Decatur, Georgia — Cognia® names The Museum School of Avondale Estates a 2024 Cognia® School of Distinction for excellence in education. This year Cognia, the global nonprofit school improvement organization, recognized 60 schools and school systems in the United States and Puerto Rico, and five other countries across the globe as 2024 Cognia Schools or Systems of Distinction.
“I am pleased to congratulate The Museum School of Avondale Estates for their designation as a 2024 Cognia School of Distinction, a program which recognizes public and non-public institutions that exemplify excellence in education and service to learners,” said Dr. Mark A. Elgart, president and CEO of Cognia. Cognia selected The Museum School as one of the 49 schools and 11 systems out of more than 1,952 eligible institutions that hosted a Cognia Accreditation Engagement Review during the 2023-2024 school year.
“We are honored to be named a 2024 Cognia School of Distinction. This recognition reflects our unwavering commitment to excellence and our dedication to empowering every learner. It is a testament to the hard work of our talented educators, supportive families, and the remarkable students who inspire us every day,” said Dr. Katherine Kelbaugh, Executive Director, The Museum School of Avondale Estates.
The Museum School first earned Cognia Accreditation in 2015 and reaccreditation in June 2024. During the 2023-2024 school year, The Museum School participated in Cognia’s rigorous Accreditation Engagement Review process, which is grounded in research-based performance standards. The process includes a third-party review of evidence by education experts, interviews, and classroom observations. The review evaluates institutions and seeks evidence of growth in learning, a healthy culture for learning, engaging and high-quality instructional environments, and effective leadership for learning—all characteristics Cognia expects to see in quality schools that also demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement.
“The Museum School is to be commended for earning the designation as a School of Distinction,” said Dr. Mark A. Elgart, president and CEO of Cognia. “Cognia Accreditation is already a mark of school quality recognized around the world. Being named a School or System of Distinction further acknowledges the demonstrated commitment to education quality and a mindset of continuous improvement The Museum School has for its learners,” Elgart added.
For Cognia Global Network member institutions, Cognia offers an opportunity to earn designation as a school or system of distinction in the year in which an accreditation engagement review is held. Unlike the typical six-year accreditation cycle, this program recognizes institutions that host a Cognia Accreditation Engagement Review within the recognition year and winners carry the designation for one year. Learn more about Cognia Accreditation at Cognia.org.
About The Museum School
The Museum School of Avondale Estates is a K-8 public charter school in central DeKalb County, Ga. Its museum model of education provides project-based learning through partnerships with museums and other learning institutions and is a proven instructional approach. Now in its fifteenth academic year, TMS serves close to 600 students and is chartered by the DeKalb County School District and the Georgia Department of Education. For more information, visit www.themuseumschool.org.
About Cognia
Cognia is a global, nonprofit improvement organization dedicated to helping institutions and other education providers grow learners, teachers, and leaders. Cognia offers accreditation and certification, assessment, and improvement services within a framework of continuous improvement. Serving 40,000 public and private institutions from early learning through high school in more than 90 countries, Cognia brings a global perspective to advancing teaching and learning. Find out more at cognia.org.
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