Under the new agreement, all Montana public schools and systems that want to satisfy state accountability requirements and the rigorous standards-based requirements of voluntary Cognia Performance Accreditation and continuous improvement can do so without redundant data collection and reporting.

Today, the Montana Office of Public Instruction and the Montana Board of Public Education announced a six-year agreement with Cognia, the nation’s largest school accreditor, enabling Cognia Accredited institutions to avoid duplicating state accountability requirements and accreditation requirements while allowing access to the continuous improvement resources afforded Cognia members.

Under the new agreement, all Montana public schools and systems that want to satisfy state accountability requirements and the rigorous standards-based requirements of voluntary Cognia Performance Accreditation and continuous improvement can do so without redundant data collection and reporting.

According to Montana State Superintendent of Public Instruction Susie Hedelan,

“Montana schools are committed to excellence, and this partnership with Cognia helps strengthen that commitment. By streamlining the accreditation process and focusing on continuous improvement, we’re creating more opportunities for schools across the state, including our rural communities—to grow, innovate, and better serve students. This collaboration helps reduce redundancy and gives rural schools more time and resources to focus on what matters most: student learning.”

Cognia is a nationally recognized accreditation and school improvement organization. For the past 130 years, it has evaluated schools and helped them improve, working with 40,000 institutions nationwide and internationally.

In Montana, Cognia accredits 42 public schools. Beginning July 2025, this agreement eliminates duplication between the Montana Office of Public Instruction protocols and Cognia Accreditation protocols. This partnership will promote efficiency and simplify and streamline accreditation for Cognia network schools in Montana.

“We’re pleased to promote school quality and improvement to help schools and systems in Montana in their efforts to continuously improve.” said Dr. Mark A. Elgart, president and Chief Executive Officer of Cognia, “We look forward to enhancing the improvement process for Montana schools by eliminating duplication and creating a more efficient path to accreditation so more schools can further their improvement goals.”

According to the Board of Public Education Chairman Tharp, “We are thrilled to announce the collaboration between the Montana Board of Public Education, Cognia, and the Office of Public Instruction, which will empower schools to embark on meaningful continuous improvement efforts. We understand the demanding responsibilities that school leadership faces, and this partnership will not only simplify the accreditation process but also provide valuable strategies for those schools striving to exceed fundamental standards while minimizing unnecessary reporting.”

For more information about the Memorandum of Understanding, please contact Cognia.

About Cognia

Cognia 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 90 countries and territories, Cognia brings a universally recognized perspective to advancing teaching and learning.