What accreditation means
A team of people who run schools like this one visited, reviewed the program against published standards, and signed their names to the result.
When you see that a school on this site is accredited, it means a team of people who run schools like that one visited, reviewed the program against published standards, and signed their names to the result.
It is not a self-declaration, and it is not automatic.
Where the authority comes from
The Commonwealth of Virginia’s Board of Education oversees education across the Commonwealth, including ensuring quality education for all Virginians required to attend school — whether in a public or private facility.
To ensure defined standards of quality are in place for non-public schools, the Board of Education granted the Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE) authority to oversee accreditation of private schools in Virginia. The 2000 General Assembly passed that language in §22.1-19 of the Code of Virginia.
VAISEF conducts that review for specialized education facilities.
What the review covers
- On-site review by peer educators who run comparable programs
- Published standards, applied consistently across every member school
- Health, safety and staffing verified in person
- Re-review on a fixed cycle, not once and forever