Memphis, TN – 5/13/08 – President Andy Groveman announced today that Memphis Jewish High School earned accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI), an accreditation division of AdvancED. “While this action was taken at the AdvancED Accreditation Commission meeting held in Orlando, Florida on December 8, 2007, we did not want to announce it publically until we had our certificate in-hand last week,” said Groveman.

SACS CASI provides nationally-recognized accreditation, the purpose of which is continuous school improvement focused on increasing student performance. To earn accreditation, schools must meet SACS CASI’s high standards, be evaluated by a team of professionals from outside the school, and implement a continuous process of school improvement.

“Accreditation demonstrates to our students, parents, and community that we are focused on raising student achievement, providing a safe and enriching learning environment, and maintaining an efficient and effective operation staffed by highly qualified educators,” stated Groveman.

“One of our goals, even before the school opened, was to attain accreditation as quickly as possible, thereby instilling into the student body, parents, faculty and community that our educational environment meets the highest standards. The fact that we were able to attain accreditation within 1 ½ years speaks volumes about our school, its faculty, administration and student body. It normally takes a school three to five years to go through the accreditation process,” Groveman said.

SACS CASI accreditation is recognized across state lines, which not only eases the transfer process as students move from accredited school to accredited school but also assures parents that the school is meeting nationally accepted standards for quality and successful professional practice.

Dr. Mark Elgart, President/CEO of AdvancED, the parent organization of SACS CASI, stated, “SACS CASI Accreditation is a rigorous process that focuses the entire school on the primary goal of creating lifelong learners. Memphis Jewish High School is to be commended for engaging in this process and demonstrating a commitment to continuous improvement.”

Parents and interested community members can learn more about accreditation at www.advanc-ed.org. For more information on Memphis Jewish High School, call 901.767.4818 or visit www.mjhschool.org.