ACCREDITATION FAQS

CSI Accreditation:

• Verifies your school is adhering to its Christian mission and vision
• Ensures parents, students, and other stakeholders that you are committed to high academic standards
• Thoroughly assess strengths and weaknesses
• Helps you meet and exceed local, state, and national standards needed for government funding
• Informs colleges, states, and donors of your commitment to excellence

Our transformational Christian worldview is deeply embedded throughout the school improvement process. Each step in your accreditation journey will guide you to an assurance that your school is true to its mission and fully integrating biblical principles with high educational standards.

We have recently adapted our practice concerning preschool accreditation. While we encourage preschool staff to actively engage in the full-school accreditation process, we do not include preschool grade levels on a school’s formal accreditation certificate. In the near future we are considering adding preschool indicators to our accreditation protocols. 

CSI does not currently accredit online, virtual, or cyber schools.

CSI does not accredit traditional home schools or home school cooperatives; however, we do accredit a number of Christian schools that are considered University Model Schools. We also accredit Christian schools that utilize both Classical and Charlotte Mason approaches to schooling.

Schools are required to undergo a comprehensive accreditation process every five years.

For annual accreditation renewal, accredited schools must submit documentation to CSI by April 15 to provide evidence of forward movement on the goals detailed in the school improvement plan.

After applying to become an accreditation candidate, schools have up to three years to begin the work of the self-study process. The accreditation self-study, hosting of a site visit team, and the resulting report and development of initial school improvement goals usually take a minimum of 15 to 18 months to complete.

Our Measuring the Mission protocol is a proven and researched protocol that guides the accreditation process. Measuring the Mission was written in 2012 and updated in 2015, 2019, and 2022.

Christian Schools International Accreditation encourages schools to align their curriculum to a set of outside standards. Alignment to standards is necessary in part because:

• it assures a comprehensive curriculum through the use of content-specific standards formulated by teachers, researchers, and experts in each specific field of study.
• it builds the necessary skills and knowledge into a student’s learning for future education and life as a Kingdom citizen.
• it encourages horizontal and vertical alignment of your school’s curriculum so that both gaps and redundancies can be addressed and avoided.
• it encourages higher-order thinking skills. All sets of state, provincial, and national standards go beyond facts and include analysis, synthesis, application, and all other higher-order thinking skills.
• it assures that all aspects of a subject area are taught at age-appropriate levels.
• it helps to prepare students for standardized tests and assessments and provides helpful information on what your school should assess.

To help lay the groundwork for accreditation, groups of staff and stakeholders investigate, evaluate, and analyze all the school does in light of its unique mission. Results serve as the basis for the school’s improvement plan and provides context for the site team accreditation visit.

Yes. Assembled by your school and CSI, a team of educators spends two to three days assessing compliance with standards, identifying school community strengths, and making recommendations for improvement. The team writes the school’s accreditation report and makes a recommendation to the CSI Accreditation Commission for approval of accreditation.

• A $750 one-time candidacy application fee
• Annual $250 candidacy fee during candidacy period
• Once accredited, annual $1,500 accreditation fee + enrollment-based fee (up to $2,000 depending on enrollment)
• $50 extension request fee as needed
• $250 fee for accreditation endorsements as desired

• Apply for CSI membership
• Apply to become a candidate for accreditation
• Become assigned to your CSI regional coordinator
• Take one to three years to complete your self-study
• Host site team visit
• Receive accreditation report with recommendation to the CSI Accreditation Commission
• Await final accreditation approval by the Commission, either in January or July
• Receive formal approval and certificate of accreditation
• Submit reporting documents to CSI for annual renewal of accreditation for a five-year cycle

It’s any school that has applied for CSI accreditation and has been approved to move ahead with the process. The school is assigned a regional coordinator who visits the school and trains specific staff on how to work within CSI Accreditation protocols. A candidate school has up to three years to host a site visit. Note that approved accreditation candidates are eligible for associated grant, scholarship, and voucher programs in many states.

We are recognized by numerous states, state-based associations, and independent school associations for accreditation, grant, scholarship, and voucher purposes.

They include:

• Cognia, including the North Central Association (NCA), the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC)
• Coalition of Christian School Accreditors (CCSA)
• Georgia Private School Accreditation Council (GAPSAC)
• International Alliance for School Accreditation (The Alliance)
• Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA)
• Minnesota Nonpublic Education Council
• National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA)
• National Honor Society (NHS)
• Oklahoma Private School Accreditation Commission (OPSAC)
• Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS)
• States of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wisconsin
• The Texas Private School Accreditation Commission (TEPSAC)
• U.S. Department of Education for the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), and I-20 and I-17 forms.
• Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE)
• Washington Federation of Independent Schools (WFIS)
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)

Yes. CSI takes the lead in all dual accreditations to ensure your school receives an accreditation grounded in a distinctively Christian worldview.

Partners include:

• Accreditation of Christian Schools International (ACSI)
• Arkansas Nonpublic School Accrediting Association (ANSAA)
• Cognia, including the North Central Association (NCA), the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC)
• Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA)
• National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA)
• Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)

By April 15 of each year, annual reporting documentation must be submitted to CSI by each accredited school. All annual reporting paperwork for Christian Schools International Accreditation is done through Jetpack. If you encounter any problems with Jetpack, please contact Allison Reiffer.