Effective special education programs facilitate meaningful engagement in academic, social, and cocurricular experiences for all learners. Cognia Special Education Certification guides institutions in demonstrating effective, high-quality special education services so that all students can thrive.
Cognia, the premier school evaluation and improvement organization, has launched Cognia Special Education Certification, a selective recognition that evaluates how well a school delivers comprehensive special education services to meet the needs of all learners.
This new certification, based on nine special education standards, offers educational institutions a new way to elevate and recognize the effectiveness of their special education programs and services. Completing the certification process has a substantial impact on the school community, leading to improved student engagement and well-being, stronger staff collaboration, and increased trust from families.
“The launch of Cognia Special Education Certification represents an important milestone in our commitment to educational excellence. Schools that pursue this certification are demonstrating that meeting the needs of every learner is not an initiative; it is part of their culture,” said Dr. Michael Bratcher, Senior Vice President of Domestic Accreditation and Certification Services at Cognia.
A rigorous, standards-based certification for high-quality special education programs
The standards that form the basis of the certification were developed through a collaboration among Cognia, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. These accrediting agencies worked collaboratively to develop a unified set of standards that recognize schools demonstrating high quality in special education services.
Cognia leveraged the standards from this collaboration to develop a rigorous certification process that guides institutions in demonstrating their commitment to all learners and driving continuous improvement. As part of the certification process, experts from Cognia will examine a broad range of evidence, conduct an engagement review, and write an official report that identifies whether the school meets the Performance Standards for Special Education Certification.
“Achieving Cognia Special Education Certification reflects an educational institution’s commitment to embedding special education supports into everyday practice,” said Dr. Mark Elgart, CEO & President of Cognia. “By benchmarking against the nine certification standards and engaging in an external review process, institutions work to ensure that all learners, particularly those with unique learning profiles, are respected, supported, and able to thrive. Ultimately, earning the special education certification reflects the action of a high-performing educational community where learners’ unique strengths, needs, and goals are supported through reflection and improvement.”
For more information about how your school can pursue Cognia Special Education Certification, contact us.
About CogniaCognia is a forward-thinking nonprofit improvement organization committed to serving schools and other education providers. We offer accreditation and certification, assessment, improvement services, and professional learning within an evaluation and continuous improvement framework. Serving over 40,000 public and private institutions from early learning through high school in more than 100 countries and territories, Cognia brings a universally recognized perspective to advancing teaching and learning.