Notre Dame School
Middles States Accreditation Recommendation

The Validation Team from Middle States, who visited Notre Dame School in April, 2009 was pleased to recommend to the Middles States Commission that it grant accreditation for Notre Dame School of Manhattan.

Notre Dame School met the commitments and requirements of the Accreditation for Growth protocol:

• A focus on student performance and growth
• A culture of accountability for student performance
• A planning ethic
• Commitment to continuous improvement
• Involvement of its community stakeholders
• Foundational documents: a mission, beliefs and a profile of graduates
• A planning ethic
• A Plan for Growth and Improvement that focuses on measurable objectives for growing and improving student performance and plans to achieve the objectives
• A plan for continuous monitoring and adjusting the Plan to be responsive to results

Notre Dame School's objectives are the following:

Objective 1.1: By the year 2016, students at Notre Dame School will demonstrate improved academic skills and abilities as indicated by improved critical reading and math skills as measured by a 5% increase in the juniors' average PSAT Critical Reading score and a 5% increase in the juniors' average PSAT math score.

Objective 1.2: By the year 2016, students at Notre Dame School will demonstrate improved academic skills and abilities as measured by a 5% increase of average scores on a research-based survey (Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire) assessing juniors' use of effective study strategies in math and English.

Objective 2: By the year 2016, in support of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and in conjunction with Notre Dame's Anne de Xainctonge Values Curriculum, Notre Dame students will demonstrate an increased awareness of the millennium goals on eradicating extreme poverty and hunger in the global community by becoming active participants in organizations focused on improving the lives of those living in poverty or suffering from hunger.

The research involved in objectives 1.1 and 1.2 is part of a collaborative program between Notre Dame School and Fordham University's graduate school of education.