Communities In Schools of Laurens County Achieves National Accreditation

/PRNewswire/ -- Communities In Schools of Laurens County, a youth serving organization that provides school-based and after-school programs for students and the families served, has achieved National Accreditation by demonstrating compliance with all Communities In Schools Total Quality System (TQS) standards.

The TQS standards define expectations for effective non-profit business practices and for implementing the Communities In Schools model of integrated student support services at school sites. The site standards are based on a five-year, longitudinal national evaluation conducted by an independent, outside evaluator that documented the impact of the Communities In Schools model. The evaluation revealed that schools implementing the Communities In Schools model with high fidelity had higher graduation rates, lower dropout rates, and performed better than comparison schools in increasing the percentage of students meeting or exceeding math and reading proficiency in 4th and 8th grades, a crucial predictor of high school graduation.

Key initiatives in CIS of Laurens County include the Certified Literate Community Program, Reading Is Fundamental, AmeriCorps Reading Tutorial Program, Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA), The Loft Teen Center, Youth Excelling and Succeeding Program, and a CIS Performance Learning Center (PLC) that provides another learning option for high school students who are not succeeding the traditional school setting.

Communities In Schools developed the Total Quality System to establish clear operational guidelines that ensure uniform quality and improved outcomes for all students being served by Communities In Schools affiliates. The TQS system is part of an organization-wide commitment to evidence-based practice and the highest standards of accountability.

"We are proud to have achieved our accreditation as it underlies the value of complying with the high set of standards put in place by Communities In Schools National," said Jackie Curtis, CIS Executive Director of Laurens County.

Communities In Schools of Laurens County is among the first to receive its national accreditation among the nearly 200 local affiliates that comprise the Communities In Schools network in 25 states and the District of Columbia.

Communities In Schools surrounds students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. CIS partners with local school districts and community organizations to connect needed resources and services to kids and families. In Georgia, 41 CIS local affiliates and 19 Performance Learning Centers® (PLCs) provide services to more than 130,000 students in 54 school districts. Key initiatives include mentoring, parent education, tutoring, literacy, after-school programs, youth leadership, and PLCs. Communities sponsoring CIS programs have seen an increase in their school graduation rates, a decrease in violence and disruptions, and an increase in attendance and academic achievement. For more information, visit www.cislc.org or call 478-274-0394.

-----
Community News You Can Use
Click to read MORE news:
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
Twitter: @gafrontpage & @TheGATable @HookedonHistory
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter: @artsacrossga, @softnblue, @RimbomboAAG
www.FayetteFrontPage.com
Twitter: @FayetteFP

MCG and UGA move ahead with August 2010 opening of Athens campus

The Medical College of Georgia and the University of Georgia have received confirmation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the accrediting body for the country's medical schools, that their resource development is on track to matriculate 40 medical students at the Athens campus in August 2010.

A letter from the LCME reaffirmed MCG School of Medicine’s accreditation through the 2015-16 cycle when the LCME is scheduled to make its next accreditation visit. The letter also confirmed that resources for the MCG/UGA Medical Partnership are adequate in some areas and, as expected, requested updates in others as progress continues, school officials say.

Areas of LCME interest include sustained financial support for the expansion as well as faculty recruitment, facilities planning and academic advisement for students. School officials will provide the LCME with another update in August 2009.

The LCME’s letter follows a limited site visit to Athens and Augusta in April and the accrediting body’s June 2-4 meeting in Washington, D.C

“This confirmation by the LCME is the result we have been working so diligently these past months to obtain, and it is a testament to all involved that just 18 months after the Board of Regents approved a plan to expand medical education in Georgia, we have received this positive news,” says University System of Georgia Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr. “This strategic plan to increase the number of physicians in Georgia is of critical importance to our state and its citizens. We could not be at this point if not for the critical and strong support we have received from Governor Sonny Perdue and the members of the General Assembly. This support, expressed through funding in both Fiscal Year 2009 and Fiscal Year 2010, has been and continues to be essential, and we are appreciative of this support.”

“We are pleased with the report and look forward to updating the LCME about the continued progress of this exciting initiative that will have a lasting impact on the health of Georgians,” says Dr. Dan Rahn, MCG president and senior vice chancellor for health and medical programs for the University System of Georgia. “Countless hours, talent and support—particularly from Governor Perdue and our legislators—have gotten us to this point, but the work has just begun. Now we move forward with recruiting more students and educating more physicians for Georgia.”

“This action affirms the work currently underway to build the faculty, prepare the facilities, and shape the academic program for future medical students,” says UGA President Michael F. Adams. “We will be providing appropriate updates to the LCME as we move forward in our preparations. The MCG/UGA Medical Partnership builds on the strengths of two great Georgia institutions to address the critical need for more physicians in our state, and it positions both institutions to better do the kind of research that should lead to a healthier and more prosperous Georgia. We greatly appreciate the support of the Governor and Legislature which led us to this point.”

Later this month, the MCG School of Medicine will begin accepting applications for the first class of 40 students at the MCG/UGA Medical Partnership for the 2010 fall semester. The additional students will boost the medical school's class size to 230 students. UGA’s renovation of the Interim Medical Partnership Building, which sits on the banks of the North Oconee River in Athens, is scheduled to be completed this month.

The Athens campus, slated to grow to 60 students per class, is part of an overall plan to increase the MCG School of Medicine’s class size from 190 to 300 students by 2020 to help meet Georgia’s need for physicians. Georgia ranks ninth in the nation in both population and population growth, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and 44th in the number of physicians per capita, according to the American Medical Association.

The statewide plan also includes increasing the medical school class size in Augusta to 240, growth that will require larger facilities as the school’s home base. Simultaneous growth also is occurring at two clinical campuses for third- and fourth-year students: the Southwest Georgia Clinical Campus based at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany and the Southeast Georgia Clinical Campus based at St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System in Savannah.

Dr. Barbara Schuster, dean for the MCG/UGA Medical Partnership, said about 30 new faculty members are being recruited and about a dozen have been hired to date for the Athens campus. The majority of the initial hires will have a primary appointment at MCG and an adjunct appointment at UGA; faculty members with a primary appointment at UGA will have an adjunct appointment at MCG. Existing faculty at both institutions will help with teaching as well, Dr. Schuster says. Educators will be fine tuning the curriculum for the Athens campus during the next year.

The MCG School of Medicine Admissions Committee has increased from 18 to 25 members in the past two years to accommodate a larger class size and include representation from Athens, Savannah and Albany, says Dr. Geoffrey Young, associate dean for admissions. School officials anticipate applicant numbers will increase as well; applicants to the MCG School of Medicine have already increased steadily during the last few years, from 1,612 for the 180 slots available in fall 2004, to 2,102 for 190 slots in fall 2008.

Interviewed applicants will be asked their preference for the Augusta or Athens campus. Once applicants are accepted, a subcommittee of the Admissions Committee will make campus assignments with an eye toward a heterogeneous student body at both campuses, Dr. Young says.

The Medical College of Georgia is the state’s health sciences university and includes the Schools of Allied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Graduate Studies, Medicine and Nursing. MCG is a unit of the University System of Georgia and an equal opportunity institution. http://www.mcg.edu/

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.artsacrossgeorgia.com
Arts Across Georgia

Georgia Southern College of Education Attains CACREP Accreditation

Georgia Southern University’s College of Education has attained accreditation by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) in the three specialty areas of community counseling, school counseling and student affairs. Georgia Southern is the only institution in the state to be CACREP accredited in the area of student affairs, and the only one in southeast Georgia CACREP accredited in community counseling and school counseling.
The accreditation will allow Georgia Southern students concentrating in those fields to be nationally certified when they graduate.

“These students will be eligible to take the National Counselor Examination for Certification when they graduate, without having to complete the additional post-graduate work normally required,” said Dr. Leon Spencer, program coordinator for counseling education programs.
“This a tremendous advantage because it saves the students time and money as they work to obtain this important professional certification. It also helps expedite the licensure application process.”

According to CACREP, students who attend accredited universities like Georgia Southern are also more likely to do better on licensing exams than other students and have more job opportunities after graduation.

Georgia Southern University’s CACREP accreditation is also important for the state because many of the graduates will stay in Georgia and put their professional expertise to work in local schools and community mental health agencies.

“The counseling and student affairs professionals in our schools and community agencies are critical to the success of many students. Students today are dealing with many pressures and influences that have a direct impact on their success in the classroom and their chance at future success once they leave school. We’re proud that Georgia Southern University will be able to provide counselors with an education that is nationally recognized for excellence and that they, in turn, will be able to work to positively impact the lives of young students,” said College of Education dean Lucindia Chance. “The professionals who graduate from our program will be held to a higher standard because they are expected to understand and abide by the counseling profession’s ethical standards.”

CACREP accreditation also means the University’s College of Education will be held to a higher standard.

“It took us eight years to achieve CACREP accreditation,” said Chance. “Our faculty and staff worked diligently to meet the rigorous standards set forth by this organization. Now that we are CACREP accredited, we will be expected to continually evaluate our programs and exceed nationally accepted standards in order to keep our accreditation. We are committed to maintaining this quality for the generations of future education professionals who choose Georgia Southern University for their own education,” said Chance.

To accommodate the busy schedules of education professionals, nine of the 48 required course hours are offered on-line. Some courses are also taught at the Coastal Georgia Center in Savannah.

-----
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
Follow us on Twitter: @GAFrontPage

Emory University Welcomes Qualified Students from Clayton County Schools to Apply

The Clayton County Public Schools' loss of accreditation is cause for deep concern for all who are involved in the education of our youth. Emory University will continue to welcome applications from students in the Clayton County Public Schools, and will fully review each individual student's application in accordance with Emory's undergraduate admissions policy. The Clayton County Public Schools' unprecedented loss of accreditation in Georgia will not be a barrier to admission.

-----
Georgia Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com