Every year the North Central Association evaluates Several St. Louis Schools seeking accreditation. The goal for the organization is to assist St. Louis Public Schools in developing and demonstrating effective curriculums. The process also keeps transient students in the St. Louis Schools up to date with their work. Family relocation is the most common cause of drastically falling grades in the St. Louis Schools. Accredited schools are better able to tackle this problem because they all share a consistent curriculum. So when children move from one school to another, they haven’t lost as much ground.
How important is accreditation to the St. Louis Public Schools? Is it a valid mark of achievement, or just a political rating? While people argue both sides, the truth is that we need consistency in the St. Louis Schools and public education overall. OK- some schools that are improving will complain that they didn’t have enough time, money, or something else. And that may be true. But filtering struggling and failing schools out of the St. Louis Schools is the only way to improve the district.
A uniform curriculum has benefits to almost everyone in the system. Students coming from St. Louis Schools entering colleges will be better apt to succeed from the beginning. Professors will know what to expect from students coming from St. Louis Schools. Knowing the level of work achieved at St. Louis Schools assists these professors in planning their curriculum. This gives college professors the advantage to prepare incoming college students at higher paces and levels. This is more beneficial to everyone rather than having to design a course route that is generally vague and applies to anyone.
To earn accreditation, all St. Louis Schools have to meet high standards. This process is voluntary and optional to all St. Louis Schools. Since the process is voluntary, it ensures the success of St. Louis Schools incorporated into this organization. There are no laws mandating participation so teachers, students, and other faculty members take careful measure to ensure that achieved accreditation is held in a high and honorable regard. Some administrators say that if the process was involuntary, not all St. Louis Schools would see the importance of North Central Associations’ goals as they are meant to be expressed. Hmmm. But wouldn’t making it mandatory require everyone to see them as important?
Overall, the accreditation offered by North Central Association to St. Louis Schools is an improvement. It’s a starting ground for success by students and schools working together relocating children don’t struggle to adjust. The program also helps keep all the students working on similar goals, while setting their own pace. At some point the St. Louis Schools will need to make these policies mandatory. With stricter federal guidelines and pressure from parents and politicians, it’s just a matter of time.