Six Arkansas schools have received a “Highly Effective Schools” accreditation from a national education development company.
Solution Tree, a Bloomington, Ind.-based educational development company, awarded this accreditation to six schools, the Arkansas Department of Education announced this week. This accreditation is designed to “validate the high-quality work being done across your school community,” according to the organization’s website.
The schools that received the accreditation include Cutter Morning Star Elementary School, Hampton Elementary School, Lake Hamilton Junior High School, North Little Rock Center of Excellence, Spradling Elementary School and Wynne Intermediate School.
According to Solution Tree’s website, schools earn the accreditation in a five-step process, in which they submit a one-year school improvement plan. This plan is reviewed by Solution Tree’s experts who provide feedback, and the schools can revise and resubmit the plan. Once all of the highlighted issues are addressed, Solution Tree can grant a one-year accreditation. The fifth step is maintaining the accreditation by submitting new school improvement plans on an annual basis.
The accreditation is centered around the company’s trademark Professional Learning Communities at Work process and High Reliability Schools model.
The Arkansas Department of Education has collaborated with Solution Tree in recent years, partnering with them on expanding the Professional Learning Communities at Work program in Arkansas schools. In April 2020, the ADE announced that nine schools and two school districts had been selected to serve as working models for the PLC at Work program in the 2020-21 school year. These schools included Bayyari Elementary School, Camden Fairview High School, Centerpoint School District, Clinton School District, Crossett High School, Hot Springs Junior Academy, Lake Hamilton Junior High School, Northside High School, Rivercrest High School, Valley Springs Elementary School and Watson Elementary School.
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