Grafton Earns Five Year AdvancED Accreditation

Winchester, Virginia, May 21, 2015 — AdvancED Accreditation Commission granted Grafton school sites a five year accreditation following an in-depth external review last November. AdvancED is a non-profit organization that accredits schools and school systems throughout the United States and internationally. Accreditation is a voluntary method of quality assurance developed more than 100 years ago by American universities and secondary schools and designed primarily to distinguish schools adhering to a set of education standards. Today, the accreditation process is used at all levels of education and is recognized for its ability to effectively drive student performance and continuous improvement in education.

Last fall, AdvancED representatives led by Donna James, Ed.D, visited Grafton’s school sites to conduct an accreditation review of education services. A report published by AdvancED states that the process was a resounding success.

AdvancED identified numerous powerful practices across Grafton’s school sites including:

• Grafton’s goal writing protocol provides a systematic method by which teachers and therapists develop measurable and achievable goals which contribute to student success.
• Multi-faceted communication methods are utilized by teachers to communicate with parents.
• Quality assurance support for school leadership allows teams to function at the highest and most consistent levels possible.
• The systematic process of data collection and analysis provides the schools with multiple layers of data that are collected, analyzed and evaluated to benefit in the planning and reporting of student achievement and progress.
• The transdisciplinary team model is a viable process for sharing student information and problem solving to meet students’ current needs.
• Leaders throughout the corporation are committed to sustaining a culture of excellence and innovation.
• The key performance indicators developed by the corporate leadership team provide a strategic mechanism for monitoring and evaluating progress in meeting corporate goals.

AdvancEd serves 32,000 institutions that employ more than 4 million educators and enroll more than 20 million students worldwide.   The organization represents schools and school systems across the United States and 70 other nations. Although their expertise is embedded in more than a hundred years of work in school accreditation, AdvancEd is not a typical accrediting entity. Their commitment is grounded in helping schools improve.

“The accreditation process led by AdvancEd representatives compelled us to examine processes and systems that we could improve. They were not looking to evaluate us against minimum standards. The process involved such a global perspective of school operations that every department across the company engaged in dialogue and suggested action steps to improve the quality of education services provided. Special thanks to Education Administrators Allyson Davis, Canice Nuckols, Debbi Richardson and Fredericka Harris”, said Jeremy Ulderich, Director of Education Consultation and Development.

About Grafton Integrated Health Network

Grafton Integrated Health Network (Grafton) is a private, nonprofit organization that has served children, adolescents and adults with disabilities and significant emotional and/or behavioral challenges for more than 55 years. As an industry leader in behavioral healthcare, we utilize a data-driven, trauma informed treatment model to empower vulnerable and high-risk populations to lead better, more independent lives.

Grafton provides a continuum of services to children, youth and adults including applied behavioral analysis, early intervention, psychiatric residential treatment facilities, a short-term stabilization program, special education programs, community-based group homes, intensive outpatient program and outpatient services.

For more information on Grafton Integrated Health Network’s services and expertise, please visit: www.grafton.org.

Contact:
Shweta Adyanthaya
Director, Communications
Tel: 540-542-0200 ext. 7260
sadyanthaya@grafton.org.