Eagle Ranch's School Marks 10th Anniversary with SACS Accreditation Renewal

CHESTNUT MOUNTAIN, Ga., Aug. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The on-campus school at Eagle Ranch is celebrating the start of its 10th school year with the announcement today of the successful renewal of its accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The Eagle Ranch School currently includes grades 6-9, addressing some of the most pivotal and challenging educational years for children living at the Ranch.

"Early on, we recognized the significant struggles many of our children were having in school," said Eddie Staub, Executive Director and Founder of Eagle Ranch. "Over the years, we tried several approaches to helping these children, from home schooling to tutoring, and eventually determined that a dedicated on-campus school was the best way."

The Eagle Ranch School opened in 2001 on the Eagle Ranch campus, originally using two modular classrooms to accommodate children in grades 6-8. The early success of the program and support from donors enabled the school to build a permanent facility in 2006, expanding to also include ninth grade. Today, the school accommodates up to 54 of the nearly 70 children living at Eagle Ranch and has helped more than 400 students in its 10-year history

"We have seen incredible improvement in the children attending the Eagle Ranch School," said Education Director Wade Pearce. "They often come to our school two or more grade levels behind; however, within their first year at the school, these children make significant improvement and are often performing at grade level or above when they graduate the Eagle Ranch program. 

Additionally, we have been able to address many of their earlier social problems experienced at school as well as teach students social and academic skills needed to be successful in a larger setting." 

The Eagle Ranch School's success is due in part to our use of small group instruction and a focus on meeting each child at his or her point of academic need.  Each classroom has no more than 12 children and is staffed with a certified teacher and a para-professional.

SACS Accreditation Renewed

Renewal of the Eagle Ranch School's SACS accreditation has provided further validation of the school's efforts over the past decade. SACS is a regional division of AdvancEd, the leading quality assurance agency for public and private schools in the world.

SACS-accredited schools must meet a set of standards ranging from vision and purpose to commitment and continuous improvement. The SACS evaluation of the Eagle Ranch School rated the school highly for its commitment to students' individual needs as well as the caring climate.

"Eagle Ranch School has a unique population of children who are in need of much support. In order for them to be successful in school, they must first begin to feel that they are cared for," the SACS evaluation reported. "Through observations of teachers and parent interviews, it was evident that the staff lets each child know how much they are cared for. The warm and dedicated staff is committed to the individual needs of its students."

Children at Eagle Ranch who are in grades 6-9 attend the on-campus school. Students in lower grades attend Chestnut Mountain Elementary, while children in grades 10-12 attend Flowery Branch High School.

About Eagle Ranch

Eagle Ranch works with children in crisis, focusing on family restoration and reunification. Founded in 1985, the Ranch serves children from North Georgia and metro Atlanta, providing home life, counseling and education for the children on a 270-acre campus in southern Hall County. It is the largest long-term residential facility for children in Georgia. Through its global outreach program – the Wings Initiative – Eagle Ranch also equips others called to develop homes for children in need. For more information, contact Eagle Ranch at 770-967-8500. On the web, log onto EagleRanch.org, or visit us at Facebook.com/EagleRanch.

For more information, contact:
Stefanie Long
Eagle Ranch, Director of Communications
770-967-8500 ext. 245
[email protected]

SOURCE Eagle Ranch