NEASC Visit Highlights AHS Goals

• April 3, 2026

Anushka Dole || ONLINE EDITOR

Andover High School hosted a re-accreditation visit from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) from March 16-18, as part of a decennial review process designed to evaluate how well AHS supports student learning and identify areas of improvement. 

According to Assistant Principal Alicia Linsey, the process started during the 2023-2024 school year with a visit from the Collaborative Conference team, a group of visiting educators from across the New England area. In preparation for the visit, a team of AHS faculty members and administrators was formed.

“We picked out priority areas and presented those to this visiting NEASC committee … and they agreed with [our priority areas],” said biology teacher Lindsey L’Ecuyer, the AHS committee’s science department representative. 

There were five priority areas that AHS pledged to work on starting in the 2023-2024 school year: developing the Vision of a Graduate, implementing consistent curricula throughout all departments, vertical/horizontal alignment across departments and throughout grades, promotion of school pride, and building infrastructure. 

The Vision of a Graduate outlines the skills and values that the school hopes to instill in every student by the time they graduate. 

Vertical alignment refers to improving coordination between teachers across grade levels to ensure student skills build progressively, while horizontal alignment emphasizes greater collaboration between teachers across departments. 

“[The committee is] working on … finding time in the school day for teachers to collaborate more,” L’Ecuyer said, adding that AHS has begun standardizing curricula to support this effort.  

“There are committees in the school that have been working on documenting curriculum in a consistent format for our core classes … freshman English, for example, [and] biology,” L’Ecuyer said. 

Linsey mentioned that students and parents also play a role in the accreditation process. A team of visiting evaluators—distinct from the Collaborative Conference team—conduct interviews to gather student perspectives on the school climate and learning experiences. 

Although the committee leads the reflection process, administrators are then responsible for implementing action plans based on their findings. In accordance with these plans, faculty members must provide evidence of integration of the district goals.

L’Ecuyer emphasized that NEASC accreditation is more about reflecting on and improving school processes than it is about recognition.

“It’s less of a badge as it is opening yourself up to reflecting on and documenting what you do well and what it’s like setting goals for your school,” L’Ecuyer said.

Beyond internal reflection and planning, the “badge” that the reaccreditation process provides does carry additional, tangible benefits for students. It reassures families and colleges that AHS maintains a rigorous academic program, and that it’s constantly working towards improving learning.

“My understanding is that colleges know Andover High School—they know what our programs are like,” L’Ecuyer said. “[Because] of [accreditation] … they know the kinds of students that graduate from here, and what skills that [they] have.”

Accreditation also plays a role in the school’s ability to receive funding.

“NEASC accreditation is required for eligibility to receive some private, state, and federal grants, loans, and other federal funds,” Linsey noted in an email.

AHS Mock Trial Club Ends the Season After Strong Competition

• April 3, 2026

Duru Tanriverdi || STAFF WRITER

The AHS Mock Trial Club had a critical tiebreaker on February 23 after a strong showing this season. They advanced to the Elite Eight, the top eight teams in the state. Their last competition ended with a rough loss. 

The team competed against Phillips Academy on Monday, February 23 and won. They also beat Central Catholic High School on Thursday, February 26. They went on to regionals March first, where they beat Falmouth and Algonquin and advanced to the Elite Eight.

During Trials, witnesses portray a character and respond based on a prepared case packet by the Mass Bar Mock Trial. Lawyers present arguments and question witnesses. The teams compete in front of a judge, who evaluates their arguments, questioning and overall performance. Multiple schools gather at competitions, and teams advance through rounds based on their scores.

This year’s case centered on an allergy-related incident involving the administration of epinephrine. According to team captain Maya Goyal, understanding the medical details and identifying responsibility within the case were key factors in the team’s success. 

“There were a lot of moving parts,” Goyal said. “And really understanding who had the responsibility to administer the epinephrine in the case of the allergy was an important factor.”

Preparation played a major role in the team’s performance. The members of the club met every Monday for one to two hours, often adding extra practice sessions outside of scheduled meetings. Students worked in groups to clarify questioning strategies, memorize material, and ensure consistency across attorneys and witnesses. 

One of the most challenging aspects of competition, Goyal said, is thinking on the spot. “You have no idea what to expect from the other team,” she said. “The most challenging part is the actual trial is working based off of whatever comes at you.” 

Over the course of the season, the team had significant growth in confidence. “People believed that they could actually do it,” Goyal said. “Their tone of voice, that was our biggest improvement.”

Caitlin Mitchell, who has been a substitute advisor for the team’s trials, echoed that statement. She noted that students demonstrated strong commitment to their individual roles. 

“Their confidence really came through in that they were really comfortable,” Mitchell said. “Assuming the role that they were playing, whether that be a lawyer, a witness, they really just committed to it in a way that I think that confidence shown through to the judge.”

While Mitchell chose to not predict any results of the trials, she said she feels encouraged by what she has seen from the team and believes they have a solid chance moving forward.
 What started as nervous auditions turned into composed performances in the courtroom through more experience. With a season of preparation, adaptability, and growing confidence, AHS now looks ahead to its upcoming season with courage on its side.