The Grayson County School District received accreditation by AdvancED during the special call school board meeting on Wednesday, February 27.

According to the company’s website (advanc-ed.org), AdvancED is a global education leader that reaches more than 30,000 schools across the world, aids in school improvement and effectiveness, and provides accreditation through outside review.

To determine whether the Grayson County school district would have its accreditation renewed, AdvancED sent a team of five experienced educators to conduct a three-day External Review (an evaluation by individuals from outside the community) of the district’s schools, administration, and main office, and present an exit report upon completion.

County School District Public Information Officer Caryn Lewis said that while accreditation is voluntary, the process must be repeated once every five years in order for a school district to remain accredited.

Superintendent Barry Anderson said the school district underwent the accreditation process as an oppurtunity to grow and improve.

The AdvancED External Review team, tasked with performing the Grayson County School District’s outside review and accreditation, arrived in the county on Sunday, February 24.

The team then spent the following Monday through Wednesday visiting all six schools in the district to review the facilities, curriculum, faculty and staff, and students, and interview numerous members of the district’s education community, according the External Review Exit Report.

Lead Evaluator Steve Oborn, Ph.D., said he and his team visited 29 classrooms and interviewed 42 parents, 34 administrators, 3 support staff workers, 5 board members, 66 students, 36 teachers, and 4 community members unaffiliated with the school district.

Oborn presented his and his four colleagues’ findings during the board meeting.

Oborn said he and his team were particularly impressed with the school district’s “commitment to a culture of ‘family’ and school pride” and “to communication and public relations through the addition of a public relations office, and the use of innovative ideas designed to engage all families.”

In terms of improvement, Oborn said he recommended that the school district design and implement a new plan for district development and effectiveness that will include input from all faculty and staff, from bus drivers to the superintendent.

Lewis said out of the 120 county school districts in Kentucky, Grayson County is one of only twenty that currently receives accreditation by AdvancED.