AdvancED

The final domain of the AdvancED accreditation process is Operational Vitality. This domain focuses on the business element of education – from budgets to marketing to enrollment.  Leading the committee overseeing this domain are Gwen Godsey, assistant superintendent of Catholic Schools; and Dan Gilbert, principal of St. Joseph School in Princeton.

While the AdvancED core team is focusing on the domains in order, work has begun on this domain as core team members visit diocesan schools review enrollments to see if numbers are increasing. Gilbert said that he visited three schools last year, and he will visit another this year.

“I enjoy going to other schools and seeing how they do school,” Gilbert said. He emphasizes that sharing of this kind allows administrators to learn from one another.  Since all four dioceses and the archdiocese in Indiana are going through the accreditation process together, Gilbert has also visited St. Jude School in Indianapolis.

During these visits, core team members interview school staff and form “a picture of how things seem to be working.” They then obtain documentation concerning how the schools plan to continue sustaining their operations. As Gilbert put it, “Now that we exist, how do we keep on existing?”

Gilbert also stressed that this domain often gets overlooked. Catholic school principals, he said, have a “triple role” of academic leader, spiritual leader, and CEO; and while school administrators generally understand their academic and spiritual roles, they are not always trained to handle responsibilities pertaining to financial planning and fundraising.

However, Gilbert said that this understanding is vital for Catholic educators in particular, as Catholic school administrators have more voice in how finances are managed than do their public school counterparts. Yet, an effective financial plan is key to a school’s success.

“This domain is, for me, the most important one,” Gilbert said. He emphasized that this domain is foundational because, while a school can boast great teachers and high student achievement, if it is financially unstable, none of its operations can take place. “It’s a matter of whether your school is going to be here or not,” he said.

Gilbert said that this coming year, the core team’s goal is to formulate a “big picture” idea of how diocesan schools are doing in terms of financial plans and enrollment. From there, school administrators can share knowledge and help one another improve in this communal effort.