Private school accreditation
Standards, review, and accountability for private schools.
The Eastern Association of Private Schools is a private, voluntary membership association. It is not a government agency and does not claim state or federal recognition. Schools join by choice and are reviewed against the standards published on this site.
What this is, and what it is not
Accreditation by the Eastern Association of Private Schools is a statement by a private association. It is not a government license, not state recognition, and not approval by any department of education, and it should never be described as any of those things.
The standards
What a school has to demonstrate
These are the standards a member school is reviewed against. They are published in full, because an accreditation nobody can check is worth nothing.
Governance
The school must be able to show who is responsible for it and how decisions are made. It must name the person or body that governs it, keep a written statement of its purpose, and hold a current record of its governing decisions. Where the school operates as a ministry of a church or other body, that relationship must be stated. A school cannot be reviewed if no one is answerable for it.
Instruction
The school must set out what it teaches and show that teaching actually happens. It must provide a written plan of study covering the subjects it offers, name the materials used, and record how much instruction each student receives. Where a subject is taught by a parent at home or through an online program, the plan must say so plainly rather than implying classroom teaching that does not take place.
Records
The school must keep a student record for every enrolled student, and keep it accurately. That record must show the student's name, date of birth and enrollment dates; attendance; the subjects taken with grades; and, where a student leaves, the date they left. Records must be kept for at least five years after a student leaves, and must be released only to the student, to a parent or guardian, or to another school on written request.
Facilities and safety
The school must provide a safe place to learn, whether that is a building or a home. It must have a written emergency procedure, keep the learning space free of hazards, and hold any supervision arrangements in writing. For a school taught online, the same standard applies to the arrangements for supervising younger students and for dealing with a disclosed concern.
Financial integrity
The school must handle tuition honestly and be able to account for it. It must publish its fees, state its refund position in writing before a family pays, keep a record of every payment received, and issue a receipt on request. Records of money received must be separate from personal funds and available for review.
Student welfare
The school must act on a concern for a student, and must say in advance how it will. It must keep a written policy for safeguarding students, name the person responsible for acting on a concern, and record both the concern and what was done about it. A school that does not hold such a policy cannot be accredited.
The process
From application to a decision
Step 1
Application
The school writes to the association asking to be considered, and supplies its governing statement, its plan of study, a sample student record, its fee schedule and its safeguarding policy. Nothing is charged until the association has confirmed it can review the school.
Step 2
Self-study
The school reviews itself against each of the six published standards and reports, in writing, how it meets each one and where it does not. A school that reports nothing and claims to meet everything is not ready to be reviewed.
Step 3
Review
The association reads the self-study against the documents supplied and tests the two or three claims that matter most, ordinarily by asking the school to produce the underlying record. Review is conducted by the director, and the outcome is recorded in writing.
Step 4
Decision
The association grants accreditation, grants it with conditions to be met by a stated date, or declines it. The decision and the reasons for it are sent to the school in writing. A school may apply again after twelve months.
Step 5
Renewal
Accreditation lasts three years. Before it lapses the school reports what has changed, and the association reviews it again. A school that has stopped meeting a standard is told so and given a date to put it right.
Eligibility
What a school needs to be considered
- The school must operate as a private school, not a state or federally funded institution.
- It must serve students in kindergarten through grade twelve.
- It must keep student records, including attendance and transcripts.
- It must be able to show how it is governed and who is responsible for it.
- It must meet the standards published on this site, as reviewed by the association.
Fees
the fees - to be published
Who runs the association
Anne Brown, Director
Applying for accreditation
If your school would like to be considered, start with the application process. We will tell you plainly what is required and where your school stands against it.
Apply for accreditation