The Source

The first step to drive intensive school improvement and school turnaround is to conduct an in-depth Diagnostic Review. Whether for schools needing targeted or comprehensive support or to address pockets of underperformance within the education ecosystem, the Diagnostic Review process identifies pathways for improvement through an in-depth review and analysis... Read the full article >

A Case for Accreditation Accreditation is a process of continuous school improvement through which an institution is evaluated and monitored for adherence to a set of standards in support of teaching and learning, along with organizational effectiveness. This serves two main purposes: quality assurance (a status) and quality improvement (a... Read the full article >

State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler has described Cognia as a crucial partner in her efforts to support the continuous improvement of each school and district as well as the state department. In a recent interview, Baesler described her perspective on partnerships and some of the ways in which Cognia has worked... Read the full article >

These questions are the focus of two different approaches—accountability and accreditation— that ought to work together in more mutually reinforcing ways to improve student and school performance. 1. State accountability systems. State education accountability systems are federally mandated, state-determined efforts to set goals for performance that measure, rate, and rank... Read the full article >

While the responsibility of ensuring teacher participation in professional development often falls on the principal as the educational and instructional leader of the school (Vogel, 2018), principals must plan TPD initiatives, set expectations for implementation, and evaluate implementation results (Celeste, 2016) in addition to a multitude of other responsibilities and... Read the full article >

In Michigan, for example, students learn in schools where they also fly airplanes, steward the environment, take classes in museums, and enroll in college early. These schools improve results for the kids who are enrolled in them while, at the same time, catalyzing a positive paradigm shift in the public... Read the full article >

Training for School Boards Regarding Accreditation Process As the world’s largest accrediting agency and improvement organization, it is Cognia’s belief that every institution, even those that have experienced great success, can determine strategic next steps to improve in an effective manner. We at Cognia hold ourselves to the same ideal.... Read the full article >

Cognia’s Performance Standards and Protocol underpin all our solutions in service to schools and learners—professional learning, accreditation and certification, assessment, turnaround, and school improvement. The accreditation standards outline expectations for Cognia accredited institutions based on what the latest education research indicates makes for quality schools. The protocol outlines the requirements... Read the full article >

I have been superintendent of Liberty Public Schools (LPS) in Missouri since 2014. The district has consistently met the standards set by the Missouri school improvement program, the state’s accountability and accreditation system. That system offers a certain level of rigor; every few years, the state reshuffles the deck and... Read the full article >

Early in 2018, I was called in to lead the Montgomery, Alabama schools after a state takeover of the system in 2017. The district was in bad shape. A Cognia™ (then AdvancED) Diagnostic Review pinpointed 31 areas where the district failed to meet the standards and needed improvement. The report... Read the full article >