B.M.C. Durfee High School’s reaccreditation report; here is where the school is growing/effective and what needs improvement

FALL RIVER — Superintendent Dr. Tracy Curley and Principal Dr. Jessica Stephens have announced that the Commission on Public Schools of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges has released B.M.C. Durfee High School’s reaccreditation report.

A visiting team of seven members assigned by the Commission on Public Schools conducted a Decennial Accreditation review of the school in April. The visiting team spent four days conducting a visit to the school; reviewed the self-reflection, Collaborative Conference report, and Decennial Summary Report documents; met with administrators, teachers, other school and system personnel, students and parents; and visited classes to determine the degree to which the school aligns with the Commission on Public Elementary, Middle and High Schools’ Standards for Accreditation and the degree to which the school is making progress toward their identified priority areas for growth as indicated in the school’s improvement/growth plan.

The report notes that the school meets all of the Standards, including Learning Culture, Student Learning, Professional Practices, Learning Support, and Learning Resources.

In its report, the Commission commended the high school in several key areas of growth and effective practices, including:

• The new, state-of-the-art facility that provides the capacity for high-quality programs, services, and security.
• The socially, emotionally, and intellectually safe environment for students and adults.
• The refinement of the mission and vision and the incorporation of both into the vision of the graduate.
• The creation and publication of the vision of the graduate developed with multiple stakeholders, incorporating the Durfee Way, which includes both Academic Principles and Social and Emotional Competencies.
• The creation of advisory and What I Need (WIN) intervention programs to address various student needs.
• The completion of the curriculum maps and ease of access to them.
• The implementation of ParentSquare to support communication with families and students.
• The multiple opportunities incorporated to raise awareness and develop stronger partnerships with students, families, businesses, and higher education.
• The strong relationship between career and technical education (CTE) and community partners that provides students with opportunities to go from school to career.
• The development and implementation of the Newcomer Academy.
• The systematic data analysis by teachers and the integration of the Illuminate platform.
• The commitment to professional learning and structured time for staff to collaborate.
• The use of the lesson plan internalization protocol to ensure all students can access grade-level standards.
• The belief that focusing on acceleration over remediation will result in student success.
• The design of instructional practices to support most students and engage them in being active learners.
• The use of multiple formative and summative assessments to determine progress and needs.
• The implementation of the Durfee Way to support instruction.
• The implementation of a student assistance team model through the Plan, Observe, and Debrief (POD) groups focused on providing academic, social, and behavioral support to students.

While the district was pleased to see that the high school met all five of the Commission’s Foundational Elements, there is always room for growth and improvement, and the report noted a few areas of focus for the future. Those areas include:

“We are delighted to have received such a positive report from the visiting team,” Superintendent Dr. Curley said. “It is a great source of pride for us to be recognized for providing a safe, positive, respectful, and inclusive environment that ensures equity and honors diversity in identity and thought.”

The visiting team’s report on its findings was forwarded to the Commission on Public Schools, which will decide on the Accreditation of B.M.C. Durfee High School.

The full report can be viewed here.