Pathways to Accreditation

The accreditation process for independent schools honors the distinct missions, visions, and values of each member institution, offering a deeply responsive approach that highlights the strengths of this diverse educational community. Designed to meet the needs of all types of independent schools--including day, boarding, elementary, faith-based, online, proprietary, and those serving unique learner populations--the process follows a ten-year cycle. This cycle includes meaningful periods of self-reflection and two accreditation visits: the first focuses on foundational elements, while the second provides a deeper exploration of programs, teaching, and learning. 

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The ACE Learning process strengthens both the school’s foundational systems and deepens their ability to provide transformational learning experiences.  The ACE Learning Principles inspire and challenge schools to view their learning community as an interconnected ecosystem, where all decisions, structures and behaviors impact learning in some way. The process is a five-year cycle including a foundations stage, a preparatory phase, a period of internal reflection, and an external review. ACE Learning brings clarity to schools so they can focus on a small number of highly impactful priorities; schools align this process to their strategic planning to ensure that learning is at the center of strategic priorities and alignment of resources.

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The  Collaborative Learning Protocol (CLP) is a fully aligned process of self and peer evaluation with the IB Programme Standards and Practices and the NEASC Foundation Standards and Learning Principles. The process unifies two key strands of school evaluation and improvement:  

• 5 year IB programme evaluation  

• Initial or continued NEASC Accreditation for qualifying schools on the ACE Learning pathway  

Aligning the IB evaluation and NEASC accreditation processes brings a unified, whole school focus on ongoing growth and transformational learning and simplifies into one unified five-year process with one report template, one team and one coherent set of peer feedback.

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NEASC has formal agreements with several accreditation associations whose reviewed standards and processes align, allowing NEASC schools to pursue joint or co-accreditation. The specifics of each arrangement and process vary by association, but in every case, both agencies appoint representatives to visit the school, and each makes its accreditation decision independently. 

For independent schools in the US, NEASC has the following agreements and partnerships for cooperative/joint accreditation: 

• CAIS (Canadian Association of Independent Schools) 
• CAIS (Connecticut Association of Independent Schools) 
• AMS (American Montessori Society) 

For more information on the current agreements and partnerships listed, please contact the NEASC team. 

The ACE Learning process strengthens both the school’s foundational systems and deepens their ability to provide transformational learning experiences.  The ACE Learning Principles inspire and challenge schools to view their learning community as an interconnected ecosystem, where all decisions, structures and behaviors impact learning in some way. The process is a five-year cycle including a foundations stage, a preparatory phase, a period of internal reflection, and an external review. ACE Learning brings clarity to schools so they can focus on a small number of highly impactful priorities; schools align this process to their strategic planning to ensure that learning is at the center of strategic priorities and alignment of resources.

Learn more

The Collaborative Learning Protocol (CLP) is a fully aligned process of self and peer evaluation with the IB Programme Standards and Practices and the NEASC Foundation Standards and Learning Principles. The process unifies two key strands of school evaluation and improvement:  

• 5 year IB programme evaluation  

• Initial or continued NEASC Accreditation for qualifying schools on the ACE Learning pathway  

Aligning the IB evaluation and NEASC accreditation processes brings a unified, whole school focus on ongoing growth and transformational learning and simplifies into one unified five-year process with one report template, one team and one coherent set of peer feedback.

Learn more

The Standard Pathway is for international schools on a longer developmental continuum that allows a focus on building strong foundations that support a safe, sustainable, and effective learning community. The Standard Pathway process is a five-year cycle including a foundations stage, a preparatory phase, a period of internal reflection, and an external review. The Standard Pathway supports school development in key focus areas that build high quality practices. Schools align this process to their strategic planning to ensure the school is poised to meet international standards of best practice.

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NEASC has formal agreements with several accreditation associations whose reviewed standards and processes align, allowing NEASC schools to pursue joint or co-accreditation. The specifics of each arrangement and process vary by association, but in every case, both agencies appoint representatives to visit the school, and each makes its accreditation decision independently. 

For international schools, NEASC has the following agreements and partnerships: 

• Council of International Schools: Joint Accreditation via the CIS framework. 
• International Baccalaureate (IB): NEASC offers the Collaborative Learning Protocol, a unified approach to accreditation and programme review. (link) 
• Asociación Montessori Española (AME, Spain): NEASC Works collaboratively with AME for accreditation of Montessori schools in Spain. 
• COBIS: COBIS members are offered a streamlined avenue to NEASC accreditation with subsequent cycles following the NEASC ACE Protocol. 
• ONESQA (Thailand): NEASC partners with ONESQA with schools in Thailand; ONESQA provides peer visitors to teams at the External Review phase, focusing on Thai language and Culture. 
• KHDA (UAE): NEASC and KHDA collaborate on some visits to American curriculum schools, with KHDA focusing on local regulations. 
• ETEC (Saudi Arabia): NEASC is an approved accreditor with ETEC in KSA and coordinates aspects of the process. 

For more information on the current agreements and partnerships listed, please contact the NEASC team. 

Browse a list of frequently asked questions about accreditation for international schools and read our detailed "Overview of NEASC Accreditation Pathways for International Schools" to learn more.

Find answers to your questions    Read the overview

The accreditation process for public schools provides a framework for schools to maintain a quality education for the entire student population. Grounded in an understanding of the unique attributes and demands of public education, the process has a deep focus on student learning and the systems that must be in place for an effective learning organization. The process operates on a ten-year cycle which includes a period of self-reflection, a Collaborative Conference Visit to determine priority areas for growth, the implementation of a growth plan for the identified priority areas, and a Decennial visit to celebrate the growth of the school. 

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District accreditation for public schools indicates that a school district has worked to align its practices within the district and with the Standards for Accreditation. Regardless of size, the schools in a district work together on a single self-reflection, with a committee drawn from each school and the central office. In addition, the whole district participates in one collaborative conference and one decennial visit for all the schools in a district, making the district approach a much more viable option for many school systems. District accreditation results in greater alignment and coherence across the district, including common goals, language, and a district-wide growth plan. 

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The ACE Learning process strengthens both the school’s foundational systems and deepens their ability to provide transformational learning experiences.  The ACE Learning Principles inspire and challenge schools to view their learning community as an interconnected ecosystem, where all decisions, structures and behaviors impact learning in some way. The process is a five-year cycle including a foundations stage, a preparatory phase, a period of internal reflection, and an external review. ACE Learning brings clarity to schools so they can focus on a small number of highly impactful priorities; schools align this process to their strategic planning to ensure that learning is at the center of strategic priorities and alignment of resources.

Learn more

The Collaborative Learning Protocol (CLP) is a fully aligned process of self and peer evaluation with the IB Programme Standards and Practices and the NEASC Foundation Standards and Learning Principles. The process unifies two key strands of school evaluation and improvement:  

• 5 year IB programme evaluation  

• Initial or continued NEASC Accreditation for qualifying schools on the ACE Learning pathway  

Aligning the IB evaluation and NEASC accreditation processes brings a unified, whole school focus on ongoing growth and transformational learning and simplifies into one unified five-year process with one report template, one team and one coherent set of peer feedback.

Learn more