Step 1:  if not already a member, become a CISNA member – Create a school account and submit the $200.00 CISNA Annual General Membership fee.

Step 2: Submit the CISNA Accreditation Application form and fees.

• $250.00 one-time Accreditation Application fee.
• Schools may choose dual accreditation through CISNA and Cognia or Middle States Association (MSA). The school will have to become a Cognia or MSA member which will provide access to Cognia and MSA tools and resources.

After the application is received the CISNA Executive Director will provide the school with the standards and guidelines and schedule a meeting to review the process.

Step 3: Schedule an onsite or virtual Readiness Visit.

The school should be prepared to demonstrate how it meets the requirements on the Readiness Visit Checklist and be able to complete the Assurances.

Step 4: Complete the Self-Study, Assurances, School Improvement Plan, and Survey Analysis

The Self-Study including supporting evidence, the school improvement plan, and a summary of the surveys must be submitted at least 4 weeks prior to the Review Visit. All information is kept confidential.

• The Self-Study

Each standard should be addressed in terms of “how” the school meets the standard. The goal is not to simply indicate that the school complies, but to describe how and to what extent the school complies with each standard. A school should be able to demonstrate how it meets each standard by supplying supporting documentation such as governing board minutes, policy and procedure manuals, handbooks, minutes from staff meetings, etc. Supporting documentation or evidence should be hyperlinked in the relevant self-study sections.

The results of the self-study become the basis for a school’s improvement plan and provide the context for the review team’s accreditation visit.

• Islamic Identity Surveys

An important part of self-evaluation is to collect valuable feedback about the school’s purpose and impact from stakeholders. Surveys are administered to parents, students, staff, and alumni. The data is analyzed by the school to interpret the impact the school is making in each standard. A summary of the results is to be provided to the CISNA team.

Step 5:  On-site Review Visit

The CISNA review team consists of a combination of the executive director, CISNA board members and/or qualified Islamic school educators trained in the CISNA accreditation process. The number of team members and the length of the visit are determined by the size of the school. The team assesses the quality of learning environments to gain valuable insights and a broad understanding of institution quality to target improvements. The review team gathers valuable evidence and information by:

• Interviewing stakeholders such as school leaders, staff, students, parents, and alumni.
• Conducting classroom observations
• Examining artifacts and evidence

• School Overview

The principal or head of school provides a school overview, usually accompanied by a slide deck on the first day of the visit. The overview may include the following:

• The unique characteristics, history, and culture of the institution
• The current strategic priorities and/or key goals for the institution
• An explanation of the data that was used to identify the priorities and goals
• How the priorities are being addressed
• Results that measure progress in meeting the priorities and goal
• Next steps based on current progress

• Expenses

There is a fee of $800 charged to the school during the year of the visit.

Schools must cover the cost of travel, meals, and lodging for the CISNA review team. Travel may include roundtrip economy fare from team member’s origin to school location. International travel may be booked in premium economy. The school will cover individual hotel rooms for each team member and arrange or reimburse transportation to and from the team member’s home to the airport and school. If a team member uses his or her own car, mileage will be reimbursed at the rate determined by the official government rate.

• Team Members

• Up to 300 students – two team members, 2 ½ to 3 days
• 301-700 students – three team members, 3 to 4 days
• Over 700 students – three to four team members, 3 to 4 days
• Over 900 students – four to five team members, 4 to 5 days

• Exit Meeting

At the end of the visit, the team will present their preliminary findings to school leadership. A written report will be submitted to the CISNA Board within 4 weeks for approval of accreditation. Follow up virtual meetings may be conducted with CISNA Board members if needed.

Step 6: CISNA Board Approval

The CISNA Board reviews the report for clarification and overall compliance with standards. The Board will make the final determination whether the school will be approved for full five-year accreditation or provisional accreditation contingent on completing requirements outlined in the report.

For those schools applying for dual accreditation with Cognia or MSA, CISNA will send the school’s accreditation status to those agencies which will then grant accreditation. 

Step 7: Follow up after Accreditation

The CISNA Accreditation Report should serve as a guide to long-term and ongoing school improvement. The school should develop or modify an Improvement Plan based on the findings of the self-study and the team report. The school will be asked to submit an annual report which documents any major changes and actions taken to meet the team’s recommendations.

Schools must submit an Annual Report, School Improvement Plan and Accredited Member fees by January 15 of each year.

• 200 students or less $300.00
• 201 to 399 students $500.00
• 400 students or more $700.00

The Annual Report describes any changes in the school that have occurred since the previous report. This may include:

• A change in Principal or Head of School, changes in enrollment or facilities, etc.
• Progress being made on the improvement plan
• Assessment data that shows the school’s growth
• Ongoing challenges the school faces as it continues work on its improvement plan

Failure to submit a report in a timely manner may result in late fees or revocation of accreditation status. Substantive changes may require an onsite visit at the discretion of the CISNA Accreditation Council. Once a school is accredited, it must maintain membership in CISNA throughout the entire period of the accreditation which is currently five years. If membership is dropped during this time, the accreditation becomes null and void.