BISMARCK, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – North Dakota’s Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI) has become the first state K-12 education agency in the nation to earn accreditation from a regional accrediting organization. This prestigious recognition highlights the department’s dedication to serving students, families, and taxpayers, State School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler announced.

“Our team has been working at a high level and serving our families, students, and taxpayers well for 12 years,” Baesler said. “We know we have been doing good things, and continuous improvement is part of our culture. But when a third-party reviewer comes in to evaluate you and says your operations are top-notch, that really means something.”

The accreditation was granted by the board of directors of Cognia, a nonprofit based in Alpharetta, Georgia, that promotes school improvement in over 90 countries. Andre Harrison, Cognia’s vice president for accreditation services, confirmed that the NDDPI is the first state K-12 education agency to be accredited by a regional accrediting body.

Baesler noted that the accreditation process identified several strengths of the NDDPI, including a focus on students’ academic results, improved instruction and school board administration, collaboration with families and communities, and programs aimed at increasing the supply of high-quality teachers and principals in North Dakota.

The process also highlighted areas for improvement, such as better tracking the success of North Dakota high school graduates in college, the military, and the workforce, and enhancing the effectiveness of the agency’s Choice Ready initiative, which measures high school graduates’ preparedness for success.

The rigorous accreditation process reviewed the NDDPI’s culture, operating practices, and leadership, and included interviews with school district leaders, legislators, parents, and community partners.

Cognia, formerly known as AdvancEd, sets performance standards for public schools, charter schools, and districts across the country. This is the first time Cognia has accredited a state K-12 education agency.

Baesler began exploring the accreditation idea just before the COVID-19 pandemic. “NDDPI worked with Cognia to build the framework and determine how this could best be done,” Baesler said. “It was a true partnership committed to excellence in education for students. Now this process is available for use in other states.”

Among the notable achievements of NDDPI, Cognia identified five key strengths:

Developing and nurturing an environment focused on children.
Maintaining a climate of collaboration with schools, communities, and stakeholders.
Proactively addressing the supply of high-quality teachers and principals through innovative programs and securing funding.
Leading nationally in innovative programs such as Be Legendary Board Training and the K-12 Cybersecurity and Computer Science curriculum.
Designing programs to meet students’ needs and inform instruction, including the ND A+ program and the Native American Essential Understandings.
The accreditation review also suggested improvements for the NDDPI, including:

Establishing systems to monitor and adjust state improvement actions.
Studying North Dakota graduates’ success in the workforce, postsecondary education, or military to strengthen efforts ensuring student readiness.
Enhancing communication with the public and school community about student achievement expectations.
Evaluating state teaching and learning initiatives to support student and staff success.
Joe Kolosky, NDDPI’s director of school approval and opportunity, said the accreditation will help document processes and maintain consistent service standards, useful for training new employees. “We excel at customer service, but these processes are not formally documented,” Kolosky said. “We want to have something that any leader or team member can use.”

Baesler emphasized the importance of consistent, high-quality service. “A customer, whether they be another state agency or one of our schools, should receive the same high standard of service and support, regardless of who works here, or on which day the customer calls.”

North Dakota law mandates schools to meet the requirements of “a review process designed to improve student achievement through a continuous cycle of improvement” for state approval. Each district must undergo an external review every five years.

“The accreditation process is similar to what we ask our local K-12 schools to do,” Baesler said. “It’s only right that we make the same demands on ourselves.”

Mark Elgart, president and CEO of Cognia, said accrediting state education agencies will “strengthen their capacity to help schools improve education for all children.” It helps state agencies increase efficiency, improve collaboration, and work more effectively with schools to meet improvement goals.