Each year, we make it a priority to celebrate the shared impact of Cognia and our member institutions in inspiring learning and advancing educational improvement. Reflecting on our shared accomplishments and advancements gives us the motivation and momentum to keep improving the ways we serve students each day.

In this edition of The Source, we share insights from our 2025 Impact Report, including streamlining accreditation for a state partner and virtual learning institutions, supporting data-driven decision-making with observations, engaging students with high-quality assessments, earning an ESSA designation for our strategic thinking and planning process, and more.

To address the challenges facing education currently, we discuss the topics of improvement in a Generation Alpha world and how to adapt to the needs of our current generation. We also discuss the topic of improvement at the state level, alongside our partners at Watershed Advisors, and we explore how states can build an aligned system with a clear state-level policy vision.

We continue to discuss the important topic of assessment, this time diving into assessment literacy and how building assessment and data literacy can support student learning growth. We also share more about our new American School Certification and the importance of this work for schools providing American education experiences abroad.

This edition also includes two stories of improvement, in accreditation and the use of observation tools, respectively, from two leaders at two of our Cognia network schools.

In this edition, let’s explore:

Mark A. Elgart, Ed.D.
Mark A. Elgart, Ed.D.,  serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Cognia. Dr. Elgart works closely with government agencies and other leading education-focused organizations to help establish the policies, strategic vision, and actions to propel and transform the learning experience so that every learner is prepared for the rapidly and ever-changing global world. Dr. Elgart provides vision and leadership for a global nonprofit in over 100 countries, 40,000 institutions serving and supporting nearly 18 million students and 5 million educators every day. Cognia is an undeniable force for enhancing schools, engaging students, and driving better outcomes for all learners. Dr. Elgart’s professional experience includes serving as a mathematics and physics teacher; a middle and high school administrator; and a middle school principal. He earned a bachelor’s in mathematics from Springfield College, a master’s in education from Westfield State College, and a doctorate in education from the University of Massachusetts.

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