SOUTHWICK – Sixteen educators will make an on-site evaluation of Southwick-Tolland Regional High School (STRHS) from May 3-6, Principal Joseph Turmel announced today. The evaluation visit will be conducted under the direction of the Commission on Public Secondary Schools of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). The visiting committee will be chaired by Dr. Joseph Maruszczak, superintendent of the Mendon-Upton School District. Maruszczak has had extensive experience in the association’s evaluation process.
“The purpose of this evaluation visit is to review and determine from an outside professional viewpoint the extent to which STRHS is meeting the standards for accreditation,” Turmel said. “As part of the evaluation, the visiting committee will meet with all school constituents, review the school’s self-study, visit a number of classes, and examine examples of student work. During the comprehensive self-study, the faculty attempted to identify our school’s strengths and determined those areas in which changes would be beneficial.”
“The members of the visiting committee are contributing their services to our school community. This spirit of professional cooperation is one of the noted features of NEASC. The goal of an evaluation visit is to stimulate a continuing drive for improvement in the school,” Turmel said.
The members of the visiting committee are teachers and administrators from a variety of schools all over New England. NEASC is a voluntary membership organization of more than 2,000 public schools, colleges and universities, independent schools, and vocational, technical, and career institutions. Of these, over 650 secondary schools have been accredited through the Association’s Commission on Public Secondary Schools. The Commission works with individual public schools to improve the quality of education through a continuous process of accreditation and evaluation.
