Health & Fitness
Five More Years For JCA
Joliet Catholic Academy received its five-year accreditation Wednesday from AdvancED.
JOLIET – Five more years.
That was the pronouncement of Jeff Budz, Principal/CEO, after Joliet Catholic Academy received its accreditation Wednesday afternoon as part of the Illinois AdvancEd Quality Assurance Review.
Working through the regional North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, AdvancED nationally consists of 27,000 public and private high schools, covering a total of 15 million students.
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The AdvancEd team spent Wednesday interviewing 45 stakeholders of JCA, including eight teachers, eight students and seven parents. The findings were announced at a town hall meeting in the chapel.
“We got a great visit from AdvancEd, we are an accredited school for five years, but there is always room for improvement,” Budz said. “What is important to know is we are going in the right direction.
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“They were impressed throughout their visit with the commitment of our faculty and staff and we were praised for our vision and living of our mission statement, ‘Inspiring Growth in Knowledge and Faith.’”
Budz noted “it gives us five years to get better,” with JCA meeting expectations in the seven standards that were judged by AdvancEd. He also praised the work done by JCA teachers Deb Witmer and Amy Douglas, who were the team leaders of the school’s drive to have its accreditation confirmed.
“We are very encouraged that we met each standard,” said Douglas, JCA’s Learning Resource Program Coordinator. “But we also look forward to the challenge of getting even better in certain areas.”
“It’s a long process,” Witmer said. “We are pleased with the findings and it also shows us where we need to be in five years for the next cycle. The results are a credit to the entire faculty and staff here.”
JCA is a college preparatory high school co-sponsored by the Joliet Franciscans and Carmelite Order. JCA was supported at the town hall by the presence of Board Members Sr. Susan Bruno, OSF, Sr. Margaret Guider, OSF and Fr. John Welch (’56), O. Carm., and Sr. Peggy Quinn, OSF from the Board of Directors.
