Accreditation, Self Reflection and Community
By Diana Kaplan, Mathematics Department Chair and Accreditation Steering Committee Chair
Hackley’s mission challenges us to “grow in character, scholarship, and accomplishment, to offer unreserved effort, and to learn from the varying perspectives and backgrounds in our community and the world.” Learning from the perspectives of others requires a community effort, and it is important for us, collectively and individually, to reflect on our practices and core values.
With this in mind, Hackley recently undertook a year-and-a-half-long self-study as part of the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) accreditation process, which happens once every 10 years. According to NYSAIS, “The key element in this kind of accreditation is to involve its members in a process of self-evaluation. If this process is undertaken consciously and insightfully, it can reflect the past, the present, and a look into the future through a critical analysis of all aspects of the School, resulting in an informed sense of strategic goals for the future.”
Every member of the Hackley community was involved in the accreditation process, including faculty, staff, administrators, the Board of Trustees, students, and families, resulting in a 120-plus page report. The report is broken down into six sections: Mission and Culture, Teaching and Learning, Governance, Financial Sustainability, Operations, and Student Life and Community. The School allocated time on multiple professional development days for all employees to come together and discuss the various reflective questions posed by their sections of the report.
The self-study process was a valuable tool for assessing the strengths and opportunities for growth at Hackley. In the words of one committee chair, “It allowed us the time to think about the positive things we are doing—the ways in which we are ‘walking the walk’—and also highlighting the areas where we can do better.” The process was particularly helpful in terms of creating more coherence across the range of initiatives recently instituted at the School.
Over the course of the past six years, Hackley has spent time cultivating competencies and developing the Portrait of a Graduate and a new strategic plan, Redefining Excellence: Learning Beyond Boundaries. The self-study provided an opportunity to bring those various initiatives into clear focus, and to discover the ways in which all the pieces fit together. Due to the pandemic, the past few years have been somewhat fragmented and have left some people feeling siloed. The accreditation process gave the School the opportunity to come together to reflect and to reaffirm our values.
One specific highlight was the way Hackley approached the task of selecting 10 photographs that richly convey the mission and culture of the School. Students K-12 took part in an activity to brainstorm ideas regarding which photographs to include in the report. At all levels, students were excited and energized by this activity, and it was wonderful to see how much they value their experiences at Hackley and what Hackley means to them. This same energy was matched by employees, who also took part in selecting photographs during a professional development day.
The conversations around selecting photographs that each group felt best represented Hackley were rich, and the enthusiasm was palpable. As a senior advisor, I was not sure if my third trimester seniors would be excited about this activity. To my surprise, it was one of the most spirited and lively discussions that we had, with students clamoring to add their own ideas about what photo would best represent Hackley. Some students wanted to include physical representations of our culture, such as the inscription “Enter Here to Be and Find a Friend,” while others wanted the friendships and collaboration of people on the Hilltop to take center stage.
Remarks and feedback from employees mimicked those of students, with many feeling strongly about the “messages” each photo conveyed. Although the task of selecting photographs was a small part of the report, it served as a rallying point and highlighted how invested all constituents are in the life of the School.
One interesting insight that came out of the process was the tendency for Hackley faculty and staff to focus on areas for growth rather than strengths. While it is occasionally more straightforward to generate critiques, it does put into perspective the culture of the School and the desire to never quite be satisfied with the status quo, constantly striving to be better. The self-study process was a good reminder of Hackley’s rejection of complacency, and in light of this revelation, the School continues to strive to make the strengths of the institution increasingly visible to all.
I have been involved in the accreditation process in smaller ways throughout my 31 years at Hackley, but this was my first time chairing the Steering Committee. This process of self-reflection as a School had an incredible impact on me—it provided me with a deeper understanding of Hackley, its people, its culture, its strengths, and its opportunities for growth. In addition to the inherent look into the inner workings of the School, this accreditation process also unexpectedly created new opportunities for me—I connected with people from all walks of Hackley life and built connections and friendships in ways that I never expected. We often talk about our community at Hackley, but through this process, I realized how much I live it every day. I am grateful to have had this opportunity for self reflection, both for myself and for us as a School. I’ve gotten to see firsthand how interconnected our community is, and I am more convinced than ever that at Hackley, we truly live our mission.
This story first appeared in the Hackley Review Summer 2023 edition. To see the full digital issue, click here.