Beacon and Spire Schools, Links Academy Receive New England Association of Schools and Colleges Accreditation

Greenwich Education Group (GEG) has announced that its Beacon and Spire Schools and Links Academy have obtained accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC).

NEASC is the nation’s oldest accrediting association, serving more than 2,000 public and independent schools, colleges and universities throughout the New England states, as well as American and international schools in more than 67 nations worldwide.

Accreditation is a standards-based assessment process that includes both a self-study component and a peer review completed by visiting committee representatives from other schools. The accreditation attests to substantial compliance with established qualitative standards, integrity to public statements describing the school’s programs, a commitment to improvement and a sufficiency of institutional resources. The schools were previously accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools in 2009.

Vicky Newman, founder and executive director of Greenwich Education Group, said in a statement, “We are incredibly ​proud of obtaining the NEASC accreditation at Beacon and Spire Schools and Links Academy, and are excited that Pinnacle School will begin the process this fall. ​ This comes from the hard work, ​dedication and passion of our heads of school, teachers and staff members.”
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Newman added, “The accreditation process was both ​rigorous and challenging, but the team that assessed Beacon, Spire and Links validated the mission, structure and exceptional personnel ​in our schools, using the adjectives ‘life-changing’ and ‘transformative’ in their report.”

Meredith Hafer, Beacon’s head of school, acknowledged many people for the successful accreditation. “The entire community of teachers, administrators, students, parents and alumni came together in this effort. This accreditation process was much more comprehensive and demanding than any we had undertaken previously, which makes the results that much more satisfying.”

Hafer pointed to the feedback from the visiting committee, which she revealed “gave high praise for the schools’ swift, creative growth, truly individualized curriculum and genuine care and compassion for the students. The schools were commended for ‘the resounding ultra-satisfaction’ of the students and parents who feel their lives have been positively transformed.”

With the new status comes new and continued opportunities. Tammy Moscrip, executive director of Spire, said, “The process creates a road map for expansion. With enrollment in all of our programs reaching its highest levels ever and with Beacon’s move to a new location in Hubbard Heights this fall, Spire and Pinnacle will have the ability to further expand their footprint at our Commerce Street location in Stamford.”

In addition to the NEASC status, Moscrip noted, “Spire is concurrently going through a state approval process which has resulted in us obtaining simultaneous guidance for areas of improvement and re-affirmation of our current best practices.”

Greenwich Education Group’s Pinnacle School is currently in the self-study phase as an approved NEASC candidate. On a more local level, following a one-year initial approval by the state of Connecticut, Pinnacle has now received state re-approval as a special education program. While all GEG schools experienced their highest enrollment levels in the 2014-15 school year, each anticipate even higher admissions in 2015-16.