Carroll County Schools has received a six-year renewal of its accreditation by Cognia, a global, nonprofit improvement organization that provides quality assurance for schools, school districts and education service providers.
Carroll County Schools received an Education Quality score of 365, Cognia’s final report said, far exceeding the Cognia IEQ Network Average of 296. The Index of Education Quality is central to the evaluation and a measure of overall educational performance and uses a scale of 100 to 400 to gauge how a system is performing overall.
Throughout its more than 125 years of service, Cognia, formerly AdvancED, has globally recognized schools that meet rigorous standards focused on productive learning environments, equitable resource allocation for the needs of learners, and effective leadership. Earning accreditation from the Cognia Global Accreditation Commission recognizes that the school meets Cognia Standards of Quality and maintains a commitment to continuous improvement.
“We work very hard as a district to unite our 23 school campuses around our common mission of empowering students to graduate ready to be enrolled, enlisted, or employed, and engaged in their community,” Superintendent Scott Cowart said.
“Cognia came in as an independent outside organization to review everything we do and provide feedback on how it is working and how we can improve,” Cowart said. “I’m very pleased and very proud that their findings back up what we see and should assure our parents and community that their students are receiving a premier education in healthy learning environments.”
The Accreditation Review by Cognia thoroughly evaluated the academics, operations and personnel throughout the entire District. The review compared Carroll County’s performance to Cognia’s standards of excellence and highlighted the school district’s noteworthy practices. Carroll County Schools scored a perfect four star rating on 17 out of 30 review standards.
“Cognia’s high marks are an encouragement,” Cowart said, “but we aren’t satisfied. I’m excited about the areas of focus we’ve identified where we can continue to elevate our performance.”
Dr. Jay Wansley, a 40-year veteran of Cognia accreditation and the former Cognia Georgia Associate Director who chaired the reaccreditation team for Cognia said that as he read the extensive documentation provided by the system, he developed a central theme regarding culture.
“A culture of respect, trust, and collaboration permeates the system. The Executive Summary, Self-Assessment, Accreditation Portfolio, and leader interviews, all components of the Review, demonstrate a relentless pursuit by stakeholders to become recognized as a premier school system,” Wansley said.
“Leaders and stakeholders consistently work together to ensure every student is provided opportunities to succeed, regardless of socio-economic background,” Wansley said.
Carroll County Schools has a proven track record of providing a high-quality education to over 16,500 children who call Carroll County home. The district has increased its graduation rate a full 30 percentage points over the last 15 years to a record 97.2 percent.
To achieve Cognia accreditation, a school must implement a continuous process of improvement and submit it to external review. Schools in good standing can maintain their accreditation for a six-year term.
In comments to the Carroll County Board of Education, Wansley said it is clear the system has outstanding school board leadership, adequate resources, and a drive to consistently improve. The recent Cognia accreditation renewal means that families who choose Carroll County Schools for their students can be even more confident in their children’s education.
“I believe at the core the success of our schools is due to the good people we have working at every level,” Carroll County Board of Education Chairman Kerry Miller said. “Our people have the right heart and pour everything they have into their students. That’s why as a system we are able to do so much while maintaining one of the lowest costs per learner for any system in our area.”
“This report should do nothing but increase the confidence our community has in the excellent job our schools are doing to educate our children,” Miller said. “We describe our system as being 24STRONG, and I can’t thank our people enough for what they do for students.”
