FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS) announced today that 190 schools and school systems in 16 states, as well as Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and 16 other countries have earned accreditation or reaccreditation, the gold standard for measuring and advancing school improvement.
“I am happy to congratulate the schools that achieved Middle States accreditation or reaccreditation,” said Christian Talbot, president of MSA-CESS. “Accreditation is a voluntary, professional peer review in service of school improvement. Pursuing accreditation helps the entire school community—administrators, teachers, parents, and students— to think about the future they want and how to get there. Earning accreditation shows that a school is committed to doing everything it can to support its students.”
Middle States accredits preK-12 public, private, parochial, and charter schools. In addition, MSA-CESS accredits non-degree granting career and technical post-secondary institutions and learning services providers.
Middle States accreditation is a multifaceted evaluation process. Schools and school systems voluntarily rely on it to demonstrate they are meeting a defined set of research-based performance standards.
The accreditation process begins when the school or system undertakes a comprehensive self-study, collecting input from school leaders, teachers, parents, and students. After the self-study, a team of professional peer educators conducts a peer review. These volunteers come from Middle States member schools.
The peer review team makes its recommendation for accreditation or reaccreditation to the Middle States Association Commissions, which voted on the recommendations at its biannual meeting, held in Hershey, Pa., this week.
A full list of schools and school systems that earned accreditation or reaccreditation at this Spring 2024 meeting is HERE.
About Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS)
Based in Philadelphia, the Middle States Association is the worldwide leader in accreditation and school improvement. For over 130 years, Middle States has been helping school leaders establish and reach their goals, develop strategic plans, promote staff development and advance student achievement. With over 3000 accredited schools and school systems in 44 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and in over 110 countries, MSA-CESS is proud of its continuing legacy and its ongoing innovations to meet the challenges of improving education in the 21st century. For more information visit www.msa-cess.org and msaevolutionlab.com.
