Release Highlights:
Ombudsman Educational Services (OES) has earned systemwide Accreditation from AdvancED™, the world’s largest independent accreditation commission.
AdvancED Accreditation recognizes Ombudsman’s high-quality staff, programs and services and acknowledges the organization’s commitment to continuous improvement.
Ombudsman received commendations from AdvancED for accomplishments in student success, low student/teacher ratios and supportive and motivating learning environments.
Ombudsman Educational Services (OES) has earned Corporation Accreditation from AdvancED™, the world’s largest independent accreditation commission for primary and secondary education organizations. This distinction recognizes Ombudsman’s high-quality staff, programs, services and commitment to continuous improvement.
Ombudsman partners with more than 100 public school districts in 14 states to provide alternative education programs for middle and high school students who are at risk of dropping out or who have dropped out of school. Ombudsman students are typically at risk of not graduating because they may have missed too many school days, lack credits, or have academic challenges or adult responsibilities that keep them from being successful in a traditional school environment.
The AdvancED Accreditation achieved by Ombudsman Educational Services applies to all of its alternative schools and programs for a period of five years. New Ombudsman programs will be immediately accredited upon opening.
AdvancED Accreditation serves as a framework to support systemwide continuous improvement of the accredited organization with a direct focus on improving the learning experience for all students. Additionally, accreditation simplifies transferring credits and offers greater access to federal loans, scholarships, postsecondary education and military programs that require students attend an accredited institution.
“The resources and expertise that come with Corporation Accreditation will allow Ombudsman to do more than ever to better serve students and district partners,” said Ombudsman Senior Vice PresidentRudolph (Rudy) Flores. “Those resources include research to help improve learning practices, professional learning opportunities and access to innovative educational technologies and best practices. This systemwide accreditation demonstrates our openness to external review and feedback as well as our determination to continue providing the highest level of educational excellence to the students and districts we serve in our learning centers.”
Accreditation is a voluntary method of quality assurance designed primarily to distinguish schools adhering to a set of educational standards. Ombudsman’s accreditation process included a comprehensive self-assessment and a rigorous review by an AdvancED Quality Assurance Review Team, which visited 21 Ombudsman centers; conducted interviews with parents, students, staff and district partners; observed classrooms; and reviewed student performance data and other materials.
“Corporation Accreditation is a rigorous process that focuses the entire corporation on the primary goal of creating lifelong learners,” said AdvancED President/CEO Dr. Mark Elgart. “Ombudsman Educational Services is to be commended for engaging in this process and demonstrating a commitment to continuous improvement.”
The AdvancED Quality Assurance Review Team commended Ombudsman for the following strengths and accomplishments:
High levels of stakeholder satisfaction regarding student success, indicating Ombudsman is successfully meeting the identified needs of parents, students and district partners.
A strong commitment to hiring qualified, professional staff.
Supportive, motivating learning environment that includes low student/teacher ratios to help meet the specialized learning needs of the students.
Implementation of corporate policies and procedures that creates a supportive and empowering culture that provides teachers with the resources to respond to the individual needs of the students and district partners.
Parents and interested community members can learn more about the Accreditation Process atwww.advanc-ed.org
About Ombudsman Educational Services:
Ombudsman Educational Services, a ChanceLight® company, provides alternative education programs for middle and high school students who have dropped out or who are at risk of dropping out of school. A flexible schedule with morning, afternoon and, in some cases, evening sessions means students don’t have to choose between life and school. Ombudsman offers academic, social and behavioral support so that students earn their high school diplomas and are prepared to make positive choices about the future.
Ombudsman’s alternative education and dropout recovery programs help communities combat the staggering social and economic costs of high dropout rates. Since 1975, Ombudsman Educational Services has educated more than 155,000 at-risk students and students who have previously dropped out – and introduced them to all the opportunities a real high school diploma provides.
About AdvancED:
Dedicated to advancing excellence in education through accreditation, research and professional services, AdvancED is the world’s largest education community, serving and engaging 30,000 public and private schools and school systems in more than 70 countries and serving over 16 million students. AdvancED is the parent organization of the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI). Accreditation is a process of helping institutions improve through a systematic program of evaluation, assuring that an institution not only meets quality standards, but also that it demonstrates a continuous commitment to providing quality education programs that are aimed at improving student performance.
