ATTLEBORO -- Attleboro High School will likely miss being placed on probation by a New Englandwide accreditation board, but school officials say there is much work to be done to correct problems with curriculum and school resources.

Principal Don Frederick, who has served on a number of evaluations for the New England Associa tion of Schools and Colleges, said he was told that a report stating how the school planned to respond to substandard areas cited in a March accreditation review has been accepted by the Commission on Public Secondary Schools, a component of NEASC.

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The commission has yet to issue a formal response to the special report, submitted by former principal Jackie Proulx.

It is possible the commission's formal answer could come with conditions the school would have to meet to maintain its present status, Frederick said. The commission previously raised concerns in three areas while giving the school a number of commendations. Of most concern were inconsistencies in curriculum standards, outdated technology, loss of social workers' positions and a number of alleged deficiencies in the high school building itself.

Frederick said the school will now be required to update its progress in a second report, due in the fall of 2007. The school would be expected to remedy all of the problems noted in the NEASC report within five years.

According to NEASC, curriculum shortfalls at the school include the lack of a standardized curriculum template for all course offerings, non-existent standards for enrollment in advanced placement and honors courses and the lack of any formal process for evaluating whether the faculty is conducting continuous curriculum evaluation and revision.

The association's report also cited a number of deficiencies in the school building, including leaking pipes and lack of adequate ventilation in shop areas.

If all the areas mentioned in the NEASC report are not remedied within five years, the school's accreditation could be revoked according to Frederick. Generally, accreditation granted to public secondary schools continues for 10 years.

Schools placed on warning or probation are considered fully accredited.

School Superintendent Pia Durkin cited a lack of an `` oversight structure'' to unify the school's guidance, student support and special education functions and noted that 54 percent of parents questioned in a survey did not know what support services their children qualified for. But she said the problems do not denote a lack of effort by school employees.

`` Our people are working hard,'' Durkin said. `` But we need to work smarter.''

Durkin said her administration is currently analyzing the need for co-ordination in this area and it is possible a new position may be needed. She said she plans to update the school committee in August.