Garden City High School plans to apply for accredited status with the Commission on Secondary Schools of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, a move which the district has taken in the past to help improve the quality of education. High School Principal Hank Hardy presented a 14-goal action plan to the Board of Education at the January 10th work session since Board approval is needed before the district submits an institutional profile to the commission.

Accreditation is a voluntary process, and is often used by the educational community as a means of self-regulation and peer review. The accreditation process requires schools to establish and implement a five-year improvement plan based upon its vision of the future. Schools must satisfy at least 12 of its 14 goals.

The district last sought and received accreditation from CSS in 1989-1990 and is applying again now after receiving postponements granted because of building construction. School Board President Kenneth Monaghan said the Board will respond at the February meeting so the school can meet its March 1st deadline.

The High School’s action plan includes:

1.Development and implementation of a five-year technology plan for concentrating on support and expansion of services.

2.Development of a comprehensive technology training program for faculty/staff and implementation of a Web-based communication system for faculty, staff, students and parents.

3.Planning and implementation of an Alternative School Program. According to Hardy, school districts including West Hempstead and Mineola are also interested in exploring this idea. He said that it may also be possible to coordinate a program with local universities such as Adelphi, Hofstra and C.W. Post.

4.Addition or creation of more classrooms, multi-use rooms and offices to better accommodate the school’s growing population. The goal also includes the creation of larger department offices and storage spaces for tools, books, equipment and supplies.

5.Creation of more opportunities for discussion between faculty and administration in order to ensure shared input and promote consensus on decisions concerning curriculum, students and personnel. Hardy said it is essential that everyone “be on the same page and speak the same language.”

6.Enhancement of coordination and communication between Middle School and High School to facilitate student transition.

7.Capping of class size at 25 in all curriculum and elective areas and 30 in physical education classes. It is recommended that music performing group size be evaluated on a yearly basis. Hardy also recommended instituting an alternate day schedule and eliminating sixth period. Since teachers earn extra money for teaching more than five periods, a total of $173,047 was spent last year to pay teachers for the extra period.

8.Increasing the laboratory instruction time for science students by one extra period per week for a total of eight periods, allowing for more student/teacher contact and more elective courses. Hardy suggested taking the money saved by eliminating the sixth period and using it to hire two new science teachers to run a science support enhancement center and help with additional labs.

9.In the English department, classes and teachers’ student loads are currently too large to promote and allow for varied instructional strategies. This inhibits teacher creativity and limits the amount and nature of teacher feedback, according to Hardy. Class size is aligned to student performance particularly in the development of writing skills, and in some cases in the high school, room size barely accommodates class size.

10.This goal has three components: providing appropriate equipment, facilities and staff for medical and mental health professions in order to meet the numerous physical and emotional needs of students; the institution of a crisis response team that can effectively deal with medical, mental health and/or other emergencies; and the improvement of safety, health and security of the building. Hardy said he and other members of his staff should be trained in the use of a defibrillator. Faculty and administration should also be aware of the location of defibrillators in the building.

11.Enhancement of collaboration in proper scheduling of students between members of the Counseling department and members of all other departments.

12.Creation of a school-wide activities council comprised of club advisors, coaches, students and parents to develop student activities guidelines. “Activities, as much as they are elective classes, they are learning processes,” said Hardy. He said, for example, students who learn how to handle a club’s funds will be able to take that skill and apply it to their own personal lives when it comes time for them to balance a checkbook. Hardy recommended changing the policy so a portion of a club’s funds can carry over to the next year. Currently, unused money is placed in a general fund if not used by the end of the school year.

13.Examination of the high school administrative structure. Exploration of additional administrative alternatives to deal with discipline problems, coordinate student activities, supervise hall monitors and coordinate administrative decisions regarding Special Education.

14.Ongoing communication with the food service program to offer a variety of quality, healthful food choices. In addition, the use of menu boards with clearly posted nutritional content will compliment the updated cafeteria.

The Commission on Secondary Schools, a regional accreditation agency which serves both public and non-public schools in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia, was established in 1920 to promote the improvement of secondary education and to secure better coordination and understanding between secondary schools and institutions of higher education. According to its Web site, the agency “recognizes excellence in educational quality, planning, and growth in student performance and provides the means to meet rigorous standards of educational quality.”