To anticipate questions you may have, we have provided some beginning questions:
What is accreditation and its process?
What are the benefits of investing in this intentional improvement process?
What is the profile of an institute/program that should consider accreditation?
What time considerations are tied to accreditation?
How do I begin if I am in the United States or Internationally?
Dr. Derek Keenan shares the distinctives of accreditation and introduces the REACH protocol.
Who:
Schools, like organizations, are not stagnant. They are always moving in a direction. Accreditation and school improvement assist schools in changing for the better in an orderly and systematic way. It brings a vigorous dynamic into the school by engaging every staff member in a process of organizational appraisal.
The work of accreditation and school improvement is rigorous. When scheduled properly, it is not overwhelming, but it is demanding. The end results though, are well worth the investment.
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What:
Accreditation, a national
benchmark of quality is a
voluntary process validated
by peer review and involving
systematic self-evaluation
against nationally accepted
standards.
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The process includes five main steps:
1. Application process
2. Candidate Status
3. Self-study process
4. Team Visit (validation by peer review)
5. Commission decision
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When:
A program can begin the accreditation process after it has been in existence for three years. A minimum of one year is required for the self-study process. The goal for the program is to achieve accreditation by fully engaging in the process of self-improvement that is a by-product of the self-study procedure.
Why:
Children, students, and families are looking for high-quality early care and education. A program's/school's involvement in the accreditation process raises the program's/school's commitment to quality through this intentional investment.
“The accreditation process was very helpful. It really made our program aware of items that we did not know about. It helped to make our program a better program. Thank you. It was such a wonderful experience—we would not change a thing about it. Every item in the accreditation manual was used in our accreditation process to improve our program. It has been a meaningful experience for us all.”
Mary Sue Hale–Cross of Hope Lutheran Preschool (New Mexico)
How:
ACSI's accreditation process is implemented by the regional office that serves your local program. We have a variety of accreditation protocols for schools/programs around the world, so explore your options and purchase the accreditation instrument at Purposeful Design Publications; then call or email your regional accreditation representative.
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ACSI/AdvancED Accreditation Webinars
ACSI/AdvancED Accreditation Overview Handout—January 30, 2012
ACSI/AdvancED Accreditation Overview PowerPoint—January 30, 2012
ACSI/AdvancED Accreditation Overview—January 30, 2012
Questions/Answers—January 30, 2012
ACSI Assurances, Focus Questions, Artifacts & Evidences—February 7, 2012
ACSI Assurances, Focus Questions, Artifacts & Evidences—February 7, 2012
ACSI Assurances, Focus Questions, Artifacts & Evidences—February 7, 2012
Questions/Answers—February 7, 2012
ACSI/AdvancED Accreditation Partnership Protocol Organizational Context booklet
Sample Student Outcomes
REACH Training Webinars and Information
REACH Overview Training Webinar
REACH Overview PowerPoint
Accreditation Team Training Webinar
Accreditation Team Report Training PowerPoint
Consultant/Team Accreditation Visit PowerPoint
Administrator's Accreditation Handbook
Non-negotiable Indicators
Self-Study Layout
Accreditation Visiting Committee Report Layout
Self-study Sample