Accreditation

Pacific Northwest Association of Independant Schools (PNAIS)

Accreditation of an institution by PNAIS indicates that it meets or exceeds the PNAIS Major Standards and Good Practices. The school is periodically assessed through a process that requires full disclosure and a peer group review process seeking to confirm the congruence between the school's stated mission and its actual program and services. An accredited school is one which has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation.

Accreditation by PNAIS is not partial but applies to the institution as a whole. As such, it is not a guarantee of quality of every course or program offered, or the competence of individual staff members or graduates. Rather, it provides reasonable assurance about the quality of opportunities available to students who attend the school.

PNAIS is a member in good standing of the NAIS Commission on Accreditation and has voluntarily agreed to abide by the Criteria for Effective Independent School Accreditation Practices and to submit to a thorough ten-year evaluation of its accreditation procedures by the Commission. Additionally, the PNAIS accreditation program has been recognized by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NAAS) and the State of Washington.