Accreditation

K12 Inc. is a CITA-accredited corporation meeting the highest standards of educational management. The Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation (CITA) is a global leader in accreditation, dedicated to advancing the quality of education through accreditation. Composed of the premier American educational accrediting agencies, CITA accredits more than 30,000 public and private educational institutions in 100 countries, touching more than 17 million students.

Accreditation provides reciprocity of credits, courses, and grade-level placements between schools and universities around the world, and validation of the equivalency of diplomas and certificates to other accredited schools and universities. Accreditation ensures a consistent level of quality in a network of participating schools that is valued by the public and by colleges and universities. In addition, students in accredited schools become part of a worldwide network of quality institutions focused on student performance.

As noted by the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation (CITA), accreditation is a voluntary commitment on the part of a school or group of schools to achieve high standards, engage in a common protocol (a systematic process of school improvement), and participate in a peer review of a school. The hallmark of accreditation is that a school is as it represents itself, that it is trustworthy, and that it protects the public trust by reaching high standards and acting in a trustworthy manner.

Every school pursing accreditation enters a cycle of internal evaluation preceding an on-site review by an external team. This internal evaluation is called a self-study. Its purpose is to help school leaders and teachers see their school in a new light.

The process requires an in-depth evaluation based on accreditation standards and quality indicators. Usually, the evaluation findings identify many things that the school does well. It also provides information and insight into areas that represent current or potential problems. During the review team visit, team members will validate whether the school studied the right areas and reached the correct conclusions.

The self-study is the first step in continuous school improvement. A candidate for accreditation is encouraged to self-evaluate the school by studying data and seeking opinions from all parts of the school community, which include teachers, staff, parents, students, and other interested parties.

In coming together to examine questions and answers discovered through self-study, the school strengthens internal relationships, develops a clear understanding of what the school says it does against what it actually does, and selects a path for future development.

For more information on the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation, please visit www.citaschools.org .