Through a collaborative effort between Fortis Academy and Harris County Department of Education, the county’s only public recovery high school will be recommended for accreditation from the Association of Recovery Schools (ARS). The prestigious mark – Fortis will become the 11th school nationwide with the accreditation – sets the campus apart and ensures students and parents that the educational and recovery support systems offered are high quality and have been evaluated by industry experts.

The ARS site team visited Fortis on May 7-10. It included board member Julie McElrath, president and chief cause officer of the CLEAN Cause Foundation; Beth Samuelson, founder of SOS4Students; and Sara Swanson, a former language arts teacher at Minnesota’s P.E.A.S.E. Academy, the nation’s oldest recovery high school.

Following a welcome dinner on May 7, Fortis staff hosted the ARS team for two full days. They observed school arrival and dismissal procedures, instruction in numerous classrooms, and small group focus discussions with students (current and former), parents, community partners and school district partners among others. The team also met individually with Fortis Principal Travita Godfrey, Special Schools Senior Director Dr. Charles Ned, Director of Curriculum and Special Services Dr. Margaret Patton, and Compliance and Technical Officer Michelle Rayson.

Preparation began in September to meet extensive marks and collect evidence to evaluate the school’s performance. Due to the complexity of documentation needed, Fortis staff worked with multiple divisions: Business Services, Facilities, Marketing and Client Engagement, Communication and Creative Services, the Research and Evaluation Institute (REI), Center for Safe and Secure Schools (CSSS) and Information Technology Services.

“This validates the quality of our programming and confirms that our treatment and academic standards align with ARS indicators and expectations,” Ned said.

On May 10, the team gave its visit outcomes. Fortis met every accreditation standard and had an overall rating of 95%. Following the team’s recommendation, Fortis will become the only public accredited school in Texas and among 11 accredited high schools in the United States.

“This was really a project that brought many of us together and we are appreciative to each and every division that not only provided assistance but who support and encouraging words throughout the process,” Godfrey said. “We could not have done this without the support of the HCDE family and we are so proud to be part of such a supportive organization.”