Other organizations supporting independent schools and educators
The Alabama Independent School Association’s mission is to serve independent schools in the state of Alabama by providing its member schools with educational and corporate services and programs focusing on excellence in academics, accreditation, and athletics. Member schools have voluntarily joined the AISA and follow the guidelines and standards in order to provide a quality school program.
A dynamic community of independent schools in the Greater Delaware Valley and beyond, ADVIS enriches and sustains schools through advocacy, thought leadership, professional development, and networking opportunities.
AISAP is the primary resource and leading advocate for the community of independent school admission and enrollment management professionals. The mission of AISAP is to support and advance those involved in admission and enrollment management in their responsibilities for advancing the institutional mission and financial sustainability of their respective schools.
The American Montessori Society (AMS) is the foremost advocate for quality Montessori education, an innovative, child-centered approach to learning. AMS sets the high professional standards that inform Montessori education as practiced in AMS-accredited schools and taught in AMS-affiliated teacher education programs.
As an advocate for independent school technology leaders and their staff, ATLIS provides a focused professional network to share resources and knowledge, grow future leaders in the field, and advance best practices that further the mission of independent schools.
The Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA) is a nonprofit membership organization of independent Waldorf Schools and Institutes in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The Association was founded in 1968 to assist schools and institutes in working together to strengthen and nurture Waldorf Education and to advance Waldorf principles.
Cognia (formerly AdvancED) is the world’s largest education community, serving more than 30,000 public and private schools and districts across the United States and in more than 70 countries that educate over 16 million students. Cognia believes that students must be prepared to succeed in a constantly-evolving and diverse world and that educational institutions have a deep responsibility to deliver quality education to students from all walks of life.
CSEE’s mission is to provide leading resources, expert voices, and an active forum for ethical growth and spiritual development in academically rigorous schools. CSEE represents a broad network of schools that share resources and commit together to nurture ethically rigorous and spiritually grounded citizens for tomorrow’s world.
Enrollment Management Association supports its members by offering the resources and tools that help enrollment leaders and schools thrive. They believe that the admission practices of the past will not sustain the independent schools of the future. Their mission is to provide unparalleled leadership and service in meeting the admission assessment and enrollment needs of schools, students, and families.
The Friends Council on Education provides leadership in drawing Friends schools together in unity of spirit and cooperative endeavors. The Council’s work nurtures the Quaker life of schools, strengthens the network of support across schools, promotes Friends education through consultations, programs, and publications, and assists in the establishment of new Friends schools. The Council helps Friends schools maintain their Quaker identity and ethos, and their relationship with the Religious Society of Friends. The Council promotes professional growth for trustees, heads, administrators, and faculty to further the goals of Quaker education, and serves as a voice for Friends schools in the national dialogue on education.
Today, FCIS evaluates and accredits independent schools throughout Florida. As one of the nation’s largest organizations of independent schools, it represents over 70,000 students in 158 member schools. The Council assures that each school maintains high standards and independence of character without political , financial, or bureaucratic pressures.
Georgia Independent School Association (GISA) is an association of private, independent, and parochial schools throughout the state. The mission of GISA is to advance excellence and collaboration among Georgia’s independent schools by serving the professional growth, advocacy and interscholastic needs of member schools. Each member school is unique, while sharing a unified commitment to overall excellence as well as to the nurture and care of the physical, intellectual, social and moral development of all students.
The purpose of ISACS is to promote the development of strong learning communities characterized by high achievements, social responsibility, and independence of governance, programs and policies. This goal is achieved through a rigorous accreditation process, targeted professional development programs, and focused support services.
KAIS provides professional development opportunities for member teachers through workshops, speakers, etc. It provides a means of communication between faculties of member schools on professional development issues, and it organizes a central file of resources – local, regional, and national- for future PDC opportunities. KAIS serves as a professional development advisory to KAIS administrators.
The Mississippi Association of Independent Schools is charged with accrediting schools, certifying teachers, organizing and overseeing athletic competition in seventeen sports, and many other important functions for our schools.
MISBO is the only association that provides members discounted purchasing uniquely developed for independent schools in the United States who need to save money in an era of expanding educational choices.
The mission of NAES is to serve those who serve Episcopal schools. Within the Christian tradition of inclusion and open inquiry, NAES: Affirms the spiritual dimension of learning that values both faith and reason, Creates and nurtures an extended community of leaders in order to foster partnerships, unity, mutual support and professional growth, Promotes personal formation through moral, spiritual, intellectual, creative, physical and social development, Assists Episcopal schools in creating supportive communities through worship, learning, pastoral care and service, Recognizes, appreciates and supports the diversity within and among Episcopal schools and Helps schools explore, discover and articulate their visions and ministries as Episcopal schools.
The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is a nonprofit membership association that provides services to more than 1,700 schools and associations of schools in the United States and abroad, including 1,400 independent private K-12 schools in the U.S.
The National Business Officers Association (NBOA) is the only national nonprofit membership association focused exclusively on supporting independent school business officers and business operations staff while fostering financial and operational excellence among independent PK-12 schools.
NCAIS is an association of 90 member schools, with over 3600 teachers serving approximately 42,000 students. The association promotes educational excellence and empowers member schools to thrive in pursuit of their missions. Our core commitments are to provide leading-edge educational opportunities, communities of colleagues, guidance in school leadership and governance, legislative advocacy, and partnerships and resources.
A consortium of accrediting associations for the recognition of early childhood, elementary, and secondary private schools. Serves as a national review panel for the standards and review procedures of private school accrediting associations.
The New Jersey Association of Independent Schools (NJAIS) is a non-profit, voluntary membership association whose mission is to foster the educational, ethical, and professional excellence of its member schools, while safeguarding their independence.
The NWAIS mission is to assist schools in fulfilling their mission to provide high quality education for children by promoting and protecting the independence of our schools, by representing the interest of our schools, and by fostering collegial relationships and ethical leadership within our schools.
The NYSAIS mission is to promotes the independence, well-being, and public understanding of, and respect for, New York independent schools and serves as an accrediting body chartered by the New York State Board of Regents.
A consortium of private school accrediting associations recognized by the Oklahoma State Department of Education. The purpose of the OPSAC Commission is to assist the State Board of Education by assuring the educational quality and compliance with applicable rules of the Board by recognized, accredited private schools in the state.
The PAIS mission is to support its member schools as they help to build each child’s intellectual, ethical, aesthetic and physical foundation for a lifetime of learning. To this end, PAIS also respects and supports the profession of teaching, and encourages school programs dedicated to educating the whole child.
Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS) is a member services organization. “The purpose of the Corporation shall be to represent and support member independent schools in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and in Delaware.”
SAES represents eleven dioceses across five states in the southwest. SAES is approved by TEPSAC and recognized by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), and its accreditation process is also approved by the State of New Mexico Education Department and the Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The Association of Boarding Schools serves college-preparatory boarding schools in the United States and around the globe. The Association leads a domestic and international effort to promote awareness and understanding of boarding schools and to expand the applicant pool for member institutions. TABS is the one-stop, indispensable resource for educators seeking training, research, guidance, and support on all issues pertaining to the residential school experience. TABS is the voice for independent boarding schools, their historical contribution to our world, and the current and compelling benefits of living and learning in an academic community.
The Tennessee Association of Independent Schools is a voluntary association of fifty-six schools located throughout the state of Tennessee. It is a non-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors, all of whom are currently serving as Headmasters of TAIS schools.
TEPSAC helps ensure quality in private schools by monitoring and approving organizations that accredit the various non-public elementary and secondary educational institutions in the state of Texas.
The Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) has served since 1973 as the Commonwealth’s first resource for independent pre-collegiate education, promoting educational, ethical, and professional excellence in its member schools. VAIS is an approved accrediting body recognized by the Virginia Board of Education and the National Association of Independent Schools and is a nonprofit voluntary membership organization.
The Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE) oversees accreditation of nonpublic preschool, elementary and secondary schools in the Commonwealth. VCPE facilitates a statewide framework for communication and cooperation among private schools, their public school counterparts, state and local governments, and other agencies and organizations.
