Steps to Postsecondary School Accreditation
AdvancED accreditation provides a national protocol for schools committed to systemic, systematic, and sustainable continuous improvement. The accreditation process invites school staff to collaborate in reviewing the quality of the school's systems and their contributions to teaching and learning. The process supports, enhances, and stimulates growth and improvement throughout the school.
Applicant
Step 1: Submit Application.
- The school completes and submits an Application and application fee to AdvancED, 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033.
- The AdvancED State Office is notified of the application and sends the administrative head of the school a Readiness Letter describing the expectations for the Readiness Visit, along with a Self-Assessment of Readiness for Accreditation tool.
- The Postsecondary Office assigns a contact person to provide support and assistance to the school as needed.
Step 2: Host a Readiness Visit.
- The Postsecondary Office works with the school to coordinate the Readiness Visit. The purpose of the visit is to determine the school's capacity to pursue accreditation.
- The school completes the Self-Assessment of Readiness for Accreditation prior to the Readiness Visit. The self-assessment is shared with the Readiness Visit team members and provides the basis for the Readiness Visit.
- The school hosts the Readiness Visit.
- The Postsecondary Office reviews the Readiness Visit Report prepared by the visiting team.
- The Postsecondary Recognition Council (PRC) reviews the recommendation regarding Candidacy and makes a recommendation to the AdvancED Board of Trustees.
- The AdvanCED Board of Trustees makes a decision regarding granting the status of Candidacy.
Step 3: Receive Notification of Candidacy.
- The school is notified of the decision regarding Candidacy after the AdvancED Board of Trustees makes a decision. The Postsecondary Office sends a Candidacy Letter to the administrative head of the school. The letter places the school in candidacy status.
Candidate
Step 4: Schedule, prepare for, and host the Quality Assurance Review (QAR).
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Schedule the visit.
- At least six months prior to the desired timeframe for the visit, the school identifies and sends to the Postsecondary Office up to three dates (in preferred order) for hosting the Quality Assurance Review (QAR). The visit should be conducted between one and two years of entering candidacy.
- Upon receipt of the letter requesting to schedule the visit, the Postsecondary Office selects and communicates the dates for the visit to the school.
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Work with the QAR Chair and Vice Chair.
- The Postsecondary Office appoints a Chair for the visit approximately three months prior to the visit. Team members and a Vice Chair are also appointed. The Postsecondary Office provides the school with the names and contact information for all team members.
- The QAR Chair and Vice Chair work with the school to ensure that the school is prepared to receive the QAR team.
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Prepare for the visit.
- The school prepares for the visit by: notifying the school's community; making available evidence to share with the team to demonstrate adherence to the standards; coordinating individuals to be interviewed by the team; making appropriate logistical arrangements for the team members; coordinating the visit schedule with the QAR Chair; and ensuring that the administrative head is accessible for the visit.
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Complete the Standards Assessment Report.
- The school completes the Standards Assessment Report involving all stakeholders in the school. The Standards Assessment Report engages the school in a comprehensive review of each of the seven AdvancED standards. It serves to prepare the school for the Quality Assurance Review and becomes the basis of the review team's work. The school may share and receive feedback from the Postsecondary Office contact person.
- The school submits the Standards Assessment Report online to the Postsecondary Office via the AdvancED website approximately six weeks prior to the scheduled Quality Assurance Review visit.
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Host the QAR team and receive the team report.
- The school hosts the visit and receives the oral exit report. It is expected that the oral exit report will be delivered to the school's stakeholders.
- The QAR Chair prepares the written report of the visit and submits it to AdvancED for review by an AdvancED Reader who reviews the report to ensure quality.
- The final report is submitted to the school, Postsecondary Office, and QAR chair.
- The QAR team's recommended accreditation status is submitted to the Postsecondary Recognition Council (PRC) for review.
- The PRC recommendation is submitted to the AdvancED Board of Trustees for final review and accreditation action.
Step 5: Communicate the QAR team's findings to the community.
- Upon receipt of the written report, the school communicates the QAR team's findings to the school and community.
- When the school's accreditation status is reviewed and acted upon at the national level, the school communicates its final accreditation status to the community.
Accredited (Ongoing steps)
Step 6: Act on the findings.
- The school acts on the report recommendations as part of its continuous improvement efforts.
Step 7: Adhere to the AdvancED standards and engage in quality continuous improvement.
- The school maintains adherence to the AdvancED standards and regularly self-assesses against the standards.
- The school engages in continuous improvement.
- The school provides AdvancED with accurate and up-to-date contact information and demographics.
- The Postsecondary Office provides support and professional development opportunities to assist the school in its continuous improvement efforts.
Step 8: Complete the Accreditation Progress Report.
- Following the QAR visit, the Postsecondary Office sends a letter to the administrative head of the school requesting an Accreditation Progress Report detailing the school's progress in addressing the recommendations from the QAR team report.
- The school completes the report and submits it via the AdvancED website to the Postsecondary Office for review and action at the state and national level.
- The final accreditation action is transmitted to the school and Postsecondary Office.
- The school shares its accreditation status with the school's stakeholders.
- The school continues to meet the AdvancED standards, engage in continuous improvement, and hosts quality assurance reviews once every five years.
Step 9: Ongoing Reporting for Postsecondary Schools.
- Substantive Change Form.
- A school must report to AdvancED within sixty (60) days of occurrence any substantive change in the school, which changes the scope and/or has an impact on the school's ability to meet the AdvancED standards and policies. The report of a substantive change must describe the change itself as well as detail the impact of the change on the quality of education in the school.
- Annual Reporting.
- A member school must satisfy conditions for continuing membership through continued compliance with the AdvancED Standards for Quality Schools and an orderly and sustained plan for growth and development of its educational program. These conditions will be reflected through a system of established annual reporting.
- Student Performance Data.
- Student performance data is reported by each member school on an annual basis through the annual reporting phase. Acceptable rates are established by NCA CASI and AdvancED.
- Review of Financial Stability.
- All income and expenditures are safeguarded through proper budgetary procedures and are audited annually, according to GAAP by an outside agency, or as required by law. The independent audit is submitted to AdvancED on an annual basis.
