Growing enrollment, innovative academic programs, effective planning and decision making have helped Mount Saint Charles Academy earn another 10-year accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), the school announced today.
Accreditation is a crucial assurance of quality to families of prospective students, teacher candidates, foundations, and colleges. It confirms that Mount offers a quality education with comprehensive curriculums, adequate resources, and processes to ensure constant improvement. The NEASC is one of six regional accrediting agencies which are recognized by the US Department of Education and Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
In notifying Mount of its decision, NEASC commended the entire school community for moving decisively to improve enrollment and stabilize finances, even though that involved some hard choices.
“Though the actions required to bring about greater financial stability and increased enrollment to Mount Saint Charles have involved difficult decisions, the administration has certainly met the school’s challenges directly and efficiently,” NEASC wrote in its certification letter.
The evaluation team also praised Mount’s efforts to balance class sizes and teacher responsibilities, and to improve communication across different parts of the school community.
Mount’s faculty and staff were commended for embodying and animating the mission of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart to make students known, valued and treasured. The school was also commended for innovating academic programs and co-curricular offerings and transforming the physical footprint of the campus to meet evolving needs while preserving the historic heart of the school.
The accreditation process included visits by NEASC staff and volunteer examiners and a detailed self-evaluation. The process evaluated the school’s governance, enrollment, curriculum programs, students’ experiences, availability of resources, among other factors.
“The teachers, staff and students did a great job showing the evaluation team what Mount Saint Charles is all about. The team was impressed by our cooperation. You don’t get praise like that unless everyone pitches in heart and soul,” said President Alan Tenreiro. “We appreciate the team’s feedback. It’s so valuable to have knowledgeable, objective outsiders confirm what we’re doing well and suggest how we can improve. It’s all about moving ahead and constantly thinking about how we can do better for the students.”