David Rhodes, ACSI Director, Rocky Mountain Region
Athletics is a tried and true way for school leaders to instill school spirit and build character into the lives of students. People in a community-at-large form opinions about a school based upon what they read in the sports section of the local paper. Athletics is important to the life of a school.
What is the role of athletics in your Christian school? is an excellent question for a school’s constituency to address on a regular basis. There is, however, another important question that belongs in a conversation about school athletics:
What is the role of accreditation in athletics?
State athletic associations are increasingly collaborating with school accrediting associations. The goal of such collaboration, from the perspective of the athletic association, is to assure that standards such as student eligibility and conduct on the playing field are being adhered to. In some states athletic associations have adopted a restrictive policy whereby only schools accredited by a single accrediting association are accepted into membership. Such close collaboration with a single accrediting association, according to one executive director of a state athletic association, provides the best assurance that accredited schools are adhering to the policies of the athletic association. ACSI welcomes a strong relationship between athletic associations and accrediting associations.
Allow me to raise the question, “What is the role of accreditation at the school where you serve God?” A school that achieves accreditation makes the strong statement that it seeks continuous improvement and welcomes peer evaluation. As each accrediting association has a distinctive self-study and peer review process, a school’s leaders should become acquainted with several before filing an application for accreditation with a specific association. The ACSI accreditation process, for instance, is intentional about evaluation based on a school’s stated mission and Christian philosophy of education. ACSI accreditation teams that visit schools are made up of professional, experienced Christian school educators who understand that:
- Scripture is the revealed Word of God and is taught as truth
- Every element of the curriculum is permeated with God’s Word
- Every learning experience aims to engage students toward their full potential in Christ
- The character of Christ is at the heart of a school’s character building program
Accrediting associations are in an excellent position to assist a Christian school in addressing important questions such as, What is the role of athletics in the school?
The National Council for Private School Accreditation, of which ACSI is a charter member, is respected as a national approval agency for private accrediting associations. NCPSA recently forged a collaborative relationship among regional accrediting associations and private accrediting associations. When one factors in the collaborative relationships forming between athletic associations and accrediting associations, this is good news for Christian schools. One expected outcome of all this collaboration is that state athletic associations will welcome into membership schools that are accredited by an association that is a member of NCPSA. In states where a restrictive relationship currently exists between a state athletic association and a single accrediting association, ACSI will seek to establish a collaborative relationship with the athletic association.
The growing relationship between state athletic associations and school accrediting associations is just one reason why a Christian school is well served by being accredited. Christian school leaders are encouraged to include accreditation as a goal in their strategic planning. For the school that desires accreditation, a good choice is ACSI, which will help the school define and strengthen its Christian mission and educational philosophy.
What Is the Role of Accreditation in the Christian School? 5.1