Duval County Public Schools Unanimously
Approved for Accreditation
JACKSONVILLE - Duval County Public Schools has received unanimous approval for district accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI).
District Accreditation is the highest level of accreditation that a school system can receive, and is for a period of five years. In the past, all Duval County schools were individually accredited.
The SACS CASI report commended the district for its establishment and articulation of the vision, mission, goals and strategic plan that has laid the foundation for the district’s continuous improvement efforts.
The report highlighted eight major strengths of the school district: 1) Openness to acknowledge strengths and weaknesses, and a willingness to learn and engage in continuous improvement; 2) A high level of trust, respect and confidence among all stakeholders for the current superintendent; 3) Dedication to build instructional leaders and quality teachers; 4) Commitment by district and school level administrators to monitor quality instruction through classroom visits, walk-throughs and feedback; 5) Variety and scope of programs and practices to meet varying needs of students and stakeholders; 6) Widespread commitment to the vision, mission and goals; 7) The development of a strategic plan to provide guidance and direction to the system and its parts; and 8) Efforts to reach out to community to create partnerships.
"Receiving accreditation for our district is proof that our education system is working together and heading in the right direction as a team," said Duval County Public Schools Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals. “We will continue to work toward meeting and surpassing the goals outlined in our Strategic Plan in order to become the best urban school system in the country.”
In order to be eligible to apply for district accreditation, every school in the district had to be individually accredited and the district had to have in place a quality strategic planning process focused on improving student learning. In addition, the district must have met accreditation standards, pursued a process of systematic continuous improvement and implemented methods for quality assurance.
Duval County Public Schools operates more than 160 schools and serves approximately 123,000 students. The school district is committed to providing high quality educational opportunities that will inspire all students to acquire and use the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in a global economy, and culturally diverse world.
To read the full District Accreditation Report, click here.
More DCPS News