Five Year Accreditation Review at the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School
July 21st, 2025
Boozhoo parents, families and community members!
The 2025-2026 school year marks an exciting time for the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School, its students and staff,
and the entire community. This year we will celebrate 50 years of education at the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe
School and we have some exciting celebrations that are in the works to mark the half century of indigenous
learning that has taken place. Please stay tuned for more information on how families and community members
can join in the celebration!
This year we will also be undergoing the school accreditation process that is required of all Bureau of Indian
Education schools every 5 years. An accreditation review is a process that schools undergo as a way to ensure
that the major components of quality education are being met, to identify areas in need of improvement, and to
help formulate long term plans for the future. The LCO school has successfully maintained accreditation for at
least two decades and we are confident that this status will continue long into the future.
The accreditation process is being led by the School Leadership team, a working group composed of program
directors, administration, veteran teachers, and student support personnel, and is guided by the COGNIA
Accreditation Framework. Being nationally accredited means that LCO is a legitimate and reputable school, where
students can be assured that they are receiving an education that is transferable to college or career. Accreditation
also guarantees that LCO remains eligible for federal and state financial support and that graduates are eligible for
federal financial aid and scholarships. During the accreditation process, the curriculum, instruction and student
support services are reviewed, with a heavy focus on data, observation, and stakeholder feedback. The
Waadookodaading Ojibwe Language Immersion program is a partner in the review process.
The LCO accreditation review process began last spring with the request for parent feedback via an electronic
survey. This survey will again be available for parents and guardians at the Fall Open House on August 21st.
Additionally, students will be asked to complete surveys when school resumes. Classroom observations will also
be a component of the review process in the early part of the school year. The accreditation review process will
culminate with a virtual school engagement visit on November 13th, 2025 where parents, students and staff will be
asked to participate in round table discussion facilitated by the independent reviewer. After the review is
completed the school will receive a summary report which will assist in continuous improvement on identified
goals and objectives until the next review in 2030 takes place. This report will be shared with the community and
will be available on our school website which also has a link to our previous review in 2021. If you have questions
about the review process or would like to volunteer to complete the parent survey or participate in the round table
discussion, please contact Jessica Hutchison at [email protected] or 715 634-8924, ext 1229.