Accreditation Procedures
The procedure established by an accrediting member for a school to achieve accredited status must include the following:
Self-study:
The school’s self-evaluation process prior to evaluation by a Visiting Committee.
School Existence prior to eligibility for accreditation:
No member school shall be eligible for accreditation until it has been in existence for a minimum of three years for each grade to be accredited.
Visiting Committee:
A committee of educators from other member schools in the organization will visit the school and develop a report based on the self-study and the standards of the Accrediting Association of which it is a member.
Accreditation Status:
On the basis of the Visiting Committee Report, the school is granted (or not granted) accredited status for a given period (not to exceed 10 years).
Periodic Reports:
An ongoing program of improvement, to include renewal of accredited status, is conducted by accredited schools. These improvements may be documented by reports, on-site visits, or periodic reviews.
Annual Reporting Process
Member associations shall be required to maintain an annual reporting process of their accredited schools recognized by the GAPSAC organization.
Required Standardized Testing:
- Nationally standardized testing shall be required on an annual basis in selected grades.
- Reports of such tests shall be made available to parents.
- Reports of this testing shall be included in the annual report to the Accrediting Association to which the school belongs.
Self-Study
In addition to annual follow-up reports (and a mid-cycle report if required by the member organization), accredited schools shall be required to perform a self-study at regular intervals (no more than every seven years). The self-study will be followed and evaluated with an on-site visit by a team of educators from other member schools in the organization. Both self-study and visiting committee reports must be in written form.
Training for Self-Study Committee Members
Provision shall be made by the organization for adequate training of persons involved in the self-study and visitation process.