It is a tricky balancing act staying true to our mission and deciding whether or not to be an official school. Below, we hope to help you understand the requirements to be a school in Massachusetts and the benefits/drawbacks to that designation. At this time, we have chosen to not complete the process to become an official school. The details of this are contained in following text, but the biggest deciding factor was that certifying as a school would allow us to infer a diploma on our graduating high school students.
We know that it may seem like a diploma is a big thing, but in actuality, it is nuanced in Massachusetts. Public schools issue diplomas to graduating seniors based on criteria they have established. Many MA public school seniors have been given "Certificates of Achievement" in lieu of a diploma when they have failed to pass MCAS (even though things are changing on that front in Massachusetts). Private schools issue diplomas based on their own criteria that may or may not match the criteria of the public schools. Simply issuing a diploma does not mean that the rigor of the education was equal to or better than that of the public schools. Homeschoolers in MA are able to issue a diploma like a private school, when their student has met the requirements established by their home learning program. Does this mean that a student could get a diploma without a very rigorous education? Yes, for both private and homeschool students. However, a diploma is NOT what is used to get into college.
Most students will not have gotten their diploma when applying to college. Among the evidence colleges are looking for, the transcript and rigor of coursework, letters of recommendation, personal accomplishments, standardized test scores, and student essays generally factor highest in admissions decisions. If a diploma or equivalent is required, the GED is the generally accepted alternative. Even Harvard accepts the GED in lieu of a diploma for admissions [1]. Homeschool diplomas are also accepted by Harvard [2] and many other top notch colleges and universities.
And lastly, only a small portion of our students would look to us to provide a diploma as their academic institution. We have students that are enrolled in Public Virtual schools. They will get a public school diploma upon meeting the defined graduation criteria. Some students are enrolled in Private School programs, virtual and hybrid. They will get a private school diploma upon meeting the defined graduation criteria. Some of our students are registered as homeschoolers. Of those, some attend part-time and Kalexedy is only a portion of their education program. Their parents understand and embrace their responsibility and flexibility to issue a diploma when completion of their home learning program has been achieved.
Lastly, we have some students that are registered with us full-time and as homeschoolers. (Full disclosure: This includes my own 2 children.) For these students, issuing a diploma could reduce the requirements of their parents to issue one. While our choice to not pursue official recognition as a school doesn't ease this burden, we do assist in other meaningful ways. Our program of personalized learning helps students and families build a rigorous high-school education plan, often including college level coursework (AP, CLEP, dual-enrollment) that prepares them for achieving their future goals. (See What About College?) Our staff welcome the opportunity to write Letters of Recommendation, usually for students they have seen grow, mature, and excel over a number of years. And at Kalexedy, we help them develop intangibles that are often fundamental in success as an adult, including:
Communication skills, both written and verbal, practiced with a wide range of people
Ownership of their success or stumbles
Confidence in their ability to achieve their goals
Self-discipline to do the work that is necessary
Motivation to learn because they want to and not because they were told to
Flexibility to face challenges and make adjustments
Practical Life Skills
Interesting and Independent-thinking to see beyond the obvious
(And if a diploma template is helpful, we can help with that.)
With all of that said, some families will choose to go in another direction. We understand. Kalexedy Learning Center is an amazing choice when it is the right choice for students and their families, but we are not the right fit for everyone. The benefit to having diversity of education choice is being able to have options. We encourage you to know and understand your options. And if that still leads you back to us, our door is always open. We welcome the opportunity to continue to grow and diversify our student body and parent supporters.
(We know diplomas are not the ONLY reason to be a school. We will be addressing some of the additional reasons in future posts.)
THE PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE OF BEING APPROVED AS A SCHOOL
In order to educate students of compulsory school age (6-16) in Massachusetts, a private school must obtain the approval of the local school committee of the city or town in which the school is located. (Yes, this does mean the requirements can differ town to town.) The Massachusetts compulsory school attendance law, General Laws c. 76, § 1, sets the standard by which school committees must evaluate private schools [3].
Based on the state requirements, the Framingham School Committee has adopted the following standard for approval:
"...when it is satisfied that the instructional program of the school equals that of the city's public schools in thoroughness, efficiency, and progress made." (4)
That's it. That is the entirety of what the school committee has adopted. The below sections are based on inferences of what it would mean to be roughly equal that of the public schools. This list may not be comprehensive. We have noted each section as to how we think we would be measured against the requirement:
✔︎ - Meet or exceed
✤ - Cannot be determined
✘ - Likely fail
✤ Curriculum Standards
Schools must offer instruction in core subjects, which include English, math, science, history, social studies, and physical education. The curriculum should align with Massachusetts’ educational standards to ensure a comprehensive education for students.
Part of the Kalexedy personalized learning approach is to be able to offer a customized curriculum to each student. In general, these curriculum align with the MA standards and provide a comprehensive education for students. However, they are not singular in nature or defined in advance. Satisfying this requirement and staying true to our mission could be in the eyes of the evaluator.
✔︎Qualified Teaching Staff
Schools need a team of qualified educators to deliver instruction. Although specific state certification may not always be required for private schools, teachers’ qualifications are assessed to ensure they meet the educational goals of the institution.
We are proud to have a standard for our teachers that requires appropriate education and experience. You can learn more about one of our current teachers HERE. "Ms. Lea" as the kids call her, is imminently qualified and we know this requirement is easily met.
✔︎ Health and Safety Standards
All schools, both public and private, must meet health and safety regulations. This includes adequate fire safety measures, safe facilities, and procedures to handle medical or emergency situations.
Our facility is one of our proudest pieces. We have a full school fire alarm system with lights, sounds, and sprinklers. We have secured entrances and exits and we have procedures for ensuring appropriate responses to emergencies. The space is professionally and routinely cleaned and sanitized.
✔︎ Compliance with Anti-Discrimination Laws
Schools in Massachusetts are required to provide an inclusive environment free from discrimination. This includes equal access to educational opportunities regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, or disability.
We embrace diversity in our hiring practices and admission criteria. Our first criteria for admission is that students and their family want to be at Kalexedy. Nothing that follows discriminates on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, political belief, pregnancy, language or culture.
✔︎ Student Assessment and Progress
To demonstrate educational effectiveness, schools need a system to assess student progress. While public schools must administer state exams, private schools have flexibility in choosing assessment methods to measure and track academic progress.
Kalexedy uses the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test from the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA). There are a multitude of advantages that you can explore in depth HERE. Students at Kalexedy take the MAP exam at the beginning and end of the year. Students are able to decide on a preferred day and time to take the test. Students have full understanding that this is for information purposes and families are able to opt out.
✘ Enrollment and Attendance Tracking
Schools must keep accurate records of student enrollment and attendance. This helps maintain student accountability and ensures the school is meeting the minimum days or hours of instruction required by Massachusetts law.
We keep track of attendance, but we do not mandate it. Our program specifically offers families the option to attend 2, 3, 4, or 5 days a week as part of their overall education program. Denying this flexibility and reporting this information is not part of our mission.
✤ Annual Reports and Record-Keeping
Schools are often required to provide an annual report of their operations, including academic performance and financial stability. Proper record-keeping is key to maintaining transparency with state and local officials.
We do not make reports of our students or their academic performance to anyone but their parents. As a private entity, our financial stability is filed annually with our taxes. When operating a microschool with a small student population, reporting would often break confidentiality. We have no intention to do this.
✔︎ Special Education Services
Public schools are required to provide services for students with disabilities. Private schools, depending on their program and approval terms, may also offer accommodations and must be prepared to address the needs of neurodiverse students.
We are proud to welcome and be inclusive of neurodiverse students. (Check out our blog on some of the ways we made ourselves welcoming.) We are able to and do offer accommodations for a wide range of disabilities. We do not offer specialized special education services such as speech or OT. It is important to note that attendance at Kalexedy or elsewhere does not release the public school from providing disability services. Families may still pursue those even when enrolled elsewhere.
✔︎ Safe and Inclusive Environment Policies
Schools should have policies in place that ensure a safe, bullying-free environment, promote mental health, and foster respect and inclusion among all students.
Behavior and conduct standards are baked into our Student and Family Handbook. These are reinforced daily through our interactions with students. We embrace Social/Emotional Learning as a routine practice that slips into many areas of the day intentionally and unintentionally.
✘ Approval by Local School Committee
Every private school in Massachusetts needs approval from the local school committee. This committee evaluates the school to ensure it provides "thorough and efficient" instruction equivalent to that offered by public schools.
When seeking approval from the school committee, they would expect to have evidence we have satisfied the above criteria. This is not certain given the guidance, but probable with a few of the noted adjustments. Knowing that we would likely not meet or outright fail one or more of the criteria without changing our fundamentals, pursuit at this time doesn't make sense.
Each of these elements helps Massachusetts schools provide a high-quality educational experience for students and meet the expectations of parents and the community. Following these requirements is a big part of what makes Massachusetts schools known for their dedication to excellence! We are proud of all of the ways we are serving students and families. We are even proud of those things that may keep us from gaining approval as a school, because they are in the interest of our students and families.
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