Accreditation Process & Standards

The National Christian School Association established an Accreditation Commission over 30 years ago. The mission of the Commission is to establish and maintain academic and spiritual standards that are designed to produce quality, Christ-centered education on the pre-college level.

What is NCSA Accreditation?

  • NCSA accreditation is a voluntary process designed to assure that a school is providing a quality Christian education.

  • NCSA accreditation assists member schools in pursuing excellence and aids them in a continuous process of assessment, planning for improvement, and progress.

  • NCSA accreditation is a process that involves the entire school community in conducting and documenting an intensive self-appraisal of each component of its ministry.

  • NCSA accreditation requires a school to evaluate how well it is carrying out its mission, to assess its strengths and weaknesses, to document its compliance with accreditation standards, and to develop plans for improvement over a period of one or more years. Schools are expected to probe the Christian character of each component of its organization and to document the educational quality and integrity of the school.

  • NCSA accreditation then involves a peer review by a team of colleagues from other Christian schools and may also include Christians in public education.

* In partnership with Cognia, NCSA is able to provide joint accreditations that are nationally and internationally recognized to all our member schools.

Why seek NCSA Accreditation?

  • NCSA accreditation helps a Christian school maintain and improve the educational quality and Christian character of its educational programs.

  • NCSA accreditation helps to assure the school’s constituency, the educational community on both the pre-college and college level, and the general public of the quality and Christian integrity of its educational program.

  • NCSA accreditation helps a school to demonstrate that it is faithful to its own philosophy, mission, and goals.

  • NCSA accreditation aids a school in identifying its strengths and weaknesses and creating a process for self-improvement.

NCSA
Standards

The National Christian School Association upholds eight core accreditation standards. Full standards can be found in the Accreditation Manual.

  • The school’s distinctive Christian identity and culture is reflected in its belief and mission statements, written vision, Christian philosophy, and/or written purpose statements.

  • The school actively encourages community involvement to support the Christian school efforts to operate a high quality educational program. Effective partnerships are vital part of quality education.

  • The governance of the school provides policies and procedures to provide for a quality Christian education.

  • A dynamic Christian school/program is always committed to continuous improvement of programs and services and never satisfied with current or past achievements.

  • The school ensures biblical principles (biblical content, biblical worldview, spiritual formation, Christian character, and Christian service) are integrated and written in all curricula (including any taught through alternative delivery methods).

  • The school provides services to ensure the spiritual health of the students.

  • The school ensures that the acquisition and use of all instructional resources (technology, print, and other media resources) are aligned with the school’s purpose/mission and Christian philosophy of education.

  • The school ensures that personnel are Christians who are competent, dedicated, and well qualified for their assigned responsibilities and are committed to the school’s foundational documents. The professional development program is aligned with the school’s foundational documents.

Have questions about the accreditation process?

Feel free to reach out to us for more information!