September/October 2021
Dear St. Francis Family.
Welcome back! This may not be the “normal” year we anticipated, but we are happy to be back in school with your sons in person! We are also about to begin a new process for Middle States reaccreditation. The new protocol is called Excellence by Design, which is an accreditation protocol that uses strategic planning as a vehicle for growth and improvement in student performance, and is a future- oriented and visionary process. In addition, the protocol provides for a continuous review of programs and services and of the results of student performance. It also allows diverse constituent groups to participate in charting the future of the institution.
In the Excellence by Design protocol, educational leaders must keep the attention of the entire educational community focused on answering the five questions below, which are especially timely based on our decision to leave the NYS Regents:
#1: By the time they have experienced our full educational program and services, what should our students know, and how should they be able to use what they know? What content, skills, and work habits should be the priorities for learning? What attitudes, qualities or characteristics should our students demonstrate?
#2: How well should students perform the desired outcomes, and what does excellent performance look like?
#3: How will we measure and evaluate our students’ performance in multiple ways?
#4: How well do our students currently perform? What is the actual quality of their work?
#5: What must we do to improve student performance?
Once we assemble our Planning Committee of stakeholders, we will create online surveys to distribute to our school community, administer and compile survey results, and draft our 3-5 measurable student outcome objectives to support them. By December we will submit these objectives and their baselines to Middle States for approval and create Action Plans for carrying out our student objectives. By February we will submit our report to Middle States, which will be six weeks prior to their school visit.
We will keep you apprised of our progress, and our new objectives to continue to grow this institution!
On a personal note, I always re-watch my favorite movie in the fall, “You’ve Got Mail” and think of the first day of school, and this quote, “Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to go out and buy school supplies.” I am grateful for the smell of newly sharpened pencils, and the hope of a new beginning each year!
Thank you for your continued support and happy fall!
Dr. Mary Lou Stahl
St. Francis High School
Success Begins at St. Francis
