Membership

School improvement starts with a trusted partner, a clear framework, and reliable interconnected data.

Where your improvement journey begins

When you’re working to improve student outcomes, knowing where to focus can be the hardest part. Cognia Membership helps you see what’s working, uncover what’s not, and identify your next best steps with confidence. Instead of relying on scattered data points, you’ll have clear, actionable insights to inform decisions and improve student learning.

One platform. Multiple opportunities for success.

With the Cognia Improvement Platform, you can manage observations, surveys, and improvement planning in one place. Every tool is aligned to our research-based performance standards, giving you a clear framework for continuous improvement.

As your goals evolve, for an additional fee, you can expand your impact through our improvement ecosystem:

  • Earn accreditation and gain recognition for delivering a high-quality education experience
  • Highlight your achievements through certifications in areas such as STEM, competency-based education, special education, board governance, and American school excellence
  • Strengthen educator effectiveness with professional learning aligned to your school’s improvement priorities
  • Turn assessment data into action with insights that help guide instruction and support student learning
  • Access expert support through diagnostic reviews and school turnaround services designed to address your most critical challenges

No matter where you are on your improvement journey, Cognia Membership gives you the tools, guidance, and support to help you move forward with purpose.

Price per institution*: U.S. $1,400 ● Outside U.S. $3,000 ● Early Learning $1,100

*Base membership annual fee. Additional fees apply depending on services selected.

Are you a current member needing access to the new Cognia Improvement Platform?

Our members represent all school types

40,000 institutions
Emerging, new, established
100 countries
Public, private, micro, charter, and others

The Cognia Improvement Platform: A comprehensive digital toolkit

Whether preparing for an engagement review, establishing a benchmark, conducting an internal evaluation, or providing leadership with meaningful information, your team will be ready—equipped with unmatched tools and resources available only to members of the Cognia global network. Our online platform includes:

Observations

Effective Learning Environments Observation Tool® (eleot®)

Our digital observation tool supports student engagement, well-being, and effective instructions across four key learning environments.

Teacher Observation Tool

Short, formative observations focusing on teacher behaviors that support learner-centric classrooms. View Instrument Showcase >

Environmental Rating for Early Learning

Digital observations to gain insights into practices and behaviors of young learners and the essential elements affecting their health, safety, and education.

Perception Surveys

Standards-based stakeholder surveys for prek-12 students, educators, and family and caregivers.

Strategic Planner

An online strategic planning tool that guides schools through envisioning, planning, implementation, and evaluation to create and track progress for 1-3 year strategic plans.

Cognia is more than a partner in our journey for continuous improvement, because they anticipate our needs as a district and as educators while also being open to innovation and creating solutions for our staff and students. We would not have had the success and growth we’ve had this year without the support from Cognia and the ND Department of Public Instruction.”
Kari Schneider
Curriculum Director
Killdeer Public School District #16, North Dakota
AdvancED [Cognia] not only offered our school a chance to grow and offer a great academic culture, but also helped us create deeper relationships with our students.”
Maria Lourdes Mendoza
Head of Institution
Escuela Maternal Internacional, Puerto Rico
It’s not for compliance, but for monitoring and identifying the supports schools need and how that transitions to the work we do at the district level.”
Phil Valdez
Deputy Superintendent
Farmington Municipal Schools, New Mexico
We value continuous improvement. We value innovation, and that’s where I think Cognia is invaluable—it keeps us moving forward in an effort to try to create our innovative culture while at the same time reflecting and remaining in that constant cycle of continuous improvement.”
Jeremy Tucker, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Liberty Public Schools, Missouri

Frequently asked questions

Cognia Membership is the foundation for accessing Cognia services, including accreditation, certification, professional learning, assessment, and intensive support. While membership is required to pursue these services, members are not required to purchase or participate in additional services. All members have access to the Cognia Improvement Platform.

To apply, submit a Membership Application. After submitting, you’ll be contacted by a Cognia representative who will confirm details and guide you through next steps.

Membership connects you to benchmark data from over 40,000 institutions worldwide, helping you measure your progress and identify areas for growth.

Ready to get started?

Whether you’re just beginning to explore what Membership means or you’re ready to take the next step, we’re here to support you.