John F. Boyd, Executive Director of the Connecticut Junior Republic (CJR), and Anne J. Fitzgerald, President of the Board of Directors, announced today that the organization’s Cable Academic and Vocational Education Center (CJR School) has been granted initial institutional accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). Located on the Junior Republic’s Litchfield Campus, the Cable Academic and Vocational Education Center provides special, vocational and alternative education programs, as well as transition and related services, for at-risk and special needs boys.
According to James K. Obst, CJR Director of Education, accreditation by NEASC attests to the substantial compliance with established qualitative standards; integrity in statements to the public describing the institution’s program; institutional commitment to improvement; and sufficiency of institutional resources. NEASC accreditation is a system of accountability that is ongoing, voluntary and comprehensive in scope, and based on standards which are developed and regularly reviewed by members, and which define the characteristics of good schools and colleges.
The accreditation process for the Junior Republic began more than two years ago with an initial site visit. This visit was followed by a rigorous self study that included all members of the CJR education staff and culminated in a formal written document that was submitted to NEASC. The Cable Academic and Vocational Education Center and all CJR education programs were reviewed by the NEASC Visiting Committee during a three-day site visit in April. The Visiting Committee for accreditation is composed of representatives from NEASC-accredited private schools and site visits are designed to ensure that candidates for accreditation are adhering to 15 Standards of Accreditation as well as best practices within the field.
Accreditation of an institution by NEASC indicates that it meets or exceeds NEASC standards and criteria for the assessment of institutional quality periodically applied through a peer group review process. An accredited school is one which has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation.
According to William M. Bennett, Director of NEASC’s Commission on Independent Schools, accreditation has two faces: quality assurance and school improvement. Attention to the former has proved essential in defending the independence of schools and providing relief from external regulation. The primary function of accreditation, however, is school improvement.
“The Commission commends the CJR School for persevering through major change and remaining a dedicated and nurturing school community, doing an excellent job in serving a challenging and needy population,” Mr. Bennett stated.
As a part of the accreditation process, the NEASC Commission makes recommendations to schools as well as commendations. Recommendations for the Connecticut Junior Republic and the Cable Academic and Vocational Education Center include: 1) engagement in a comprehensive planning process and the development of a School mission statement that clearly delineates its specific mission under the overarching framework of CJR; 2) updating of various internal planning documents within the School with particular attention to technology and the library;
3) recommitment to a traditional professional development plan and examination of compensation levels and faculty evaluation to facilitate the integration of school goals with personal goals; and 4) organization’s continued use of the accreditation process as a vehicle for continuous quality improvement, with faculty and administration becoming further acquainted with the accreditation process by attending workshops and volunteering to serve on Visiting Committees for other educational institutions in the future.
“The Connecticut Junior Republic is proud that its education programs have been accredited by NEASC and commends the staff of the Cable Academic and Vocational Education Center for more than two years of diligent work – this in addition to the daily responsibilities associated with operating a quality school program – to achieve this level of recognition,” stated CJR Board President, Anne Fitzgerald. “The quality of our education programs is no secret to those of us associated with the Connecticut Junior Republic as members of the Board of Directors and Staff,” she continued. “Accreditation by NEASC is an important step in ensuring the future integrity of our programs and provides objective confirmation that we are meeting or exceeding important benchmarks for excellence in education,” stated Mrs. Fitzgerald.
Approved by the Connecticut State Department of Education, CJR’s Cable Academic and Vocational Education Center provides education services that are individualized to meet the needs of enrolled students. In addition to academic instruction, all students benefit from vocational courses of study at CJR and may select from one of eight vocational electives. The Junior Republic also offers creative arts, music, as well as family and consumer science as enhancement classes for students.
Transition services provide students with practical, experiential learning opportunities in the community as well as enrichment services that promote independent living and work readiness skills, and assist young men in successfully re-acclimating to their public schools and communities. Over the past year, students served have been referred by more than 25 towns and school districts and have represented five of Connecticut’s eight counties. Approximately 50 boys will be enrolled in CJR’s Cable Academic and Vocational Education Center at the beginning of the new school year in September.
The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, a self-regulatory membership organization, serves the public and educational community by developing and applying standards assessing the educational effectiveness of elementary, secondary, and collegiate educational institutions. Processes of self-evaluation and peer review utilizing the Association’s goals assure and improve the quality of institutions, which seek its accreditation. It also endeavors to inform public discourse about educational improvement. NEASC’s Commission on Independent Schools has 618 members, including institutions that are currently candidates for accreditation. There are a total of 178 member institutions, including CJR, in Connecticut.
The Connecticut Junior Republic (CJR) was founded in 1904 and has provided residential and community-based care, treatment and education for troubled and at-risk young people for more than 100 years. Today, the organization’s combined programs serve approximately 1,000 boys and girls in six locations throughout Connecticut. In addition to the Cable Academic and Vocational Education Center on the Junior Republic’s Litchfield Campus, CJR operates group homes for boys in East Hartford and Winchester, a short-term residential program for girls in Waterbury, and community-based programs serving boys and girls in the Danbury, Torrington/Northwest Connecticut and Greater Waterbury regions. A new residential program, serving 24 to 32 young men annually, will open on the Junior Republic’s Litchfield campus in autumn of 2010.
A private charitable organization, the Connecticut Junior Republic is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). CJR is supported by contributions from individuals, businesses and organizations, and through service contracts funded by the Court Support Services Division (CSSD) of the Connecticut Judicial Branch, the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF), the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS), and by Connecticut’s public schools. For further information, please contact Hedy Barton, Director of Development and Public Relations (860) 567-9423, extension 252; or by email: hbarton@cjryouth.org.
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