TURNER — Leavitt Area High School Principal Eben Shaw on Thursday told School Administrative District 52 directors about preparations for a visit from an accreditation committee.

Shaw showed the seven standards in the areas of core values, curriculum, instruction, assessment, school culture and leadership, and school and community learning resources. He displayed two lists that showcased the school’s strengths and needs, pointing out that there was some overlap.

“A strength can also show up in the needs list because we want to continue to improve,” he said.

Shaw pointed out that the “significant financial support” of the trustees of the Leavitt Institute made many of the resources listed in the strengths column possible.

Board Chairwoman Betsey Bullard commended Shaw for the excellent work on the project.

In August, seven teachers from SAD 52 attended a weeklong Teachers College Reading and Writing Project workshop. Assistant Superintendent Thomas Ambrose showed a PowerPoint, and members of the team gave their impressions of the trip. The flexibility that encourages teachers to develop their own style seemed key. Though the workshop was focused on reading and writing, it inspired the staff to make plans to develop their own social studies and science units.

Thirty-one teachers also attended a Summer Institute where staff collaborated to develop a sequence of units, and shared their best practices.

Superintendent Kimberly Brandt read an email to the board from Dick Durost, executive director of the Maine Principals Association. Durost write that at a recent sporting event, his daughter “sat in the bleaches struggling with her math homework.” Durost admitted math is not his subject so he wasn’t much help.

One of the coaches overheard their conversation and at half time and he called the girl over. It didn’t take long until she understood and was able to complete her homework, Durost wrote.

Durost did not catch the man’s name, but sent a photo he snapped of the encounter.

Brandt said the teacher in the photo was Sam Mullin from Tripp Middle School.

In other business, the board went into executive session to discuss salaries and returned 10 minutes later and voted unanimously to increase the special education director salary by 1 percent above teacher base wage, and the business manager and assistant principal’s salaries by 2 percent.

Robert Allen of Leeds, Diana Morgan of Greene and Richard Gross of Turner were selected for the review committee for the Patience Norman Award. The $5,000 prize is given annually for teacher excellence.

Gross was also elected delegate to the Maine School Board Association, with JoAnne Nickerson as alternate.

The board voted unanimously to accept from GlaxoSmithKline used projectors, audio-visual equipment, storage cabinets and metal carts.