The Burke County school system has dodged a bullet and will keep its high school accreditation from AdvancED.

AdvancED told school board members on Thursday that they had decided not to go ahead with their decision to pull accreditation at the end of June. Instead, citing progress made by the school system, they're putting Burke County on probation.

How this decision could impact Wake remains to be seen. During today's press conference, Wake Superintendent Tony Tata said the district is in "good shape' to respond to AdvancED when the monitoring team comes back in the fall.

It's now state law that that North Carolina-run colleges, universities and community colleges are prohibited from considering whether a student came from an accredited school when making admissions, scholarship and loan decisions.

The high school accreditation bill became state law Monday when Gov. Bev Perdue opted not to veto the legislation. But Perdue chose not to sign  it either.

The law, motivated by the recent fights in Wake and Burke counties, says UNC System schools and community colleges can only consider accreditation if it comes from a state agency. The law directs the state Board of Education to accredit schools when local school districts request it and pay for the costs.

The high school accreditation bill that would weaken the power of institutions like AdvancED passed the state House on Monday.

As noted in today's article by Michael Biesecker, the bill would prohibit North Carolina-run universities, colleges and community colleges from using school accreditation to make admissions, scholarship and loan decisions unless applicants come from high schools accredited by a state agency. It also would require the state Board of Education to begin accrediting North Carolina public high schools at the request - and expense - of the school districts.

The driving force for the bill were Republican legislators from Wake and Burke counties, where both school districts have found themselves facing sanctions from AdvancED. Democrats pointed out that funding for the state BOE would be slashed in the budget the GOP-controlled legislature approved last week, and asked whether the agency could properly administer any new duties.

The bill now moves to the state Senate.

The high school accreditation bill being sought for by school leaders in both Wake and Burke counties cleared the state House Education Committee today.

The bill would prohibit North Carolina-run universities, colleges and community colleges from using school accreditation to make admissions, scholarship and loan decisions unless applicants come from high schools accredited by a state agency. It also would require the state Board of Education to begin accrediting North Carolina public high schools at the request - and expense - of the school districts.

Apex Mayor Keith Weatherly, the legislative assistant to House Majority Leader Paul Stam, said the bill was approved on a voice vote. There were both ayes and nays.

The bill now moves to the House Appropriations Committee.

The Public School Forum of North Carolina is no fan of the new high school accreditation bill that's making its way through the General Assembly.

The bill would prohibit North Carolina-run universities, colleges and community colleges from using school accreditation to make admissions decisions unless applicants come from high schools accredited by a state agency. The bill is in direct response to the AdvancED accreditation investigations in Wake and Burke counties.

In this week's issue of the Friday Report, the Forum notes the introduction of the bill this week and the release of the AdvancED report on Wake County.

"It appears more likely that legislators representing the two counties share the views of some (not all) of their local school board members who resent 'outsiders' telling them how to run their business," according to the Friday Report. "In any event, the bill is introduced and could take two widely-viewed as dysfunctional school boards currently under fire by parents and high school students concerned about accreditation off the hook when it comes to accountability."

Is the new high school accreditation bill making its way through the General Assembly a possible escape route for the Wake County school system?

As noted in today's article, the bill would prohibit North Carolina-run universities, colleges and community colleges from using school accreditation to make admissions, scholarship and loan decisions unless applicants come from high schools accredited by a state agency. It also would require the state Board of Education to begin accrediting North Carolina public high schools at the request – and expense – of the school districts.

Not coincidentally, its sponsors include legislators from Wake and Burke counties, where the school districts are on AdvancED's radar.

Could the wording from the Oct. 5 resolution that killed the zone plan come back to bite the Wake County school board during the accreditation review?

As noted in today's article, Mark Elgart, president of AdvancED, said the review team will question how the school board will follow through on the wording in the Oct. 5 resolution to provide “equity and equal opportunity” for all students. It's part of the review of whether the school board is following its own policies and procedures.

“We’re telling them it’s their right to assign students as they wish,” Elgart said. “But when you have a resolution that says you will ensure equality of opportunity, you have to say how you will do that.”

Francis DeLuca, president of the conservative Civitas Institute, argues that the Wake County school system doesn't need accreditation for its high schools from AdvancED.

In an op-ed piece today, DeLuca criticizes AdvancED for accrediting low-performing high schools and accuses the group of trying to usurp the school board's authority. DeLuca also argues that Wake high school students will still do well without accreditation.

"Continuing a relationship with an organization that demonstrably fails to guarantee academic quality and wants to second-guess local voters underscores why the Wake system should sever its relationship with AdvancED and if necessary seek alternative accreditation," DeLuca writes.

A liberal national think tank that has praised Wake County's old socioeconomic diversity policy has released a new report giving the school district high marks for educational productivity.

The Wake County school system earned high productivity marks in a report released Wednesday by the Center for American Progress. Other North Carolina districts receiving high marks include Caldwell County Schools, Wilkes County Schools and Burke County Schools, whose high schools are set to lose accreditation from AdvancED at the end of the school year.

The center released an interactive website that evaluates more than 9,000 school districts in 45 states. Districts were evaluated by comparing their academic achievement with their educational spending, while controlling for factors like cost of living and students in poverty.

Don't look at this point for AdvancED to drop accreditation from Wake County's high schools like it pulled the plug Wednesday on Burke County's high schools.

In a press release Wednesday, AdvancED announced it was dropping accreditation for Burke County's high schools on June 30. In the release, Mark Elgart, president of AdvancED, said the "Burke County School District has failed to effectively govern and therefore is not meeting the standards for accreditation."

But Jennifer Oliver, a spokeswoman for AdvancED, said that won't happen to Wake for now.

UPDATE

Click here to view the original AdvancED report on Burke County. The links for the latest report and Wednesday's press release are in the post.