January 4, 2012
Over the winter break, families received a letter from me including language from our recent ISACS accreditation process. The Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) is our regional accrediting body and is recognized by the State of Minnesota. We are also members of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). In addition to providing valuable resources to schools like MPA, NAIS often takes positions on issues of national consequence. One such issue is that of ranking different schools, which NAIS President (and fromer ISACS President) Pat Bassett writes about this week in a letter to the editor of the Washington Post:
The schools that belong to NAIS are all mission-driven; they define what they are going to do, how they will do it (the education philosophies that inform pedagogical approaches and curriculum decisions), and what students they can optimally serve (gifted students, students with learning differences, average students interested in the arts, etc.). As any student, teacher, or parent at one of these schools can tell you, the combination of these things, and a school’s culture and community, make them wonderfully unique. That uniqueness is the key strength of independent schools; it allows families to find schools that will be a perfect match for their child’s needs and interests.
Can you compare a school that serves highly academically driven students with one that serves students with profound dyslexia and determine that one is objectively better, or even more challenging, for all of its students? Does a school that serves many English language learners (who may be academically driven, but not yet ready to take AP exams in English) offer a less ideal environment than a school with a more homogenous population? Is a class in American Politics and Public Policy less academically rigorous than a class in AP American History?
Ranking educational institutions offers a value judgment about schools based on arbitrary criteria. Finding the best school for your child is not a matter of choosing the top school on a list. It’s a complex process that requires understanding what your child needs from his or her school. Does she thrive in an environment that is competitive and goal oriented, or more nurturing and collaborative? Does he want to learn Japanese and play hockey, or does she want to take as many chemistry classes as she can fit into her schedule? How can various schools help your child develop leadership capacities, or nurture talents and address challenges?
Rankings like the Challenge Index don’t help answer any of the important questions; they merely muddy the waters, suggesting that one criterion for evaluating schools is the best for all people. The Challenge Index is particularly troubling because it promotes several companies’ branded courses over all others. It assumes that a broad survey of a particular subject that bears the AP moniker is better than a substantive course with the rigor and depth that you would find at the most selective colleges and universities. The Challenge Index measures only the number of tests taken, not how much students have gained from a particular course or teacher.
Most independent schools test students at key points to gauge their progress, and many schools use value-added testing instruments that evaluate how the student has progressed in a particular class or grade. All schools must evaluate their effectiveness in order to be accredited by organizations that belong to the NAIS Commission on Accreditation.
Independent private schools are not averse to evaluating their programs or to sharing information about themselves. What NAIS and its members object to is using data to mislead people about what matters in education. The Challenge Index may confer bragging rights for some parents (“we’re number one!”), but it doesn’t help families find the right schools for their children, or improve schools.
Patrick F. Bassett
President, National Association of Independent Schools
and for those who missed the letter I sent out in December, here it is:
December 14, 2011
Dear MPA Parents,
This fall an evaluation team representing the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) visited Mound Park Academy as part of our reaccreditation process. Sometime later this year, we will receive the team’s major commendations and recommendations based on their visit and review of our self-study (the result of the tireless work of many of our faculty and staff). We continuously seek new ways to improve and enhance the learning environment at MPA, so we look forward to tackling the recommendations in the coming years. At the conclusion of the team’s visit, Ann Klotz, the leader of our ISACS reaccreditation team and Head of Laurel School in Cleveland, spoke to all employees. I share her words with pride in our community and continued optimism about the future of Mounds Park Academy.
It is the opinion of the ISACS Visiting Team that Mounds Park Academy has found the secret to keeping the flames of learning burning brightly in the face what may feel like lack of flint and windy weather. In a school that prizes experiential learning as you do, I would not be surprised if all of your children could light a fire by shining a light through a magnifying glass, no doubt because you have taught them all so well and inspired in them the curiosity, creativity, and resilience to learn how to master just such a task.
Know that you have 13 colleagues throughout the Midwest who deeply admire your work in this school, where going well beyond the minimum seems to be as ingrained as the well known and deeply understood mission.
The Visiting Team joins me in extending our grateful thanks to everyone in the MPA community for welcoming us with warmth, authenticity, and gracious hospitality. We have so enjoyed our time as guests in your community. Once we arrived on campus, Upper School peer leaders were splendid ambassadors, joyfully communicating their love of MPA. During our visit, we were struck by how willing everyone was to engage in candid conversation with us; you love your school, but you are receptive to the comments of strangers and your quest for school improvement is evident.
That this is a warm community is incontrovertible; relationships are the cornerstone of an MPA education. We appreciated the many offers of help extended by students and faculty–in terms of directions, technology assistance, and cheerful greetings.
We want to be sure you recognize how your own passion fuels the mission of the school. You are flexible, resilient, and willing. Clearly, you have dedicated significant energy to the ISACS Self Study and accreditation process for over two years, and all of us have benefitted from that. You have an experienced and confident Head of School, who is well-supported by the Board of Trustees; parents acknowledge, respect, and trust your expertise; the children here love you and are inspired by you…
I hope that you will find the story that we have written is, in some way, helpful in guiding you towards future chapters, toward school improvement for the children and young people you so love and serve with such dedication and passion.
With these thoughtful words, I leave you all to enjoy a safe and restful holiday season.
Sincerely,
Mike Downs
Head of School
