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.

Recycling Reforms, Peppermint Pouches Help Curb AHS Mouse Problem

• April 3, 2026

Isabella Yan || EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Recent efforts at curbing the mouse population at AHS, including new disposal practices by the Recycling Club and the use of pest repellent pouches, have appeared to yield a successful outcome.

The mouse infestation has been a longstanding issue at AHS, with students and faculty sharing experiences of spotting rodents scurrying through hallways and classrooms. However, the return of recycling to AHS hallways with brand new “paper-only” signs in recent weeks, after a brief removal, marks a new step toward creating a cleaner environment aimed at deterring pests.

The Recycling Club consists of student volunteers who manage the disposal of all recycling in the building weekly. Science teacher and Recycling Club advisor Seema Gupte shared that ensuring paper-only recycling helps minimize attractive contaminants such as food and drink. “If there is food in the recycling bin, mice are going to find easy access in there because [the bins] are not getting moved for a week [at a time],” said Gupte.

The paper-only recycling bins also ensure a safer environment for Recycling Club volunteers. Earlier this year, the bins were removed to be thoroughly cleaned, as contamination had posed an unsanitary hazard for student volunteers who had to sort through the trash.

The mouse problem appears to have been especially significant in the Collins Center, which hosts a wide variety of school and third-party events. Gupte noted that last year, a large amount of food and other contaminants were dumped into the recycling bins, and the festering garbage began to attract pests.

Senior Meredith Cummings, a member of the AHS orchestra who routinely practices and performs in the Collins Center, shared, “I have seen mice in the band room. One time, I was in the middle of setting up my chair and [music] stand for a chamber practice, and a mouse ran in, looked around, then ran straight out the double doors.”  But she added, “I haven’t seen one in months.”

Beginning around December of this school year, peppermint pouches have also been placed in the corners of classrooms throughout the building. Peppermint is a strong irritant with an unpleasant scent for mice, deterring them from student and faculty areas.

Gupte echoed a similar sentiment as Cummings, stating, “I have four of [the pouches] in every single corner in our prep room and everywhere. And since [having them], we have not seen mice.” These new sanitary recycling practices, as well as peppermint pouches, may be responsible for the improvement.

Despite a hopeful outlook for a pest-free school, Gupte shared that the period during which recycling bins were removed also resulted in a stark drop in Recycling Club membership. She encourages more student participation to help maintain a sanitary environment at AHS.