Saint Paul's Choir School is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
Every ten years we host the principals and other school officials who make up the NEASC visiting committee. Hosting is no small feat, but it is rewarding, especially when we know our boys are being seen for their strengths and our teachers for their expertise. NEASC accreditation means so much to us because it is based upon the feedback of our peer institutions and gives us a fresh set of eyes through which to see our incredible learning community.
Our last accreditation was in 2017 and our next will not take place until 2027. There is, however, a five year check-in, selections from which we are so happy to share because they speak to the joys, achievements, and experience of an education at Saint Paul's Choir School.
The Commission is always fascinated to read about your small school that does remarkable big things. Reviewing your Five-Year Report this time was no different. Although it represents a relatively small number of students, few schools in the Archdiocese or anywhere in New England can humbly boast a 92% enrollment increase in four years.
Or the school's exceptional retention rate. Both are truly commendable. The Commission understood, too, that your enrollment increased and strong retention occurred—again remarkably!—against a change in your funding model and significant increases in the cost of tuition. In addition, the diversity you have achieved in your student body—racial, ethnic, linguistic, in faiths (yet maintaining a majority of Catholic students), and even neurodiversity—and you had the Commission sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for What next?
What next, of course, was your report's Reflection on the Quality of the Student Experience, with its quartet of "Boys learn best when..." The Commission praised St. Paul’s Choir School for what it read as an...insightful philosophy of education and working in the student's interest: Boys learn best when they get to move, when their social and organizational needs are met, when they practice their agency, and when they see the results of their agency. The boys are well served by a program, a faculty, and a staff who understand their needs and can bring out their very best.
The Commission adds commendations for implementing successful marketing and recruitment strategies, advancements in the school's governance, and the strength of its financial standing. While every Commission member would love to come to the school and experience its daily happenings, for now, they wish you and the school continued growth and success.
For these kind words and the high praise, we humbly say thank you.