BEVERLY — Beverly High School is a "very good school" that has a chance to become even better, according to a committee of educators that spent four days evaluating the school.
The committee's 81-page report, which was made public at last night's School Committee meeting, said the new Beverly High School building that opened in November "will greatly increase the likelihood that the school will be able to meet the needs of all of its students."
"Overall, the efforts that Beverly High School is making to provide its students with a quality educational experience is commendable," the committee said.
The report was issued as part of the accreditation process of the high school by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The same agency had threatened to revoke Beverly High's accreditation 10 years ago due to the poor condition of its building.
The city has since built a new four-story academic building as part of an $81 million improvement project that is scheduled to wrap up in December.
In October, a team of 15 evaluators spent four days in Beverly shadowing students, observing classrooms, meeting with 30 teachers and reviewing a self-study by the school.
The report praised teachers for "promoting the well-being and learning of students" and said the school does "an excellent job in celebrating school successes." But it also said the quality of instruction "varies widely" from the higher-level to lower-level classes. Evaluators praised Principal Sean Gallagher for articulating a "clear vision" for the school but said that vision "has not been clearly communicated to the faculty."
The report also said the high school is "unable to provide enough up-to-date textbooks to meet students' needs."
Gallagher told School Committee members that administrators and teachers have been dealing with several challenges over the past few years, including the construction of the new school, the accreditation report, and preparing for the implementation of a program that will provide every student with a laptop computer.
"Yes, we are good, but our goal is to be great and become the best," he said.
Gallagher said the school will learn of its accreditation status by April 1.
Also at the meeting, Superintendent Marie Galinski unveiled the results of a survey of 938 people about the school budget and the future needs of the district.
Respondents favored the expansion of the kindergarten and preschool programs. Fewer than 40 percent supported the idea of moving fifth grade to the middle school.
Kindergarten and art/music were ranked the most important programs. In terms of school resources, small class size was most important to parents, while salary and benefits were most important to staff members.
Staff writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2675 or pleighton@salemnews.com.
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