Fannin County Receives Accreditation from AdvancEd

The Board of Education held a special meeting this past Wednesday when Jerry Cooper, the director of AdvancED, presented the county with accreditation. The presentation included a detailed analysis of the strong points within Fannin’s educational system, as well as potential areas of improvement and requirements for continuing accreditation.
The accreditation process included an 18 month long external review conducted by a several members from the AdvancED agency. The review consisted of 268 interviews with administrators, board members, teachers, support staff, students, and over a hundred parents and community members. In addition to interviews, AdvancED conducted 52 learning environment observations.

The school system was given a rating based on on a 4 point scaling system. Fannin’s best scoring item was 3.27, in the area of having a well managed learning environment, while the lowest scoring item was in the digital learning environment category.

The most notable strengths included a commitment to 100% graduation rate, support for Mountain Education Charter, strong fiscal management, community support, commitment to effective parent communication. The presentation also noted Fannin’s free breakfast program, having a proactive long range plan, and the relationship between the superintendent, the board of education and the community.

The accreditation has two required actions. The first includes implementing consistent grading procedures across all grade levels and courses. The second requirement is a formal induction program for new teachers and employees. The accreditation also requires a mandatory review every five years. A full report will be given in a month and includes a more in depth written review.