Can A Virtual School Be An Accredited School?
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Looking for a virtual schooling option for your child? Look no further! Strike School is an accredited virtual school for grades K-12 offering virtual classroom and homeschool help options. Learn more about our options HERE.
One of the biggest challenges for virtual schools is earning the trust of the students’ parents. Many of them not only question the quality of the education but also the qualifications of the staff and the rigor of the curriculum.
And this is already on top of the challenge of convincing parents that their children will be engaged and well-taught throughout the entirety of the experience. This and many other concerns often lead parents to believe that an in-person education is of better quality than an online one.
However, that may not necessarily be the case.
This is where accreditation comes into play.
What Does It Mean To Be Accredited?
Accreditation is a recognition from an agency that means that an institution maintains a particular level of educational standards. This agency is known as an accrediting agency, which is a non-governmental legal entity, or part of one, that conducts accrediting activities.
Through peer evaluations and developed evaluation criteria, this agency is able to assess institutions, programs, or both. Among these agencies are Cognia, Middle States Association, and New England Association.
It’s crucial for an institution to be accredited so that parents and students can have some assurance that the institution provides a quality education and will gain recognition by other schools and employers. It shows that the institution meets a certain quality of education.
Can A Virtual School Be Accredited?
Yes, virtual schools can be accredited!
They typically earn accreditation from agencies that accredit in-person institutions as well.
Legitimate virtual schools already have to undergo an extensive certification process and meet the statutes for academic excellence, as any in-person school would. Accreditation is the icing on top of the cake.
It’s important to note that fake accrediting agencies do attempt to appear legitimate. So, it’s important to do your research and ensure that these agencies are real and that the virtual school is actually accredited. One way to do that is by searching through the CHEA and the ED for recognized accreditation agencies.
At Strike School, we’re accredited by Cognia! Cognia is a global network of educators that accredits schools nationally and internationally and works to invest into the growth of students around the world. Learn more about our accreditation HERE.