COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

P.O. BOX 2120

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120

SUPTS. MEMO NO. 63

March 17, 2006

INFORMATIONAL

TO:	Division Superintendents
FROM:	Patricia I. Wright Acting Superintendent of Public Instruction
SUBJECT:	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI) Quality Assurance Review Process

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has signed an agreement with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI) to encourage school divisions to seek SACS CASI accreditation as an incentive for accelerating efforts to improve instruction and raise student achievement. The voluntary SACS CASI accreditation process compares policies, practices, and conditions within a school division with SACS CASI standards for governance, leadership, instruction, accountability, student services, management, planning, communications, and continuous improvement.

By earning SACS CASI division accreditation, school divisions demonstrate their commitment to best practices, quality instruction, and increased student achievement. The SACS CASI process for school divisions complements Virginias rigorous accreditation standards for individual schools and ensures that school divisions implement a systemic approach to continuous improvement that is embedded at all levels of the division. Under the agreement, all schools within a division must be fully accredited under the commonwealths Standards of Learning accountability program for the division to earn SACS CASI accreditation.

Founded in 1895, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, nongovernmental agency composed of

more than 13,000 accredited colleges and universities, elementary, middle, and secondary schools. The Council on Accreditation and School Improvement, a division of SACS, accredits Pre-Kindergarten, K-12, and vocational schools in the 11 Southern states, as well as the countries of Mexico, Central and South America, islands of the Caribbean, and other geographic areas.

If there are questions regarding this process of improvement for schools and divisions, please contact Dr. James Gallion, director, SACS CASI, at (540) 831-5399 or by e-mail to jgallion@sacscasi.org or Ms. Hilda Kelly, associate director, SACI CASI, at (804) 225-2814 or by e-mail to hkelly@sacscasi.org.

PIW/KMS/shs