"Our schools are faith centered communities focused on promoting academic excellence while developing a strong moral conscience" in our students. To promote this mission, the Catholic Schools in our diocese are actively involved in a process known as Excellence by Design. This accreditation process enables each school and the school system to identify strengths, assess areas in need of improvement, and map out subsequent steps for enhancement and growth.
 
By celebrating successes, confronting challenges, and creating cultures of continuous improvement, accredited schools out-perform their previous best. We are committed to following our mission statement and adhering to our beliefs as we work in partnership with parents to provide for maximum growth and performance of the students entrusted in our care.
 
We are proud to announce that, following a week-long visit by the Middle States Accreditation Team, the 22 component schools in the Diocese of Syracuse have been recommended to receive accreditation from the Middle States Association!
 
At its inception, accreditation responded to the public demand for improved quality and greater accountability for schools serving society's needs. The U.S. Department of Education- describes approved accrediting organizations such as Middle States as a “reliable authority as to the quality of education.” Accreditation is an external, objective validation of school quality and student achievement that fosters continuous school improvement.
 
Profile of A Middle States-Accredited Institution:

•  Adheres to the Middle States Standards for Accreditation;
• Uses its mission, beliefs, and goals as the basis for daily decision-making;
• Operates in the public interest and in accordance with ethical practice;
• Accepts responsibility for the level of performance of its students;
• Remains committed to continuous improvement in student learning and to its capacity to produce the levels of learning desired and expected by its community;
• Operates in a collegial and collaborative way with all of its stakeholders;
• Sustains its focus on implementing recommendations, addressing monitoring issues and correcting stipulations that may be part of its notification of accreditation and
• Fulfills its maintenance requirements to the Commission.