Taking PRIDE in Toll Gate

NEASC accreditation process underway, concludes Wednesday

By ETHAN HARTLEY
Posted 3/12/19

By ETHAN HARTLEY The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) is conducting a review of the educational practices and environment of Toll Gate High School as part of their accreditation review, a process which occurs every 10 years.

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Taking PRIDE in Toll Gate

NEASC accreditation process underway, concludes Wednesday

Posted

The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) is conducting a review of the educational practices and environment of Toll Gate High School as part of their accreditation review, a process which occurs every 10 years.

Schools that earn accreditation status from NEASC earn the distinction of being in line with globally recognized standards and best practices that comprehensively prepare their students for life beyond their education. Accreditation is also necessary in most cases for schools to align with higher education institutes for AP courses and other advanced coursework.

At a kickoff event welcoming the accreditation team on Sunday at the Toll Gate auditorium, principal Candace Caluori outlined the major challenges that Toll Gate has faced and overcome in recent years – primarily mentioning the integration of students who came from Warwick Veterans High School, the prolonged labor dispute between the administration and teachers’ union, the sudden death of principal Stephen Chrabaszcz at the beginning of the 2016 school year and the death of 16-year-old student-athlete Gianna Cirella just one year afterwards.

“I tell you these things not to garner your sympathy, but rather so you can appreciate the resiliency and the pride that the students, faculty and staff have in Toll Gate,” Caluori said.

Central to the school’s presentation was touting the work they had performed via a school improvement committee – along with other school stakeholders – to conduct a self-study of their operations following NEASC’s guiding principles. For over a year, the school worked to develop a report on what they were doing satisfactorily in regards to facilitating a better school environment – both educationally and social-emotionally.

“We’ve spent an incredible amount of time taking what kids identify, taking what faculty and parents identify as critical needs here and weave them into our school improvement plan, and it’s something we’re very proud of,” said assistant principal of climate and culture Tim Kane, who came to Toll Gate during the Warwick Veterans integration and chairs the school improvement team.

Kane mentioned the key acronym that has guided Toll Gate’s philosophy and today represents their core values – PRIDE – which stands for passion, respect, integrity, decision making and engagement. He said that while the consolidation and the influx of students from a school that was for many years a fierce rival was a challenge, it has since become an asset – as all Toll Gate students are firmly aligned with one singular mission.

“We want students to feel that Toll Gate provides them the opportunity to do or find what they want to do throughout their life – to have passion for coming here,” Kane explained. “Not every day is a great day coming through high school – we all remember it. We wanted them to feel like they have an identity here and that they can find it.”

Kane emphasized that fostering mutual respect was a critical component of the growing school culture, as is increasing the opportunities both in and out of school for students to become more engaged. He mentioned the opportunities at the Career and Technical Education Center and the chance for students to work alongside local businesses, as well as the offerings of AP courses and pathways programs with companies like Amgen and Microsoft for experience in cutting-edge industries.

Kane also mentioned how safety has continued to be of the utmost importance throughout Toll Gate’s development. He spoke of the school’s safety team, which reviews safety protocols and makes changes as needed; the Mutual Link panic alert system that connects directly to municipal emergency responders; and increasing efforts to train students and teachers in protocols that could save lives in the events of a tragedy.

The school also touted its technological advancements, which include adding one-to-one Chromebooks for all students and incorporation Promethean Boards into all classrooms. Assistant principal Todd Grimes said that a tech integrationist has been invaluable helping teachers incorporate these new digital tools into everyday learning.

Senior student Alexander Gavitt, treasurer of the National Honors Society, was asked what he felt was Toll Gate’s greatest asset. He agreed with Kane’s assessment that the efforts to increase school spirit and culture have been legitimate and effective.

“I would say the strength, especially in the past couple years has been collectively the work that has come from both the students and from the teachers and the administration to really push the PRIDE stuff and building the sense of community,” he said. “It’s been a huge change in the past three years of seeing the culture grow, the development of a feeling of yes, we can do things – taking pride in some of our accomplishments and the school. It’s not perfect, that will be clear, but we’ve come a long way.”

While highlighting its accomplishments and demonstrating its embracing of NEASC values, the school administrators also didn’t shy away from challenges that they continue to face, and said they would value recommendations put forward at the conclusion of the accreditation process on Wednesday.

“The progress that we’ve made in the last three years is impressive,” said Caluori. “I think that we were stuck in neutral prior to this. We are also aware that sustainable change does not happen overnight.”

Calouri brought up the budgetary challenges faced by the district, saying that a collaborative approach between the city council and school department would be necessary in order to ensure the school can reach its full potential. Superintendent Philip Thornton agreed that building maintenance and improvements were a top priority, and that close to $4 million will be invested via bond funding in the next few years to address critical infrastructure like the HVAC system, the roof and bathrooms.

Perhaps most important to forging a positive future for Toll Gate, Caluori emphasized that just as students must learn good communication, problem solving and collaboration skills to be successful in life, the school’s stakeholders must also be willing to have big discussions about what works and what does not in regards to growing as a school.

"We can’t just talk the talk, we need to walk the walk,” she said. “We need to continue vertical articulation with all stakeholders, be open minded to change – and sometimes, let’s be honest, change can be very hard even for the most open-minded individual. Patience and communication is the key to that goal. We have started to open up dialogues and are having honest conversations with ourselves and others. I think that when you look at the evidence that has been gathered, you will see that growth."

The accreditation team will shadow teachers and students to gain insights on how the school functions and will prepare a public report following their exploration. If the school retains its accreditation, there will be follow-up reports conducted within the next five years.

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