Why is Accreditation Important?

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Accreditation encourages and facilitates school improvement

• Involvement in an ongoing accreditation protocol fosters excellence and ongoing improvement in a school. The question is not if we want a better school, but how we will assure continuous school improvement. Accreditation provides a systematic process that requires a school to ask why it exists, to establish a vision of its future, and to determine specific objectives for reaching that vision.
• The information surfaced through the accreditation protocol serves as a sound basis for school/district improvement, strategic planning, restructuring, and staff development.
• The accreditation process examines the entire school-its philosophy and goals, its community, its programs and services, the facilities and financial stability.
• Accreditation provides a way to manage change through regular assessment, planning, implementation, and reassessment.
• Accreditation helps schools/districts establish priorities for improvement by using thorough needs assessments, rather than faddish approaches to improvement.
• Accreditation requires a school to establish and implement a 5 to 7-year improvement plan based upon its vision of the future. Desired school-wide results are a part of the perpetual accreditation cycle that includes:
  • School self-assessment that identifies areas of strength and areas for improvement in the current educational program for students.
  • Insight and perspective from the evaluation team.
  • Regular staff assessment of progress during the intervening years between full self-studies.
• The accreditation process helps to ensure greater continuity of student experiences through continuous clarification of the school's direction.
• Participation in accreditation provides an excellent growth experience for staff who participate on visiting teams to evaluate other schools.
• Because accreditation is a regional activity that encourages broader involvement with educators from other states and independent, public, and church-related constituencies, participants learn from the differences and benefit from the resulting professional networks.
• The support of MSA staff and encouragement of the Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools motivates schools to maintain their focus on continuous school improvement.

Accreditation provides a means for public accountability

• The accreditation process validates to the public the integrity of a school's program and student transcripts.
• The accreditation process assures a school community that the school's purposes are appropriate and are being accomplished through a viable educational program.
• The accreditation process justifies the faith and resources others place in the school.

Accreditation fosters stakeholder involvement and commitment

• Accreditation provides opportunities for grass roots, broad-based involvement of stakeholders in charting the direction of the school.
• The accreditation process offers a mechanism for constituent groups to play a major role in determining the school's future, helping a school to be all it can be.
• Accreditation involves key people in creating a vision of the future, rather than letting the future happen to the school.

Accreditation builds positive public relations

• Accreditation provides opportunities to emphasize the positive and show how strong and effective the school is.
• Willingly submitting a school to public scrutiny and evaluation builds commitment and a deeper understanding of the school's efforts. It helps staff to broaden its view of community expectations and fosters closer school and community collaboration.
• The accreditation process provides articulation and communication opportunities between school levels and among stakeholder groups.