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PERSPEKTIF, 13 (1) (2024): 18-31, DOI:10.31289/perspektif.v13i1.10421

PERSPEKTIF

Available online http://ojs.uma.ac.id/index.php/perspeksi

Concretization of Online Accreditation to Improve the Quality of Digital Technology-Based Education Services in the New Normal Era

Ida Martinelli* & Nalil Khairiah

Public Administration Study Program, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatra Utara, Indonesia

Submitted: 12, September 2023; Reviewed: 02, January 2024; Accepted: 16, January 2024

Abstract

This article aims to investigate the implementation of accreditation to enhance the quality of technology-based education services in the new normal era. The primary focus of the research is on the concrete application of online accreditation based on digital technology in the field, associated with the improvement of educational service quality. The research approach utilizes school accreditation guidelines as a reference, collecting data through interviews and document analysis, which is then qualitatively analyzed. The findings indicate that the successful implementation of online accreditation is contingent upon schools providing facilities, infrastructure, and human resources professionals in using digital technology in educational services. Furthermore, the quality of educational services is reflected in the school's output, particularly in the superior quality of graduates from accredited A-level schools compared to non-accredited ones. By employing digital technology in the accreditation process, schools face the challenge of cultivating habits of using digital technology in their operational procedures. Ultimately, this positively contributes to the overall improvement of the quality of educational services. With efficient administrative management and well-managed learning processes, technology-based accreditation encourages schools to continually adapt and enhance themselves to achieve optimal educational service quality.

Keywords: Accreditation; Educational Quality; Digital Technology; Facilities and Resources; School Output How to Cite: Martinelli, I. & Khairiah, N. (2024) Concretization of Online Accreditation to Improve the Quality of Digital Technology-Based Education Services in the New Normal Era. PERSPEKTIF, 13(1): 18- 31

*Corresponding author:

E-mail: [email protected] ISSN2085-0328(Print)

ISSN 2684-9305(Online)

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PERSPEKTIF, 13 (1) (2024): 18-31

INTRODUCTION

Educational services are educational services or services provided by educational institutions, such as schools and madrasas, to service users, namely students. As educational service providers, schools must meet national education standards regulated by government regulations related to National Education Standards. Evaluation of the suitability of educational institutions in carrying out the educational process is carried out by an external institution known as the National Accreditation Board for Schools and Madrasas (BAN S/M). BAN S/M has a head office at the national level and branch offices at the regional level.

For example, in the North Sumatra region, evaluation and accreditation of educational institutions are carried out by BAN S/M North Sumatra Province. The North Sumatra Province BAN S/M office is located at Jalan Bunga Raya Number 96 Asam Kumbang, Medan Selayang District, Medan City. This institution has the responsibility to ensure that educational institutions in the region meet the quality standards set by the government. Through this accreditation process, educational institutions are expected to be able to improve the quality of the educational services they provide, thereby making a positive contribution to the development of education at the national level.

This evaluation also helps educational institutions assess and improve certain aspects to provide an optimal educational experience for students (Prijowuntato, 2020).

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the educational landscape drastically, forcing schools to switch to online education processes.

Post-pandemic, we are entering a new normal era, where adaptation to digital technology is a necessity. Currently, our lives are closely intertwined with digital technology, which covers various aspects of work and social interactions through various supporting applications (Suharyanto et al., 2019, 2021).

This change is not only limited to the educational process but also includes the implementation of school accreditation. The use of digital technology tools is the basis for carrying out evaluations and assessments of educational quality. Through the integration of digital technology in school accreditation, the process becomes more efficient and up-to-date.

The use of supporting applications allows

accreditation administrators to access information quickly and in-depth, facilitating data collection and accurate analysis.

Thus, the need to adapt to developments in digital technology is not only limited to the learning process but also extends to aspects of evaluating and improving the quality of education. The application of digital technology in school accreditation is a progressive step that supports educational progress in this new normal era.

Problems that arise related to the application of digital technology in the school accreditation process include human resource and infrastructure challenges. Implementing digital technology in accreditation requires reliable technological skills from the parties involved, but not all individuals involved in the accreditation process have these skills. Apart from that, limited facilities and infrastructure in schools are also an inhibiting factor in implementing online accreditation.

The success of online accreditation is highly dependent on the ability of human resources to use digital tools and applications effectively (Noor, 2018). This challenge is compounded by the fact that some parties involved may not have sufficient levels of digital skills. Apart from that, limited infrastructure at the school level, such as internet connectivity and adequate hardware, is an additional obstacle that can hinder the implementation of online accreditation properly.

However, it is important to remember that regulations requiring schools to follow developments in this digital era are a necessity.

The sustainability and existence of schools, as well as good eligibility ratings, depend on their ability to adapt to digital technology. This is the key to meeting community expectations for satisfactory educational services. Schools that are unable to adapt to digital technology may lose their appeal in the eyes of educational service users because they are deemed unable to provide services that meet the demands of the times. Therefore, changes towards the application of digital technology in the accreditation process require wise strategies and adequate resource support to overcome the obstacles that arise (Iswahyudi et al., 2023;

Mulyasa, 2021; Noor, 2018).

This research has the specific aim of investigating the implementation of online accreditation in the new normal era, with a

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Ida Martinelli, & Nurul Khairiah, Concretization of Online Accreditation to Improve the Quality of Digital Technology-Based Education Services in the New Normal Era

focus on the issue of human resource readiness in schools in managing digital technology- based educational processes. This readiness is very important because it not only plays a role in improving the quality of educational services but is also an essential requirement in implementing the online accreditation process.

In the new normal context, where digital technology is the main foundation in education, understanding, and skills of human resources in schools the use of digital technology is a determining factor for success in achieving accreditation standards.

This research will explore in depth how schools face challenges in optimizing the role of digital technology in the learning process, as well as the extent to which human resources in schools have prepared themselves to face these changes. The focus on human resource readiness as a requirement in online accreditation underscores the importance of adopting digital technology as an integral part of educational strategy. By understanding the extent to which schools and their human resources have integrated digital technology, it is hoped that this research can provide in-depth insight into the challenges, successes, and potential for improving the quality of educational services in the new normal era through the implementation of online accreditation.

RESEARCH METHODS

The research method applied in this study is a qualitative research method with a case study approach. This research focused on junior high schools in Deli Serdang Regency which took part in the online accreditation process. Qualitative research methods were chosen because the aim is to reveal phenomena holistically and contextually, involve collecting data from natural settings, and make the researcher a key instrument in the research process. (Sugiyono, 2017).

Qualitative methods are characterized by conducting in-depth observations and being oriented to certain cases or situations. By the concept of "going exploring" implemented by Finlay, this research will conduct an in-depth and oriented case study on specific cases related to online accreditation in junior high schools. The in-depth and case-oriented study approach referred to by Finlayused to better

understand the dynamics of implementing online accreditation in the school context.

Apart from that, qualitative research is also by Denzin & Lincoln's view which states that this research seeks to discover and describe phenomena by narrating activities and their impact on the lives of those involved (Denzin & Lincoln, 2018). By using a qualitative approach, it is hoped that this research can provide an in-depth understanding of the challenges, successes, and impacts of implementing online accreditation in junior high schools so that it can provide a valuable contribution to the development of digital technology-based educational services in the new normal era.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Online Accreditation

The data sources for this research were obtained from primary data and secondary data, namely from interviews with S Muhammad Saman Middle School (A Accreditation) S Nur Adia Middle School (A Accreditation), and S IT Mutiara Sunggal Middle School (B Accreditation), in Deli Regency.

Serdang and policy regulations regarding school accreditation issued by the National Accreditation Board for Schools and Madrasahs (BAN S/M) as the institution authorized to carry out school/madrasah accreditation.

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced changes in people's behavior at work. In both government and private organizations, employees can no longer work in the same room. Therefore, the presence of digital technology as a means of working cannot be avoided. By using digital devices, people can connect and work together, filling each other according to their respective roles in a particular type of work. This includes the educational process, educational units, in this case schools and madrasas, must be accustomed to carrying out the educational process using digital devices so that they can carry out the educational process online. Plus, digital technology has become a necessity in every work implementation in every organization. Besides making it easier for people to do their work, it also makes it easier for people, especially in terms of communicating and disseminating information.

In the New Normal Era, the use of digital

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PERSPEKTIF, 13 (1) (2024): 18-31 technology has become something people

usually do at work (Tawai et al., 2021).

One effort to guarantee the quality of education in Indonesia is by accrediting existing educational service providers (schools and madrasas). As a public service, accreditation is intended as a form of public accountability. Accreditation is a comprehensive assessment process carried out on the suitability of an educational program by referring to the National Education Standards (SNP) which have previously been determined in Government Regulations. Implementing accreditation is the act of comparing school conditions in reality with eight national education standards. By continuously fulfilling and developing eight national education standards, it is hoped that quality education can be provided. The implementation of accreditation also aims to create an atmosphere that is conducive to educational growth, directing continuous self-evaluation and stimulating educational services to continue to strive to achieve the expected quality (Awaludin, 2017).

The functions of school accreditation include:

1. For knowledge, namely to find out the suitability and performance of the school 2. For accountability, namely so that schools

can be responsible for whether the services provided meet the expectations or desires of the community, and

3. For development purposes, namely schools can improve quality and development based on input and accreditation results (Martinelli & Khairiah, 2020).

Accreditation is carried out by an institution called the National Accreditation Board for Schools and Madrasahs (BAN S/M) which has an extension in the regions, namely

the National Accreditation Board for Schools and Madrasahs (BAN S/M Province). The Provincial BAN S/M carries out accreditation in the regions and then reports the results of the plenary implementation of accreditation in the regions to the BAN S/M at the Government Center.

In the New Normal Era, school accreditation is still carried out in two ways, namely offline and online. Since 2020, the National Accreditation Board for Madrasah Schools (BAN S/M) has carried out online accreditation. Because of this, there have been several policy changes to realize this online accreditation. Several accreditation systems that use digital technology have been created to make it easier to carry out online accreditation.

All parties involved in the accreditation process, both offline and online, must use digital tools in the process. BAN S/M uses a school/madrasah accreditation assessment system application called SISPENA S/M. The difference between offline accreditation and online accreditation is that visits are carried out directly at the school with visits via the internet using digital devices and applications such as Zoom, Google Meet, and social media such as WhatsApp as a means of communication.

Meanwhile, data input and assessment have been carried out in the SISPENA S/M. So implementing online accreditation is still a relevant way to evaluate the suitability of schools even though visitation activities are only carried out through applications that have been designed for that purpose, and assessors do not make direct observations at the locations of accredited schools and madrasas.

The roles and responsibilities of the institutions involved in the school/madrasah accreditation assessment system are described as follows:

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Figure 1 1: The Role of Institutions in SISPENA S/M

Source: 2020 Sekolah/Madrasah Accreditation Guidelines (Malik & Dkk, 2020) From Figure 1, you can see that both

schools, assessors, provincial BAN S/M and BAN S/M carry out their respective roles by using the SISPENA S/M application in the accreditation process so that they can provide a suitability rating for a school/madrasah so that it can be known by the public. the general public as well as a form of guaranteeing the quality of schools/madrasahs.

In the implementation of school/madrasa accreditation since 2020, there has been a change in the accreditation instrument to become the 2020 Educational Unit Accreditation Instrument, which is usually abbreviated as IASP2020. There is a new paradigm in conducting accreditation assessments, where the emphasis of the assessment is on the performance of the educational unit or school/madrasah (Performance). In carrying out its mission, the school carries out an educational process aimed at producing quality graduates. So a school's performance can be seen from the quality output of the graduates it produces. Therefore, the main variables assessed in the accreditation process are components of graduate quality, learning process, teacher performance, and school management. while the other four components such as curriculum, assessment, facilities infrastructure, and cost components must meet the adequacy assessment as a condition for the eligibility of a school to be

accredited (Compliance). The accreditation pattern using performance-based principles can be seen in Figure 2.

From Figure 2, it can be seen that there are two stages in the accreditation process which can be carried out offline or online, namely: the first stage is called adequacy assessment, which includes curriculum, assessment, facilities, and infrastructure, as well as cost components which can be directly accessed and connected to school data. which has been input to Dapodik, Emis, and PMP- accredited schools (compliance-based).

Meanwhile, data on the components of graduate quality, learning process, teacher quality, and school management must be extracted from observations, interviews, and FGDs conducted by assessors in the visitation process at accredited schools (performance- based).

After going through the assessment process and validation process, BAN S/M will usually issue a School Eligibility Certificate with the following ratings: Accreditation rating A (Excellent), Accreditation B (Good), and Accreditation C (Fairly Good). Furthermore, if the monitoring system (dashboard) at Sispena S/M shows that the school/madrasah that is the target of accreditation has not experienced a change in quality, its accreditation certificate will automatically be extended with the same accreditation rating.

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Image: School Performance-Based Accreditation Pattern.

Source: 2020 Sekolah/Madrasah Accreditation Guidelines ((Malik & Dkk, 2020) So the entire accreditation process, both

offline and especially online, fully uses digital tools and technology in the entire assessment process. Both methods can still produce an assessment of a school's suitability ranking by the objectives of conducting a school accreditation assessment. It's just that how to produce effective and efficient accreditation requires the readiness of human resources who can use digital devices well and also the availability of facilities such as a good internet network so that the accreditation process can run smoothly and by the provisions that have been set.

Digital technology is a tool that uses an automatic operating system with a computerized system or a format that is read by a computer. So it doesn't use manual human power (Simanjuntak et al., 2022). Digital technology includes all electronic devices, gadgets, and applications that use information in digital form, such as laptops, smartphones, and other digital devices (Michael & Ambotang, 2020). Digital technology is currently used for various human needs, both in personal, societal, and institutional social interactions.

For example, in government affairs, the economy, education, etc.

Implementing Education 4.0 requires technological proficiency. Digital technology is the cause of change in carrying out a learning revolution, pedagogical innovation, and

improving the quality of student learning. In the 21st-century education curriculum, learning emphasizes skills in critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving. All of this is supported by learning that is based on the use of digital technology so skills in applying digital technology and digital literacy are important elements that teachers and students must have.

It is a loss for students if teachers do not implement the learning process using digital technology, because today's students were born and raised in the era of digital technology (Ling & Kutty, 2022).

Digital competency is the skill to use information and communication technology and digital media in carrying out tasks, managing information, conveying, solving problems, collaborating, creating and sharing content, and building knowledge effectively and efficiently, precisely, critically, creatively, independently, flexibly, ethical, reflective to work, study, socialize and empower oneself.

Apart from that, in the learning process, it is very useful to encourage users to be proactive in learning, improve the quality of learning, increase interest in learning offer more interesting alternatives, and can offer direct feedback between students and teachers (Hidayat & Khotimah, 2019).

So it can be concluded that the use of digital technology in the educational process is

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PERSPEKTIF, 13 (1) (2024): 18-31 now a necessity, both in the learning process,

finding information, building creativity and innovation, completing educational administration, etc. to improve the quality of educational services.

a. School Readiness Before Accreditation In terms of adequacy assessments which include curriculum components, assessments, facilities and infrastructure as well as cost components, it can be said that there are no problems because schools must take part in school accreditation to obtain a certificate of school suitability which is a guide for the community to know the quality of a school and what the educational process is like. offered by schools to people who need educational services. This can be stated for reasons:

 The school has implemented a curriculum that is set by the government, in this case, the Education Department.

 In the assessment component, schools have also implemented an assessment process that refers to assessing attitudes or character, knowledge, and skills so that they are by applicable national education standards.

 From the aspect of facilities and infrastructure, schools with an A rating have provided adequate learning facilities and media so that they can support the learning process well, however, schools that have not received A accreditation are still inadequate in providing facilities and infrastructure that support the learning process.

 In terms of funding, the school is obtained from the Foundation, BOS funds, and tuition fees which are quoted from school students.

Schools that have a large number of students can meet the need to provide learning facilities and media to support the educational process at school, as well as other school operational costs. However, schools that have a small number of students will have difficulty meeting school operational costs.

The school's readiness in preparing school administration apparently cannot be separated from the role of the school supervisor who periodically comes to the school to inspect and monitor school operations, so that when the school is to be accredited the required administrative files can be provided by the school. However, the school

administration may not be available properly due to the lack of ability of education staff, teachers, and school principals to manage school administration which follows the latest developments in regulations so that the administration has not been updated according to these regulations. Indeed, there is a difference in readiness before accreditation between schools with A accreditation and schools that have not received A accreditation, both in terms of available school administration and facilities and infrastructure to support the learning process. This is because the funding that schools have is also different. However, it also turns out that the school's location outside the city and poor internet network access does not support the implementation of online accreditation because assessors have difficulty communicating with the school to provide notification to the school to prepare for accreditation and fulfill adequacy assessments and visitation dates. implemented and the technical implementation.

b. School Readiness During Accreditation Regarding school performance which includes the components of graduate quality, learning process, teacher quality, and school management, it can be said to have met national education standards but has several weaknesses, in each component, namely:

 In the school management component, the principal has made the RKT (Annual Work Plan), RKS, and RKAS and carried out school management based on the RKT, RKS, and RKAS, but not all RKTs have been implemented. Not all teachers have been supervised by the Principal so no follow-up action is taken regarding teacher weaknesses in teaching. Thus, not all teachers have good competence in carrying out the learning process for students. This will be related to student competence in learning subjects taught by teachers who have poor teaching competence, and will also affect the quality of future graduates.

 In the teacher quality component, even though all teachers have a bachelor's degree, not all of them teach according to the qualifications based on their knowledge. This is because the qualifications of existing teachers do not match the needs of the available classes.

Added to this is the teacher's obligation to teach a certain number of credits to fulfill

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the requirements for obtaining teacher certification, so that teachers are willing to teach the subjects given even though they do not match their qualifications. Besides that, teacher development programs are very limited. Very few school development programs can be realized by schools. Most teacher development is based on development programs implemented by the Education Department, so that only teachers sent by schools to take part in these activities have the opportunity to develop themselves. Moreover, often what teachers gain from teacher development programs held by the Education Office cannot be properly disseminated to other teachers in schools. This proves that schools are weak in carrying out teacher development and dissemination activities and are only waiting for invitations from the Education Office or certain institutions that hold them.

 In the learning process component, in general schools have made efforts to provide learning facilities and media according to the needs of the learning process, although in simple form and limited quantities, they can support the learning process. Moreover, in the learning process, there is support from parents and the community, although they have not yet been involved in providing learning facilities and media. However, there are differences between schools that have A accreditation and those that do not have A accreditation, especially in terms of the completeness of the facilities and infrastructure that schools must have to be able to carry out the educational process by national education standards to the fullest.

 In terms of the quality component of graduates, in general, there is an increase in the quality of graduates each year which is indicated by the number of students who are accepted into the favorite schools of the student's choice and also that graduates have academic abilities, attitudes or character and skills that are in line with the expectations of parents, society and the school. However, the quality of school graduates that have not been accredited A is not enough to provide satisfaction to graduate users so only a few can continue

to the favorite schools desired by students and parents.

From the analysis presented above, it can be said that even though the school has made efforts to implement school performance by national education standards and meet the demands of accreditation instruments, there are still weaknesses in realizing maximum school performance, such as: not implementing all school programs that have been implemented. planned in the RKT, RKS, and RKAS, the availability of learning facilities and media is limited to support the learning process, some even lack facilities and infrastructure, teacher development is still minimal and the quality of graduates has not satisfied all stakeholders, especially graduates users. The weaknesses above appear quite sharp when compared between schools that have received A accreditation and schools that have not received A accreditation, especially in terms of teacher development, learning facilities and media used in the learning process, and the quality of school graduates.

c. Obstacles in Implementing Accreditation

Implementation of accreditation can be carried out if several facilities and infrastructure are available by online accreditation requirements. Apart from supporting policy regulations, the facilities and facilities used must also be sufficient so that accreditation can run smoothly. Especially in the use of digital technology, both offline and online accreditation still uses digital technology, because all school administration files that are supporting evidence of school performance must be uploaded to the Sispena S/M application which has been provided by the National Accreditation Board for Schools/Madrasahs (BANS/ M). Especially in implementing online accreditation, visitations are also carried out online using the Zoom, and Google Meet application facilities or by using the Whats app where video calls can be made.

In essence, resource persons at schools must be able to communicate directly even in cyberspace by using digital technology facilities. So digital devices that meet needs both in terms of quantity and type are a must, plus human resources capable of operationalizing the digital devices used in accreditation activities. The obstacles that occur in accreditation activities include:

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 The school's problem before accreditation is providing administrative files and school performance that are adjusted to the demands of the accreditation instrument which refers to the eight National Education Standards. All files must be uploaded to the Sispena application belonging to BAN S/M. Some of these files must first be uploaded to Dapodik, EMIS, GPK, etc., which are connected to Sispena S/M so that the school data must be in sync so that assessors can check the correctness of the data uploaded by the school in Sispena S/M. The difficulty that occurs is the lack of school administration data so not all of what is requested in the school accreditation instrument has been fulfilled.

Apart from that, poor internet network problems at schools are often the reason schools cannot upload files to Sispena S/M.

Schools that are located in urban areas and have good internet networks generally have no difficulty uploading school performance files. However, for schools that are far from urban areas and have poor internet networks, schools have difficulty uploading school performance files in Sispena S/M. Likewise, schools that have computer laboratories and teachers who are used to using laptops and digital media in the learning process and school administration have no problem uploading supporting files for school accreditation.

However, for schools that are not accustomed to using digital devices in the learning process school administration will have difficulty providing the required digital devices and difficulties using them.

 The obstacle for schools when accreditation is carried out is the availability of a certain number of digital devices according to the resource person in online accreditation.

And also the internet network which is sometimes smooth and sometimes intermittent. Even the electricity network can interfere with the implementation of accreditation because the internet network accreditation device also depends on the electricity network being live and not suddenly going out. Communication will immediately be lost if the lights go out. So even though online accreditation can be carried out without the assessor coming for a direct visit to the school, data mining is

very dependent on the technological devices used. Not to mention the fact that not all resource persons can fluently use digital devices because they are not used to using them. So even though online accreditation can be carried out, in reality, offline accreditation makes it more possible for schools to show all their performance and assessors can maximally explore data by accreditation needs.

 The obstacles faced by assessors before accreditation were difficulties in contacting schools located far outside the city and poor signal conditions, to prepare themselves for the implementation of online accreditation.

Assessors are required to contact the school before conducting an online visit to the school regarding the visitation time and adequacy assessment so that the school is suitable for visitation. Because conditioning is needed so that schools are ready and meet the requirements for school accreditation. That is why it is necessary to maintain smooth communication between assessors and schools from before the implementation of accreditation.

 The assessor's problem during accreditation was disrupted communication due to poor signals. If communication is disrupted, it is possible that the school will not be optimally prepared to show evidence of its performance, so assessors will have difficulty digging up the necessary data and analyzing it comprehensively so that the assessment given is by the facts in the field.

From the analysis presented above, it can be said that online accreditation is not a problem for schools and assessors as long as all the facilities and equipment needed are available properly. However, in reality, schools still have problems in providing facilities and facilities such as the required number of digital devices and poor internet networks because the school is located far from the city and the school does not provide a wifi network that can support school performance and the school accreditation process. Meanwhile, the factor of weak human resources in using digital devices can be overcome with the help of school operators or teachers who are already proficient in using digital technology devices, even though the implementation of the visitation is less than smooth.

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Quality of Education Services

Quality education services are educational services that meet eight educational standards, namely: Content Standards, Learning Process Standards, Graduation Standards, Educator and Education Personnel Standards, Facilities and Infrastructure Standards, Management Standards, Financing Standards, and Assessment Standards. The school must carry out the educational process by national education standards. The measure of the success of a school's performance in providing quality education services is determined from the suitability ranking obtained through the school and Madrasah accreditation process.(Ida Martinelli, Nalil Khairiah, Nurhasanah Nasution, 2021)With this accreditation rating, the public can find out how the school is performing and the level of educational services provided at the school and madrasah concerned.

Furthermore, the function of educational services is to help each student acquire and develop various competencies, including academic, moral (religious), vocational (economic), and personal social. All of these competencies can be obtained from the educational services provided by the school, which include:

1. Implementation of the curriculum through the learning process

2. School administration and management 3. Conducive school environment and culture 4. Development of social organizations and

institutions

5. School and community

partnerships.(Irawan et al., 2020)

However, the most important thing is that the final result or output expected from the provision of quality education services is quality school graduates who meet the criteria, including: 1. have character; 2. competence, and; 3. satisfy stakeholders. This is also by the current school accreditation policy of using the 2020 Educational Unit Accreditation Instrument (IASP-2020) as an assessment tool which prioritizes school assessment based on school performance as measured by four main components, namely: Quality of Graduates, Learning Process, Quality of Teachers, and School Management.(Ida Martinelli, Nalil Khairiah, Nurhasanah Nasution, 2021)Meanwhile, the other four components

are supporting factors which are requirements for schools or madrasas to be able to participate in accreditation activities or not.

Thus, it can be said that the quality of school graduates reflects the quality of educational services themselves. Meanwhile, quality education services are the result of school performance by the implementation of National Education Standards as regulated in the Government Regulations of the Republic of Indonesia.

a. School Eligibility Ratings

From the results of online accreditation, the three schools have shown improvements in school performance from the previous five years. However, this improvement is an accumulation of the school's overall performance in the previous five years. All school components have worked together to realize an educational process that is by the National Education Standards (SNP). The principal carries out school management, teachers as teaching staff carry out their duties and responsibilities in carrying out the learning process, educational staff (administration) take care of school administration and the school committee partners with the teachers' council to support the learning process. Apart from that, there is a School Supervisor appointed by the Education Office who periodically comes to the school to check the completeness of the school's administration and operations. It is also known that the role of School Supervisors in improving school performance is quite large because school supervisors carry out their duties in supervising schools as well as providing guidance and guidance to the schools for which they are responsible.

In the current New Normal era, almost everyone communicates and works using digital technology devices. Therefore, people's knowledge of using digital devices is a necessity so that communication and work can be carried out smoothly and more easily. Digital technology was created to make it easier for anyone to communicate and work without being limited by space, place, and time.

Including in the educational process, the use of digital technology and devices is a means and media in the learning process and school administration management. All school components must get used to using it, and schools are also obliged to provide it according to the school's needs and capabilities. In

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PERSPEKTIF, 13 (1) (2024): 18-31 connection with this digital technology, it turns

out that schools that are accredited online experience difficulties in providing digital devices, and there are still many school residents who are not yet able to use digital devices in the learning process or managing school administration. Some schools can only rely on school operators and some teachers can only use digital devices, so the habit of using digital devices in schools cannot be implemented according to the demands of current technological advances.

b. Stake Holder Involvement

In implementing school programs, generally, all stakeholders in the school are maximally involved. In the RKT, the role of each school member has been determined to carry out the educational process by the school's vision and mission. However, the involvement of stakeholders outside the school is still limited to parental support in helping children's learning outside of school and support from the school committee in providing input to the school for school progress. Community support can be seen from good appreciation for the school and support when there are school activities carried out outside the school environment, for example in competitions held in the local sub-district or village, in the sub-district or the district, or in institutions that hold activities involving schools. schools in Deli Serdang Regency.

c. Graduate User Satisfaction

Regarding the satisfaction of graduate users with the quality of graduates, it can be said that for schools with A accreditation, generally both parents and graduate users are satisfied with academic abilities, good attitudes or character, as well as student skills as demonstrated by the number of students who can be accepted into schools. a favorite that becomes the goal of students to continue their studies to a higher level. Meanwhile, for schools whose accreditation is not yet A, there is still dissatisfaction from parents and graduate users regarding students' academic abilities and skills, while attitude or character competency is generally better if the school prioritizes and takes a firm stance towards character education for students. For example: Islamic boarding schools or schools that are known for being disciplined towards their students. The existence of various extra-curricular activities also increases children's competence regarding

their respective interests and talents. In Islamic boarding schools which are used as research objects, extra-curricular activities are more focused on religious activities that increase students' love of religion, such as Tahfiz, speeches using Arabic and English, Duha prayers, Tahajjud prayers, and also other activities such as arts, sports, scouts, paskibra, etc. Likewise, the two schools that are the object of research have held various extra-curricular activities aimed at improving students' skills related to their interests and talents in the fields of sports, arts, scouts, paskibra, etc.

d. School Desires Regarding Online Accreditation

From the schools that were the object of the research, it was discovered that the desire to carry out online accreditation was precisely from schools that were not yet A-credited, even though they were not yet fully able to provide the facilities and means required for online accreditation, and were not even accustomed to using digital devices and media. Meanwhile, schools with A accreditation want accreditation to be carried out offline, for the reason that the school can show the assessors directly about all the school's advantages and can communicate directly to gain better experience and knowledge regarding the implementation of school accreditation.

From the explanation above, it can be explained that the quality of educational services is determined by the performance of schools that strive to carry out the educational process optimally, guided by the eight National Education Standards set by the government. In general, accredited schools have shown improvements in school performance.

However, there are differences between schools that have received A accreditation and those that have not received A accreditation in terms of the implementation of the performance of each school component, especially in the management of school administration which has not yet familiarized itself with the use of digital technology. Apart from that, the satisfaction of graduate users regarding the quality of graduates is also different between schools with A accreditation and those without A. It can be said that the feasibility ranking or school accreditation status can reflect the actual condition or performance of the school through the school's output, namely quality graduates. Schools with

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A accreditation have provided superior educational services even though they still have several weaknesses in their performance.

CONCLUSION

In implementing online accreditation, factors that support the smooth implementation of accreditation are needed, such as school administration documents that are adequate by the provisions required in the accreditation instrument, digital technology tools used in accreditation, and human resources who are proficient in using the digital tools used. Apart from that, there is a smooth internet network and electricity that remains on so that the accreditation process can run well according to the plans that have been made. However, for schools that are unable to do all of this, there will certainly be obstacles to implementing online accreditation. So only schools that can provide the supporting factors for accreditation mentioned above are eligible for online accreditation, while schools that are not able to provide all of the supporting factors above should not undergo online accreditation.

It's better to do it offline or just offline.

However, the accreditation of schools using digital technology has spurred schools to further increase their familiarity with the use of digital technology in school operations, which in turn can improve the quality of educational services themselves, because administrative work and the learning process can be managed well.

The purpose of accreditation is to comprehensively assess a school's performance to determine its suitability rating as measured by the implementation of the eight National Education Standards that have been set by the government. It can be seen from the school accreditation ranking regarding the suitability of a school, that a school with a higher accreditation ranking will perform better than a school with a lower accreditation ranking. The public can use this accreditation ranking as a guide to obtain good quality educational services based on this accreditation ranking. This accreditation ranking is related to the school's output, namely the superior or good quality of graduates, the involvement of all stakeholders in the implementation of the educational process, and the satisfaction of graduate users with school graduates.

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