The decision to send your child to a private school gives rise to a seem­ingly exponential number of secondary decisions. It's a daunting prospect: While you can't put a price tag on your child's future, how do

you know you're getting the best value, i.e., the best education, for the money you spend, especially as already steep tuition costs continue to rise?

While religious or special-need issues are often paramount in the decision to select a private school, you'll want to know how that school stacks up against equivalent schools. It's also important to know if credits earned at a school will transfer to another institution if necessary, and later to a college or university. Looking at a school's accreditation status is a good means of determining answers to these questions.

It helps to have an understanding of what accreditation is and what it can and cannot tell you about a school. Accreditation is a voluntary and

Continued on page 63

EDUCATION

\Nhat every parent needs to kno\N about a cered itation of private schools

Hours

By Michelle Bourg

KNOWAtlanta Spring 2002 61

"I l'IKe t he SrnOJ\ c..\QSSrOOrnS 0.. t 1'-\oLLnt PO..rO..n

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easier to leO..rn."

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for serving and learning

Serving Grades Pre-K- 12. Call today to schedule a tour.

1700 Allgood Road Marietta, GA 30062

(770) 578-0182 Fax: (770) 977-9284

www.mtparanschool.com

Mt. Paron Christian School, Inc. admits students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin.

62 KNOWAtlanta Spring 2002

Locating Select Atlanta Private Schools

Cartersville '

Chavel DOUGLAS . HiH

'Bii/ Arp

• Fairplay

McWhotter 2

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1. American Heritage Academy

2. Arlington Christian School 3. Atlanta Academy

4. Atlanta International School 5. The Bedford School

6. Colonial Hills Christian School

7. Covenant Christian Academy

8. The Cottage School

9. The Donnellan School 10. Greater Atlanta Christian

School 11. The Heritage School

12. High Meadows School and Camp

13. Holy Innocents' Episcopal School

• omena

14. Landmark Christian School

15. The Lovett School 16. Mill Springs Academy

17. Mt. Paran Christian School 18. Mt. Pisgah Christian

School 19. North Cobb Christian

School

20. Pace Academy 21. Pinecrest Academy 22 . Providence Christian

Academy 23. St. Paul Lutheran Church 24. Trinity School 25. The Waldorf School

of Atlanta

26. Wesleyan School 27. Whitefield Academy

Use our Counties Information section beginning on page 99 to find additional schools w ith enrollments over 200 in your area.

EDUCATION Conttiwed from page 61

non-governmental process of academic review, enabling an institut ion to receive periodic evaluation by peers in the industry as to how well it meets both its own objectives and the stan­dards set by the accrediting agency. It sign if ies that a school has successfu lly demonstrated compliance with the guidelines and standards of an accred it­ing organization, whose standards are in turn accountable to the public. These standards address such measurable factors as the number of hours of required instructional time, attendance requirements, library expenditures per student, and the existence of student counseling and health services .

Accreditation allows for a comparison of different schools and assists in the transfer of credits between them. Jim Hendrix, principal of the PreK-12 Lovett School, describes accreditation as "an index of professionalism."

Accred itation does not generally man­date curriculum, type of instruction, or texts and materials. These decisions are made by local and state boards of educa­t ion, boards of trustees, or independent school directors . Unless you're very familiar w ith the standards and criteria of the different agencies, it is not possible to use it as a tool to get a picture of a school's educationa l philosophy. It does not give an indication of the learn ing envi­ronment or the commitment and creativ­ity of the teachers .

To understand how schools are being evaluated, you need to be famil iar w ith the eva luators. There are three main accrediting agencies functioning in the state of Georgia . The largest is the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (www. sacs .org, (404) 679-4500). wh ich accredits more than 12,000 publ ic and private institutions throughout the Southeast, from pre-K through un iversity level. SACS is one of six regional accred­iting organizations in the U.S. recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. This regiona l scope has made SACS the choice of a wide range of schools . In Atlanta this includes schools as diverse as Marist High School, the Lovett School, Paideia, and the Greenf ield Hebrew Academy.

The Georgia Accred it ing Commission (GAC), based in Athens, has been in existence since 1904 and focuses exclus ive ly on Georgia schools . They accredit both private and publ ic schools from pre-kindergarten through Grade 12, including the At lanta Speech School, Greater Atlanta Chr istian Schools, and the Sophia Academy. GAC standards can be obta ined by cal ling (706) 353-7090; a list of accred ited schools can be found at Its webs ite: www.coe.uga.edu/gac. Accred itat ion may be granted, granted "with qual ity,"

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KNOWAtlanta Spring 2 002 63

2002 SCHOOLS OF EXCELLENCE

The Georgia Schools of Excellence are chosen every year

and indicate the best pub­lic schools in the state. Schools are chosen for the honor by a panel of educators who review the applications of the schools. After review, all finalists are evaluated with an on-site visit. To make it through this process and to be named a School of Excellence is an honor indeed. What this means for newcom­ers is that if you are bas­ing your new home's location on the quality of public schools in the area, the list of Schools of Excellence is a great direction finder. We have printed all metro area Georgia Schools of Excellence at right.

Elementary Schools: Bascomb Elementary, Cherokee County

Briarlake Elementary, DeKalb County

Harriet Tubman Elementary, Fulton County

Mount Vernon Elementary, Hall County

Robert W. Craig Elementary, Gwinnett County

Middle Schools: McConnell Middle, Gwinnett County

Webb Bridge Middle, Fulton County

High Schools: Sprayberry High, Cobb County

Stockbridge High, Henry County

or granted provisionally. The newest organization, and the only one working exclu­

sively with private schools, is the Georgia Private School Accred itation Counci l (GAPSAC), first recognized by the Georgia State Board of Education in 1998 and accepted by the Board of Regents in 1999.

GAPSAC oversees the accreditation of private elementary and secondary schools affiliated with its member organizations for the purpose of transferring credits to public schools and to institutions in the University System of Georgia It ensures the eligibi lity of graduates of member schools for the Hope Scholarship program on an equal footing with public school graduates. Standards and a basic outline of GAPSAC's accred­it ing process are available on its web site: www.gapsac.org. They can be reached at (706) 549-2190.

Membership in GAPSAC is limited to any not-for-profit school, either affiliated with a religious body or operating under a legally recognized nonprofit status under Georgia code. Current member organizations include the Association of Christian Schools International, the Georgia Association of Christian Schools, the Accreditation Association of Seventh­Day Adventist Schools, and the International Christian Accred itation Association. Among the Atlanta schools accredit­ed by one of these member associations are the Cathedral Academy, the Atlanta Adventist Academy and North Cobb Christian Academy.

The accreditation process is basically similar between the three organizations. A school's staff works with an accrediting agency in developing a set of measurable goals and plans to accomplish them, with the agency providing assistance and recommendations. An annual review measures how well the school is achieving its goals and its compliance with the accred­iting agency's standards and guidelines . Ideally, accreditation is not a one-time " rubber stamp," but an ongoing interactive process between the accrediting agency and the school.

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64 KNOWAtlanta Spring 2002

SAC's plan also ca lls for a visit to the school by a group of trained evaluators every f ive years. The school may answer questions that are subject ive in nature wi th involved answ ers w hi le GAC's accreditation procedure is strictly objec­t ive in nature, relying on questions that can be answ ered "yes or no ." GAPSAC stresses accreditat ion that allows for the un iqueness of individual schools.

About half of the GAC-accredited schools are also accredited by SACS and vi ce versa, according to GAC Executive Director Dr. Kenneth M. Matthews. He fee ls that it is beneficial for a school to be accredited by more than one agency

Credits earned at non-accredited schools often will not transfer to other schools or be accepted by a college or university without extensive additional testing of the student.

if the school has the time and can afford it, because it shows that the school has taken the t ime to get as w ide a range of feedback and assistance as possible.

According to Dr. Matthew s, accredita­tion is "very important in terms of w here a ch ild wil l go to school next." This is true w hether the next school is another elementary school, secondary school or a col lege, especially if it is part of the public system. He recommends becom­ing fami liar w ith the public school district you live in and learning w hich accredita­tions it accepts. Credits earned at non­accredited schools often wil l not transfer to other schools or be accepted by a col­lege or university without extensive addi­tional testing of the student.

How does accreditat ion re late to even­tual transfer to colleges and universities in Georgia? While public institutions in the University System don't al l have exactly the same admiss ion requirements, they

Our accredited Balanced Learning8M program blends a balanced

curriculum with nurturing child care- so your child is secure, smiling, and a little smarter every day. We also help bring balance to your life, for the peace of mind you need. Call or visit us NOW to learn more. Because, while your child's potential is unlimited, enrollment in our schools is not.

Priffirose~ Schools www.primroseschools.com

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At AMERICAN HERITAGE ACADEMY, we've gone beyond traditional private education standards. Our commitment to a maximum of 15 students per class,

combined with our state-certified and experienced faculty, ensures a personalized and challenging education for your child.

Tours by appointment. Call 770.926.7779. FROM 3 YEARS TO 9TH GRADE WITH EXPANSION THROUGH GRADE 12

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KNOWAtlanta Spring 2002 65

do all require that a student come from an accredited school in order to be accepted without additional testing. James Cobb, admissions counselor at the University of Georgia, says that UGA will accept accred­itations by the three main accrediting bod­ies operating in Georgia, with no prefer­ence among them.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Jean Jordan, director of enrol lment services at Emory University, says that accreditation is the last thing she looks at if she considers it at all. She states that most colleges are very familiar with the high schools that they most often receive students from, and form a work-

• Accredited with Quality • Small Class Size • Coed, Grades 6-12

ing knowledge of the qual­ity of those students . A large part of this knowl­edge of the high schools comes from traveling per­sonally to many of these high schools throughout the year.

Lack of accreditation does not mean that a school lacks value or is remiss in its practices . Some schools eschew the process on philosophical grounds, and others are in operation pending initial approval, which can take some time. It does mean, however, that you need to be extra thorough in per­sonally investigating and evaluating the school, especially in regard to the issue of transferability of credits. Remember also that some schools are not accredited for all grade

levels offered; take this into account when considering the ramifications for transferring.

While important. accreditation is not the only factor to take into account when analyzing the quality of a school. Dr. Matthews says, "Parents have to do their homework too." He recommends

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www. tallulahfalls.org (706) 7 54-3171 Tallulah Falls School admits students of any race, color, national, or ethnic origin.

The Light in the Mountains Since 1909

66 KNOWAtlanta S p rin g 2002

that in add it ion to asking to see a school's certif icate of accred itat ion, that parents get the names of references and to ca ll them.

Bes ides accreditat ion, Dr. Malcolm Cummings of GAPSAC recommends looking at achievement test scores at a prospect ive school to see how it com­pares to others on a nationwide basis. He also suggests looking at the back­ground of the faculty, the facilit ies, and the availability of activities. Emory 's Jean Jordan suggests that parents who are sizing up a school take a look at the school's counseling record: how many students go on to four-year institutions, and wh ich ones are they accepted by?

Jim Hendrix says that questions about accredita t ion are not usua lly asked by parents, but says that if a school is not accredited, parents shou ld ask w hy. He recommends also that par­ents look at the number of col lege acceptances from a particular schoo l, the train ing and tenure of the faculty, adequacy of the cu rricu lum for college prep, and the opport unit ies fo r achieve­ment in the arts, athletics and leader­ship .

Once you've narrowed the list down, visit schools you 're interested in, taki ng note of the facil ities, equipment and texts and materi als. Meet the facu lty and staff, and ask lots of questions. Find out about such things as discipline, amount of homework, level of invo lve­ment by other parents, etc. Not least. let the chi ldren themselves be your gu ide. Do they seem relaxed and inter­ested? And perhaps most important. how does your ch ild react to the school? A ch ild who is unhappy in their surroundings, however state-of-the-art. won't be developing up to their poten­tial, whi le a happy child can thrive even when surroundings are less than per­fect.

Bear in mind that wh ile in pursuit of the same goa l, schools wi ll exhibit a variety of sty les in pursuit of the same goal. As Paul Hayward, Paide ia High School principal , puts it. "We all go about the business of educat ing kids . Our sty le and how we go about doing that varies ." J. D. Fite, communica­t ions director at Marist. says that while most parents are focused on performance, they shou ld choose a school that wi ll not only crea te an environment w here a ch ild can excel, but one that w ill also nurture them and help them to "develop as human beings ." The key is finding a school with a style and ph ilosophy that com­plement that of you and your ch ild .

The process of selecting a private school ta kes t ime and ca re, but is ulti­mately w orth the effort. You'll know that your child is preparing fo r his or her future by receiving the best education possible in the present. •

REMOVING THE LANGUAGE BARRIER One of the more innovative new schools we've seen appear in Atlanta is Tabula Rasa. Founded by Besa Ana Tarazhi, the school takes the services of translators, interpreters and native language teachers to help teach new lan­guages and cultures to students. Tarazhi's school, which is located near Cobb Galleria Mall near the junction of 1-75 and 1-285, recognizes Atlanta's interna­tional growth through companies like Coca-Cola, IBM, Siemens and others. The point of this new school, says Tarazhi, is that "We hope bringing foreign language classes combined with cultural events to Atlanta will make people richer, will help them in the process of understanding the other cultures, and will help the process of learning foreign languages." A noble pursuit, indeed. To contact the school, call (770) 850-8413.

·-· --- ­---1'""1" ....,. www.trlanguages.com

WHEN IN ATIANTA, INDULGE IN

THE LOCAL FLAVORS. At Atlanta's Most Nationally

Acclaimed Restaurants.

Enjoy fine dining and impeccable service at the elegant Pano's & Paul's. Hearty, flavor­ful Italian cuisine at Veni Vidi Vici. Creatively light Italian dishes at the modernly outrageous Pricci. The finest USDA prime beef elevates power dining to its highest level at Chops.

Feast on the energy and creative American cuisine at Buckhead Diner - the "ritziest diner in the country." You'll find a nostalgic sou them setting at the Atlanta Fish Market serving the freshest seafood in town. Period. Enjoy taste sensations from around the world at the funkily European Comer Cafe which offers a fusion menu, gourmet coffees and its own bakery

Experience the Southwest at NAVA with its authentic and theatrical presentation. And for modem American cuisine enhanced by Asian flavors, enjoy Bluepointe. Or try KYMA for authentic Greek dishes from the Greek islands and mainland. Don't know which to choose? Better extend your stay in Atlanta.

Buckhead life Restaurant Group · www.buckheadrestaurants.com

Calll- 877-BUCKHEAD for reservations.

KNOWAtlanta Spring 2002 67