WARWICK, RI (August 31, 2023) – Mark DeCiccio ’03, Principal, announced today that Bishop Hendricken High School was awarded Continued Accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). The accrediting organization notified Bishop Hendricken of the decision in a letter on August 30, 2023. The notification comes after a thorough and two-year-long Self Study and Visiting Team evaluation that took place last March.
During the NEASC Commission meeting this June, the Commission reviewed the NEASC Evaluation Report and voted to award continued accreditation to Bishop Hendricken. The Commission was enthusiastic in identifying several areas of commendation for Bishop Hendricken directly related to the NEASC Standards.
“I am incredibly proud of the thorough, thoughtful, and honest work done by our faculty, staff, and Board of Advisors throughout the NEASC exercise,” said DeCiccio. “The [NEASC] process is an awesome opportunity to audit ourselves as an institution and ensure we’re providing the very best educational experience to the students we serve. While no school is perfect, and we certainly have opportunities to improve, I believe the evaluations conducted by the Visiting Team and our own staff demonstrate that Bishop Hendricken is an exceptional place to learn and grow.”
The Visiting Team particularly commended the Bishop Hendricken community — leadership, faculty, staff, and board — for its dedication to providing six decades of exceptional Catholic secondary education. The group noted that Hendricken’s commitment to the Catholic faith and the charism of the Irish Christian Brothers instilled at the school’s inception continues to be at the forefront of every school activity. A significant commendation was made for the school’s culture and the addition of the Hendricken Cares initiative. The Visiting Team also offered impressive commendations for the Br. Thomas R. Leto Options Program, as well as the school’s many curricular and co-curricular offerings, including Academies.
In reviewing the Self Study prepared by the Bishop Hendricken leadership, faculty, staff, and board, the Visiting Team raised the ratings of four standards for the school, including that of its admissions efforts, the quality of the school’s board governance, the hiring of qualified teachers and staff, and the vigilant efforts to create a culture of health and safety.
Noting that every institution has areas upon which to improve, NEASC has also provided constructive recommendations for the school, including progress toward an annual enrollment management strategy, increased focus on endowment, discussions about the daily schedule and ways to increase course options and electives, and creating opportunities to address the challenges identified in the Self Study to formally communicate policies, practices, and daily operations.
NEASC is an independent, voluntary, nonprofit membership organization which assesses, supports, and promotes high quality education for all students through accreditation, professional assistance, and pursuit of best practices. NEASC aspires to provide a process for meaningful, ongoing whole school improvement while honoring the unique culture and context of each institution we support.
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