituent groups to participate in charting the future of the institution.