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Date: 5/16/2023
BELCHERTOWN — Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical School Committee heard an update on its decennial accreditation at its May 10 meeting.
Pathfinder hosted the New England Association of School and Colleges May 1-5 for its decennial accreditation.
The NEASC is a regional accreditation association that provides educational accreditation in six New England states.
According to the NEASC, accreditation is a respected, effective, and time-tested methodology for school improvement and growth. It is not a single event, but rather an ongoing, voluntary cycle of comprehensive internal and external assessments, short- and long-term strategic planning, and periodic reporting sustained by professional partnership and support.
It is also intended to serve as a framework for schools to meet their own unique goals for student learning while maintaining alignment with research-based Standards for Accreditation that define the characteristics.
“We have been working towards this final moment to be reviewed and ultimately our intention is to move towards accreditation. Eighteen months of build up towards that with reports and we brought that all forward,” Pathfinder Tech Superintendent Eric Duda said.
He added there were approximately 17 members, 11 from Connecticut and six from Massachusetts from NEASC who visited Pathfinder to review everything and talk to everyone in the building.
The group included the steering committee, standard chairs and two co-chairs.
“They were pleased with everything. I met with the chair of the charge, and she gave me a preliminary bunch of information recommendations. When you reflect back, it is a nice reminder of the things that have changed and accomplished,” Duda said.
According to Duda, some of those items included a fine arts initiative that created an art and music program. It also added the first-ever band.
Duda added, “We had no AP offerings the last time they were here and now we have 11 offerings. Combined with honors courses we have over 30 of those offerings. We’ve put two new courses in place over that time. We have 16 technical programs now.”
NEASC was also impressed with the student employment, how well maintained the 50 year old building was and general happiness and professionalism among the students and staff.
Duda added the list of recommendations included areas of professional development and certain areas of improvement across the curriculum.
Duda is expecting the final report within the next couple of months but said he is overall happy with the initial report he received.
He said, “I feel like it was a good representation to properly assess what we did. Everyone seemed very pleased. I expect to be accredited which is also a great thing.”