Atlantis Charter School becomes third charter in MA to be granted accreditation approval

According to a press release, Atlantis Charter School announced that it has received initial accreditation for its high school program from the prestigious New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), a regional accreditation agency that evaluates public and independent schools to provide assurance they meet expectations of quality, improvement and accountability. Atlantis will be the third charter high school in Massachusetts to be granted approval for accreditation.

“The designation is affirmation of the hard work put in to create a high quality educational choice for high school students here in the South Coast region. It also validates the success we’ve had connecting the dots between K-12 education, college and career through our innovative Career Academy Program,” said Robert Beatty, Executive Director of Atlantis Charter School.

Atlantis used its autonomy as a charter school to create five innovative Career Academies that are designed to better prepare students for 21st century jobs and address the growing skills-gap in technology, healthcare and other in-demand fields. The academies exist side-by-side with a traditional college preparatory curriculum, as well as honors and advanced placement programs.

In its evaluation report, the NEASC Committee on Public Secondary Schools commended Atlantis for:

Its commitment to create opportunities for students to apply knowledge and skills to authentic tasks
The multitude of programs to ensure that students have adults who know them well and assist them in meeting the school’s 21st century learning expectations
The collaboration of the board, executive director and site leader in incorporating the school’s 21st century learning expectations
Outreach to adjunct faculty to instruct in the school’s academy model

“It’s hard to overstate the benefits of having teachers in our career academies with real-life experience. Our adjunct instructors enable juniors and seniors in the academy classes to develop relevant, in-demand skills to meet the needs of modern employers and support positive economic growth in the Commonwealth and beyond. We’re honored to see the NEASC acknowledge the value of our progressive approach to educating students and our ongoing efforts to transform Atlantis into a nationally recognized model of success,” said Michael Lauro, Associate Executive Director.

Atlantis started its high school program in 2013, completed its expansion in 2017 and this past Spring graduated the first-ever senior class. 100% of the graduating students were accepted to and are planning to attend college in the Fall. Meanwhile, Atlantis is continuing work on the school’s recently opened, state-of-the-art campus with the construction of a brand new waterfront athletic field. The outdoor sports complex is expected to be complete and ready for use by September.