WHAT IS ACCREDITATION?

Accreditation is a quality assurance process a school goes through to certify that its services and operations are meeting or exceeding generally accepted standards as defined by a third party.  

​Not all schools go through the rigorous process of becoming accredited.

​WHAT IS Cognia? 

Accreditation from Cognia is a valuable mark of distinction recognized around the world. Each year, Cognia identifies schools and systems that best exemplify excellence in education and stand out in their service to learners, based on the results of our rigorous accreditation process.

​WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE ACCREDITED BY COGNIA? 

Accreditation is both a status and a process. It is a status, or seal of approval, illustrating that the school has met and continues to improve upon a set of educational standards or qualifications. These standards address key areas such as faculty qualifications, curricula and programs, student learning outcomes, student assessment tools and process, student support services, financial stability, and state of its facilities. 

​This is a voluntary process we undergo to assure our parents and students that we are a high quality institution. Once accredited, the school continues the process in order to maintain the high standards set forth and continue to improve. This means we engage periodic internal and external reviews, consisting of self examination against the given standards and on-site visits from the accrediting agency, followed by the agency’s report on the continuation of the status, and areas for improvement. The process repeats every 3-5 years, and usually takes 1 year to complete. 

​WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR MY CHILD’S SCHOOL TO BE ACCREDITED? 

Not all schools are required to be accredited. However, without accreditation, how do you know that your child is receiving a quality, legitimate education from a qualified professional organization? Accreditation is one way of achieving that assurance. ​

• Accreditation is essentially a stamp of credibility, testifying that a school is operating at high levels of expectations and that it is continually improving. 

• Accreditation status helps parents judge how well a school is serving students and society. 

• Credits from an unaccredited school may not be accepted at an accredited institution, since there is not a reliable way to measure the validity, acceptability, or “weight” of the credits.