PRESS RELEASE
Submitted by
Wendy Chalk, General Partner
Life Long Learning Associates
Blue Joy, CA 92317
909-337-0343
lllearning@aol.com
The Oakley School located in Oakley, Utah recently underwent an extensive
self-study required by the Utah State Office of Education and the Northwest Association of School, Colleges and Universities. The school
was the first in the state to receive the highest recommendation of a six-year clear accreditation rating from the Utah State Board
of Education.
Three years ago, the Utah State Office of Education implemented a new set of guidelines governing the school accreditation process.
The process, known as “Collaborating for Student Achievement, requires all secondary schools to engage in an intensive analysis of student
achievement, school policy and programs as well the organizational and instructional effectiveness. Oakley began the process two years
ago, under the guidance of Life Long Learning and Associates, an educational consulting firm that works with schools, districts and
states throughout the country.
The accreditation self-study process requires a site visit by a team of educators selected by the Utah Office of Education. The visiting
team is responsible for validating the school’s findings and recommending the terms of accreditation to the State’s Accrediting Board.
According to the visiting team chairperson, Oakley’s self- study was a true reflection of the school’s quality program and a model for
other schools undergoing this process. The state recently requested the use of Oakley’s self-study in the state’s staff development
program for the new accreditation process. A complete copy of Oakley’s self-study is available on the Life Long Learning & Associates
website at www.lllearning.net.
The six-year clear rating is granted only to schools who have met all of the requirements of the self-study and has gained the confidence
of state representatives that the school’s strategic plan for improvement will lead to increased effectiveness. According to Life Long
Learning & Associates, the Oakley staff and administration should be commended for not only for their in-depth analysis, but for
also engaging students, parents and the community in the process. Based on the finds of the visiting team, Oakley School not only understands
the need for continuous improvement they live it.
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