Q&A Independent School Accreditation

A school’s accreditation status is listed in the Directory of Schools. Accreditation reports and correspondence are the property of the school and are released by the school at its discretion. For more details, please refer to the NEASC Policy on "Release of Information by NEASC".

Yes. All of the New England states recognize NEASC Accreditation of independent schools as part of their school approval process.

Yes. NEASC has established partnerships with other agencies to provide joint accreditation pathways for schools when appropriate. These collaborations support the goals of the schools while reducing duplicate effort and streamlining the process for all involved. Representatives from both organizations work together on visiting teams for schools seeking joint accreditation, and the priorities and areas of focus of both associations are embedded into the process.

• American Montessori Society (AMS)
• Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA)
• Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS)
• Connecticut Association of Independent Schools (CAIS)

View the list of NEASC's Partners and Associates

During the accreditation visit, a school is asked to submit a written curriculum to the Visiting Team. The curriculum should demonstrate an intentional and thoughtful progression of concepts and skills which are appropriate to the students enrolled. We would like evidence that the school has considered recognized research-based standards and used them to benchmark what students should know and be able to do at various points in their education. The written curriculum is not viewed in isolation but within the context of other documents requested, responses to various indicators, classroom observations, and conversations with faculty and staff. The Program Review documents, generally completed during the first few months of the Self-Study process, articulate how instructional strategies and methods used by teachers reflect the school’s core beliefs about teaching and learning. The Program Review documents also address key issues of mission alignment, differentiation, available resources, professional development, and vertical articulation.

In addition to the written materials submitted, the Visiting Team will be asking faculty how the school regularly discusses and reviews its curriculum. The expectation is that schools have institutional practices which encourage teachers to engage in curriculum review using student performance data as well as national best practices. Conversations with new teachers provide helpful information about how the school’s curriculum materials support new teachers as they plan lessons, adjust pacing, and determine assessments.

Yes. As educational models have shifted, NEASC has adjusted to meet the accreditation needs of online schools. Online schools follow the ACE Learning pathway for NEASC accreditation, a framework that is well suited to the innovative world of online learning. Online schools must meet the same Foundation Standards as brick-and-mortar schools, but in a contextually appropriate way.

NEASC considers applications from online schools who: 

• have been fully operational for at least two full years
• offer a full-time educational experience to students via an online experience 
• function as a learning community where relationships between stakeholders are strong  
• are able to benefit from the NEASC accreditation process including a rigorous Internal Reflection process 
• are legally authorized to operate as an online school in the headquarters location 
• offer an English-Medium curriculum that is publicly accessible for students from a variety of countries

If your online school is interested in NEASC accreditation, the first step is to set up a call to discuss the school’s eligibility to apply. Contact gedwards@neasc.org.