NTES International Accreditation & Quality Library
Explore Cognia Accreditation, Performance Standards, external Engagement Review and the continuous-improvement process used by schools and education systems internationally.
Cognia combines research-based standards, institutional self-assessment and independent external evaluation to strengthen learning, leadership and organisational effectiveness.
Global Reach
100+ countries
Standards
Research-based performance standards
External Review
Trained third-party evaluators
Continuing Review
At least every 6 years
Understanding Cognia
Cognia Accreditation uses research-based Performance Standards and independent external evaluation to examine educational quality and organisational effectiveness.
The process is designed to help institutions identify strengths, understand improvement opportunities and use evidence to strengthen teaching and learning over time.
Cognia applies accreditation across a wide range of schools, systems and education providers while adapting the process to institutional context.
Cognia quality model
Performance Standards
Institutional self-assessment
Evidence review
External Engagement Review
Professional feedback
Continuous improvement
Cognia Performance Standards
Cognia organises its current K–12 and postsecondary standards around four characteristics describing conditions associated with effective learning.
The institution creates a healthy learning culture aligned with its mission and vision, where learners, families and educators are connected to the purpose and work of the school.
Mission and values
Learner needs
Stakeholder engagement
Supportive culture
Fairness and inclusion
Leaders influence and support the conditions, systems and professional practices required for effective teaching, learning and organisational improvement.
Strategic leadership
Organisational effectiveness
Professional capacity
Resource alignment
Continuous improvement
Learners are actively included in the learning process and are supported to develop confidence, agency, curiosity and sustained engagement.
Learner engagement
Student agency
High-quality instruction
Learning environments
Active participation
The institution evaluates learner growth within its programmes and curricula and considers readiness for future stages of learning.
Learner progress
Assessment evidence
Programme impact
Learning outcomes
Future readiness
Standards-based improvement
Cognia's current standards emphasise the learner, fairness, well-being and the institutional practices that shape high-quality education.
Performance Standards focus on the learner and the impact institutional practices have on the learner's educational journey.
Cognia emphasises fair opportunities and conditions that allow every learner to reach their potential.
Quality education includes attention to learners' wider circumstances, environment and well-being, not instruction alone.
Evaluation depends on evidence, stakeholder perspectives, professional review and analysis of institutional performance.
Accreditation journey
Cognia Accreditation combines institutional reflection, independent review and improvement activity.
Step 01
Institutions begin through Cognia membership and establish readiness to engage with accreditation requirements and continuous-improvement expectations.
Step 02
The institution reviews its practices and evidence against relevant Cognia requirements and Performance Standards.
Step 03
Leaders and stakeholders organise evidence showing how institutional practices affect teaching, learning, leadership and organisational effectiveness.
Step 04
Trained third-party evaluators review evidence, engage with stakeholders and evaluate institutional performance against Cognia standards.
Step 05
The institution receives professional findings and feedback identifying strengths, opportunities and priorities for improvement.
Step 06
The school or system acts on the findings and integrates accreditation evidence into its continuing improvement work.
Step 07
Accredited institutions maintain their improvement journey and undergo further engagement review within the continuing accreditation cycle.
Continuous improvement
Cognia positions accreditation within a wider continuous-improvement framework rather than treating external review as the final outcome.
Schools can use accreditation feedback, institutional evidence and improvement tools to refine strategic priorities and monitor progress over time.
Professional application
Cognia's emphasis on evidence and continuous improvement aligns naturally with a structured internal self-evaluation process.
Schools can maintain evidence throughout the year, evaluate the impact of improvement initiatives and use findings to strengthen leadership decisions before external review.
Understand Cognia accreditation expectations
Review school or system readiness
Strengthen evidence-based self-assessment
Evaluate teaching and learning quality
Review leadership effectiveness
Organise evidence for external evaluation
Identify improvement priorities
Monitor progress through continuous improvement
International comparison
Each framework connects accreditation and improvement in a different way, so schools should understand the expectations of the system relevant to them.
| Area | Cognia | ACS WASC | NEASC | CIS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall orientation | Evidence-based accreditation and continuous improvement focused on teaching, learning and organisational effectiveness. | Continuous-improvement accreditation focused on student learning, stakeholder self-study and schoolwide action planning. | Developmental accreditation combining strong foundations with learner-centred transformation and peer review. | Developmental international accreditation aligned with organisational learning and strategic improvement. |
| Internal evaluation | Institutional self-assessment against Performance Standards and evidence of organisational quality. | Whole-school self-study involving stakeholders and evaluation of programme impact on student learning. | Structured self-reflection linked to learning impact, organisational capacity and strategic planning. | School-led self-study and Development Initiatives aligned with strategic priorities. |
| External review | Third-party review by trained external evaluators using evidence and Performance Standards. | Peer visiting committee validates and enhances the self-study findings. | Peer review through trained visiting teams and formal external review. | Trained peer evaluation supported by CIS representatives. |
| Improvement emphasis | Continuous improvement across learning culture, leadership, engagement and learner growth. | Schoolwide action planning, annual progress review and continuous improvement. | Learner-centred transformation, future-focused education and continuous school development. | Organisational learning, strategic development and socially responsible leadership. |
Official Cognia resources
Schools should use current Cognia guidance when making decisions about accreditation, membership or formal improvement processes.
Official overview of Cognia Accreditation, accreditation pathways, eligibility and continuous-improvement expectations.
View Cognia AccreditationOfficial Cognia standards organised around Culture of Learning, Leadership for Learning, Engagement of Learning and Growth in Learning.
View Performance StandardsOfficial explanation of Cognia's learner-centred, research-based approach to accreditation and continuous improvement.
Explore Standards ApproachOfficial Cognia information about continuous-improvement services and data-informed improvement processes.
Explore ImprovementOfficial membership information including tools, evaluation resources, professional learning and improvement support.
View MembershipOfficial information about Cognia Diagnostic Review and its use in identifying root causes and supporting school turnaround.
Explore Diagnostic ReviewAccreditation requirements, standards, review arrangements, membership conditions and fees can change. Schools should confirm current information directly with Cognia before making formal accreditation decisions.
NT Education Solutions is an independent education provider. Inclusion of Cognia, its accreditation framework or related information does not imply endorsement, approval, partnership or affiliation.
From accreditation findings to improvement
The NTES School Self-Evaluation Toolkit supports evidence review, triangulation, validated strengths and development areas, priority selection and leadership validation.