By pursuing AdvancED accreditation, Ralston Public Schools holds itself accountable to a standard that far exceeds what is required by the State of Nebraska.  The reflective, thoughtful process culminates with a visit, classroom observations, and dozens of interviews conducted by an external team of educational leaders.  Evaluators look at leadership, learning, and resources.  Ralston Public Schools met or exceeded AdvancED expectations in 84% of the standards measured.  A district’s overall performance is rated on a scale of 1-400 through AdvancED’s Index of Educational Quality or IEQ.  Reflecting our commitment to continuous growth, Ralston’s IEQ score is 70 points above the average of other schools and districts accredited by AdvancED.

AdvancED provides a holistic measure of overall performance to all accredited schools known as the Index of Educational Quality (IEQ).  The IEQ results are reported on a scale of 100 to 400 and provide information on how the institution is performing compared to expected criteria.  Over the past five years, the average score for institutions in the AdvancED network was between 278.34-283.33. Ralston’s IEQ score was 350.16, or approximately 70 points higher than the average.

The external team noted several strengths of Ralston Public Schools, all of which contribute to student success.  Some of the more prominent strengths of the district included (a) the collaborative relationship between the district and the board of education, (b) a strong culture of engagement with the community, (c) the use of multiple sources of data to drive instruction, and (d) the implementation of a district steering committee to guide the district’s continuous improvement efforts.

The feedback from AdvancED’s external team allows the district to pinpoint areas where our continuous improvement efforts will have the greatest impact on student achievement. Ralston’s district steering committee will be able to accurately measure the overall impact our improvement efforts are having on the learning environment.

By participating in the district accreditation process offered by AdvancED, Ralston holds itself accountable to a set of standards and expectations that far exceed what is required by the state. This helps to assure both parents and the community that the district is committed to providing a safe and healthy learning environment that is committed to continuously seeking the best ways to educate students.