Accreditation Process
Candidacy or Interim Accreditation
Candidate for Accreditation is a status of affiliation, which indicates that an institution has achieved recognition and is in the process of accreditation. The Candidate for Accreditation classification is designed for organizations, which are not yet ready for full evaluation based on the NLCSCIAA criteria for accreditation. The institution must demonstrate evidence of continuing planning and show evidence of the resources to implement its plan. The school must be willing to meet NLCSCIAA criteria for accreditation in a time set by the Commission.
Private schools must meet the legal requirements of the jurisdiction in which they are located. For example, California private schools must list with the California State Department of Education and submit an affidavit indicating compliance with Education Code section 33190. Likewise, Hawaii private schools must be licensed by the Hawaii Council of Private Schools, under the authority of Act 188, Session Laws of Hawaii, 1995. Schools in other jurisdictions may have other specific requirements with which they must comply.
On receipt of the application for accreditation by NLCSCIAA, the Executive Director will arrange with the institution for a two-member team to conduct a one-day visit to the school. At this time the team will evaluate if the school is eligible for accreditation. Following the visit, the committee will prepare a report to be presented to the Accrediting Commission for Schools at its next meeting, at which time the Commission will act upon the application. The school will then be notified regarding the action of the Commission.
If the decision is favorable, the school will be granted candidacy status not to exceed three years. Normally, the school will be expected to undergo their full self-study (full accreditation process) in their third year of candidacy. Candidacy status shall expire at the end of three years, but may be extended up to a maximum of three additional years by Commission action, following a revisit. After the initial visit schools in which the initial visiting committee found that the NLCSCIAA criteria were already being fully addressed may be granted interim status. Similar to the candidacy status, a school is expected to undergo a full self-study in the third year of the interim period.
Every institution is evaluated on the basis of the NLCSCIAA criteria and the school’s stated purpose, school wide student goals and the degree to which it accomplishes these.
The full accreditation process has three stages: the self-study, the visit, and the follow-up. A school’s philosophy and the NLCSCIAA criteria serve as the underlying bases for these stages.
Self-Study
During the self-study phase, all staff members candidly assess the school’s strengths and areas needing improvement with respect to the criteria. Basically, the purpose of the self-study is:
While working through numerous committees, staff members will be required to summarize their finding of this in-depth assessment which becomes part of a school self-study report. At least four weeks prior to the visit, this completed self-study is shared with members of a Visiting Committee composed of fellow educators.
Full Self-Study Visit
The visiting committee is usually composed of one to three people, one of whom is the chairperson. A typical visiting committee is composed of a vice president of examinations, chairman of the board of examiners and possibly the president of NLCSCIAA. A student may be added to the committee.
In addition to evaluating the self-study report, the visiting committee could spend up to three days at the school to provide a third party perspective on the quality of the curricular and instructional program provided for students. The visiting team members review student performance data, confer separately with each school committee, observe the school in operation, visit classes, and dialogue with individual administrators, teachers, students and others. Then the visiting committee prepares a report for the school outlining its findings.
After the visiting committee report is discussed with the school steering committee and shared with the entire staff, it is formally submitted to the school and the NLCSCIAA Commission. The visiting committee also recommends a term of accreditation based upon the school’s philosophy, the NLCSCIAA criteria, the self-study, and its findings during the visit.
Action and School Follow-up
The Commission for Accrediting Christian Elementary and Secondary Schools meets at regularly scheduled times to consider accreditation for the schools. Prior to each meeting, the Commission members review the visiting committee reports and the recommended terms for the schools. At these sessions, the school’s self-studies are available for reference. The resulting decision of the Commission on a term of accreditation for each school is the judgment of the Commission members after examining the data concerning the school.
The term of accreditation is based in part upon the appropriateness of the school’s stated purpose, goals and objectives for an institution of its type and the degree to which these are being met. Another determinant for accreditation is the degree to which the school meets the NLCSCIAA criteria and other accreditation factors that are established as general guidelines.
After the visit the Commission and chief administrator meet immediately with the Leadership Team to review the Visiting Committee Report and begin the follow-up process. A copy of the modified school wide action plan must be sent to the NLCSCIAA office.
Some schools may continue to use the school wide focus groups from the basic NLCSCIAA process. The leadership team involves the selected staff in annual assessment, including information about student learning in relation to expected school wide learning results and curricular objectives. Most schools will conduct one more annual review in relation to their expected school wide learning results, curricular objectives, and NLCSCIAA criteria and refine their action plan areas for the next three to five years.
At the midpoint of the term of accreditation, the Leadership Team prepares a third year progress report summarizing the school's major accomplishments of the school wide plan and other changes since the visit. The Governing Authority reads reviews and formally accepts the report which is forwarded to the Commission for Accrediting Christian Elementary and Secondary Schools depending upon the term of accreditation, a school may be required to have a one or two day review by two or more members of the original Visiting Committee.