Accreditation Overview for EE-12 Schools

Coming Soon - Revised Accreditation Protocol! ACSI is in the process of revising the REACH accreditation protocol. The updated protocol will be titled Inspire: Inspiring Schools to Flourish through Accreditation. We have published the Standards of the new protocol, and the revised protocol will be implemented for accreditation visits starting with the fall 2023 semester. Schools hosting a visiting accreditation team prior to fall 2023 will continue to use REACH. View our progress, including the Standards, here: ACSI Inspire - Accreditation Revision Process. We will continue to add to that page as documents are created and finalized.

The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) promotes the value and worthiness of accreditation and encourages each school and early education program to continuously pursue excellence to truly flourish. This pursuit matches the biblical directive of approving “things that are excellent” (Philippians 1:10, KJV). The “accredited” seal denotes a school that has met institutional standards of quality and verifies a commitment to strategic improvement and ongoing accountability. The process of accreditation involves three significant elements:

1. Intensive, institution-wide self-appraisal, analysis, and improvement planning.
2. External consultation, review, validation, and insights from a visiting peer group.
3. Ongoing accountability for improvement through annual reporting and renewal.

Maintain Your Accreditation

If looking to maintain your current candidate or accredited status, schools can use the following links:

School Accreditation Documents | Visiting Team Accreditation Documents | Annual Report Documents Accreditation

Overview

If looking to learn more about ACSI's accreditation process for EE-12 schools, please continue reading below, contact the appropriate Accreditation Team based on the location of your school, or take our Accreditation Quiz. (Note, if your school does not meet the initial eligibility requirements, including the minimum enrollment, then you may be eligible for our Steps to School Improvement program.)

Steps to School Improvement (a Pre-Accreditation Program)

For schools interested in a step-by-step, multi-year program that will guide them through the process of school improvement and may help schools in gradually preparing for application for accreditation, ACSI offers the Steps to School Improvement Program.

ACSI REACH Accreditation Protocol*

The REACH Standards Manual - 2019 Edition protocol and process is thought-provoking in its approach, stimulating in its methods, and efficient in its procedures. Its core goal is to provoke a reflective and interactive dialogue among the stakeholders of a school. The school will be positioned to refine its strategic plan for student learning and organizational effectiveness on the basis of its reflection on the eight standards and the insights of the visiting team.

REACH has eight standards with related indicators and a Rubrics Manual for each indicator along with an EE Evidence Guide for Standards 3, 5, and 6. These guide the school through the self-study process. The school uses the rubrics and evidence guide to stimulate a professional dialog among the stakeholders to determine their rating and then lists evidence that support that rating. A summary narrative for each standard describes the school's strengths and areas in which it has opportunities for improvement. An ACSI consultant is available to mentor the school in the self-study process. When the self-study is completed the school prepares for a visiting team of educators. This team writes a report on the level to which the school is meeting each of the standards and makes a recommendation to the ACSI Regional Accreditation Commission on accreditation.

ACSI Accreditation by School Progress*

Accreditation by School Progress (ASP) is ACSI's re-accreditation protocol for more mature schools who have previously achieved re-accreditation through REACH and want to spend several years working on an improvement project. ASP allows school leaders to work on something that helps advance the school in a way they've identified. Using the ASP protocol may help a school accomplish its mission at a higher level. Talk to your divisional office about the value of using ASP for your next re-accreditation cycle. Accreditation by School Progress (ASP) Manual

Applications

If you have interest in applying for ACSI Accreditation, please contact the appropriate Divisional Accreditation Team or complete our online inquiry form. 

For more information concerning the accreditation protocol for online schools or the accreditation protocol for hybrid schools, contact accreditation@acsi.org.