Nearly two dozen schools in Georgia and Florida operated by Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) have received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS/CASI). A first for an education management company, Charter Schools USA operates the Coweta Charter Academy at Senoia that opened in 2010.
The AdvancED Accreditation Commission last week approved corporate accreditation for Fort Lauderdale-based Charter Schools USA (CSUSA). AdvancED is the national commission that confers SACS/CASI accreditation.
AdvancED CEO Dr. Mark Elgart in commenting on the accreditation said, “Corporate accreditation is a rigorous process that focuses the entire school system on the primary goal of creating lifelong learners. Charter Schools USA is to be commended for engaging in this process and demonstrating a commitment to continuous improvement.”
CSUSA is the first education management company in the nation to receive the SACS CASI accreditation seal, meaning that all of its current schools and new schools will be accredited, according to the CSUSA website. CSUSA currently has existing or proposed schools in nine counties in Florida, two counties in Georgia and Calcasieu Parish in Louisiana.
“We are so proud of the accomplishments of our team and the schools we support,” said CSUSA founder and CEO Jonathan Hage. “We look forward to continuing to change the face of public education through operating high performing charter schools that offer parents a high quality educational choice for their children.”
Hage said the accreditation process involves three ongoing components: 1) meeting high quality standards; 2) implementing a continuous process of improvement; and 3) engaging in quality assurance through internal and external review.
The corporate accreditation is for a five-year term with regular monitoring of progress and reporting occurring during the term. CSUSA will submit a two-year report showing a continuous improvement plan created as a result of the team’s findings. CSUSA will then be reviewed for that continuous improvement every five years with a team returning for a site visit.
The Coweta Charter Academy at Senoia opened its doors in August 2010 for grades K-3. The company anticipates adding grades 4-8 in Senoia for the 2011-2012 school year.
