Hutchins to serve on accreditation team for Roswell school

James Hutchins, director of Middle School, has been asked to be a member of the SAIS-SACS accreditation team that will visit St. Francis Day School in Roswell, Ga., in November. The team is chaired by Dr. John Lindsell, head of Whitefield Academy.

Hutchins has been a member of Darlington’s Middle School science faculty since 2002. Prior to being named division director, he served as associate director and dean of studies. He holds a B.S. from Shorter College, an M.S. from Jacksonville State University, and an Ed.D. and Ed.S. from the University of Alabama.

According to the Southern Association of Independent Schools website, accreditation is based on a peer-review model that derives its greatest benefit from peer educators reviewing the school’s self-study and responses to standards/indicators evaluating them in light of the evidence gathered during the team visit.

The visit will last approximately 2.5 days, during which time Hutchins and the other members of the accreditation team will review the school’s compliance with SAIS-SACS standards/indicators and its self study; tour the school; and speak with a variety of stakeholders, including administrators, faculty/staff, parents, board members and students. At the conclusion of the visit, the team will create a visit report, which provides a recommendation to the SAIS Accreditation Committee regarding the school’s accreditation.

In order to serve as a team member for SAIS and SAIS-SACS visits, one must be from a school that is accredited by SAIS, SACS, or an agency approved by the NAIS Commission on Accreditation; attend the SAIS team training workshop; and agree not to accept team member assignments at schools where a conflict of interest exists. For additional information, please visit www.sais.org.