About the Florida Catholic Conference Accreditation Committee (FCCAC)

The Florida Catholic Conference Accreditation Committee (FCCAC) operates with the approval of the Florida Catholic Conference and the bishops of the seven dioceses of Florida. FCCAC members include the Episcopal Moderator (a Florida bishop who acts as a liaison with his fellow bishops); representatives from the school departments of the seven dioceses of Florida and the Diocese of Savannah, GA; and, the FCC Executive Director.

The FCC Associate for Accreditation serves as an ex-officio member of the Committee. The Committee also includes two appointed educators, knowledgeable of accreditation, from other educational agencies such as the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). A Chairperson of the Committee is chosen once every two school years from among the diocesan members of the Florida Province.

The Committee grants accreditation to a school and monitors the school’s continued compliance with the accreditation standards. In addition, the Committee:

1. determines the accreditation status of a member school based on its compliance with the standards as reported on the Annual Report of Continued Accreditation (ARCA), visitation reports, and a superintendent’s documented request for change of status. The determination of accreditation status is reported in writing to a member school on an annual basis;
2. periodically examines the principles and standards used as criteria for accreditation to be certain they are based on appropriate educational theory and practices;
3. works to maintain consistency between the criteria used for evaluation and the Catholic philosophy of education as stated in papal, episcopal, and the United States Catho
4. provides training for school administrators, and also for those school administrators and teachers who will serve as visiting team chairpersons and team members;
5. notifies schools of scheduled preparation time for on-site visitation, assigns the Visiting Team Chairperson and Members, and confirms the dates for on-site visits; and,
6. provides for its new committee members an orientation to the responsibilities, functions, and procedures of the accreditation program.

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Board Members:

• Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito, JCL
  Episcopal Moderator, Diocese of Palm Beach
  
  
• Ms. K Rizzo
  District Superintendent of Schools, Diocese of St. Petersburg
  
  
• Ms. Patricia Bronsard (Chair)
  Superintendent of Schools, Diocese of St. Augustine
  
  
• Sister Rose Mary Collins, S.S.J.
  Superintendent of Schools, Diocese of Savannah, GA
  
  
• Mr. Jim Cooney
  Associate Superintendent of Schools, Diocese of Orlando
• 
  
• Mr. Gary Gelo
  Superintendent of Schools, Diocese of Palm Beach
  
  
• Dr. Kathleen Schwartz
  Director of Education, Diocese of Venice
  
  
• Mr. James B. Herzog
  FCC Associate Director for Education
  
  
• Ms. Kristen Hughes
  Associate Superintendent of Elementary Schools, Archdiocese of Miami
  
  
• Dr. Michael McCarron
  FCC Executive Director
  
  
• Mr. Michael Kooi, Esq.
  Executive Director, Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice, Florida Department of Education
  
  
• Mr. Ken Manuel
  Director of Nonpublic School Accreditation and District Accreditation, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
  
  
• Mr. Kevin Vickery
  Superintendent of Schools, Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee

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