35 Schools and School Systems across the globe recognized for excellence in education
Cognia®, the global nonprofit school improvement organization that helps grow learners, teachers, and leaders, has announced its list of Schools and Systems of Distinction among Cognia Accredited schools and districts. These 35 Schools and Systems of Distinction earned this recognition based on the results of the organization’s rigorous Accreditation Engagement Review process. The 2025 Schools and Systems of Distinction are listed on the Cognia website.
During the 2024-2025 school year, Cognia conducted approximately 1,110 accreditation engagement reviews. Of the 35 institutions recognized this year, 23 schools and seven systems are in the U.S. across 14 states, and five are international schools and systems across four countries. The number of institutions reviewed and those that earn this designation vary from year to year.
“Congratulations to the 2025 Schools and Systems of Distinction for demonstrating excellence in education in meeting the Cognia Performance Standards,” said the organization’s president and CEO Dr. Mark A. Elgart. “These institutions are living their commitment to improve the educational experience for every one of their students – a commitment that will serve these children for years to come.”
Based on their 2024–2025 Cognia Accreditation Engagement Review results, these schools and systems demonstrated evidence of high-quality teaching and learning. Institutions were evaluated and provided evidence of growth in learning, a healthy culture for learning, engaging and high-quality instructional environments, and effective leadership for learning—all characteristics the organization expects to see in quality schools.
Candidates for Cognia Accreditation and reaccreditation participate in a rigorous evaluation process that includes a period of self-assessment, an evaluation conducted by trained external, third-party evaluators, and an improvement phase focused on the evaluation’s results. The Cognia Performance Standards for K-12 accreditation are based on the latest research and understanding of learning, teaching, and leading. Once accredited, an institution engages in a similar engagement review process at least every six years to maintain the organization Accreditation.
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