Accreditation vs. Affiliation: A Clearer Look

Caroline Was Shocked When She Asked Her Daughter’s School To Show Accreditation Certificate

Caroline, a resident of San Jose, is a single mother with a daughter, Aurelia. Caroline has a busy lifestyle and does two jobs to support her family. As Aurelia turned six this year, Caroline started looking for the best schools in the city for her daughter. While going through the pile of brochures, she came across an attractive school brochure with the word “accreditation” written on it. Not aware of its meaning, she thought it was a mark of testament or recognition, and she enrolled Aurelia in that school.

Now, six months after Aurelia started attending the school, Caroline observed that her daughter wasn’t learning anything new in her school. She couldn’t answer simple questions that should have been a cakewalk for her based on her age and grade. Caroline went to the school and enquired about the progress and the school’s proof of accreditation. The school could not provide satisfactory answers and was visibly caught off guard. It appeared that they were tricking parents with fraudulent accreditation claims.

She complained to the local law enforcement authorities about the school and its fraudulent practices and withdrew her daughter from that school. She started doing thorough research to find out about accreditation so that she could make the right decisions for her daughter’s academic future.

Lesson Learnt But The Hard Way

After losing a year of her daughter’s precious learning time and a significant amount of her hard-earned money, Caroline learned the lesson. Many of us often come across the terms- affiliation and accreditation and get confused because these sound quite similar and are used very loosely by the masses. However, there is a large difference between them, and a clear understanding of these terms might save us from incurring losses in terms of valuable resources.

It may appear overwhelming to you to conduct research on these terms and find out their meaning and application in shaping your child’s academic future, but don’t worry; we are here to help you. Let’s get ahead and understand the meaning and significance of both of these terms in a simple and easy-to-understand language.

What is Accreditation?

Accreditation is the process through which an institution is evaluated and approved for meeting certain specified standards. It ensures that the institution is credible and can cater to the requirements essential for the people it serves. It is important for various institutions, such as the educational, healthcare, and social sectors.

What is Affiliation?

Affiliation is a close association or linkage of a person, group, or organization with another that shares similar goals. Its main aim is the expansion of networks, managing relations, and attaining personal goals through dedication and cooperation.

Let’s find out the similarities and differences between Accreditation & Affiliation

Similarities Between Accreditation & Affiliation

Why is Accreditation so Important?

Accreditation is essential because it provides the needed proof to the parents that a reliable accredited board approves the institution and is the perfect fit for their child.
Kids who are studying in accredited schools are provided with a high-quality education.
Accreditation automatically influences the reputation of the institution.
It also helps students transfer credit points from other accredited institutions.
It assists in evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the institution so that it can make improvements to make it even better.
It fosters a feeling of safety and quality for the students and faculty.

What is the Importance of Affiliation?

Being affiliated with a certain board allows schools to share resources and knowledge content that helps enrich the curriculum.
The affiliation of resources such as libraries and laboratories to conduct research leads to an overall enhanced educational experience.
Affiliations with renowned educational institutions will eventually lead to the improvement of quality and overall standards.
It also helps in enhancing the reputation of the institution and attracts a lot of learners and faculty.
It also provides teachers with opportunities for personal development, such as enhancing their skills and knowledge.

Types of Accreditation

There are three basic types of accreditation revolving around different institutions:

1. Academic Accreditation:

Through this accreditation, educational institutions are evaluated based on meeting quality standards. It is essential for schools, colleges, and universities because it gives the parents the surety that their child is studying the right content and place.

2. Professional Accreditation:

Professional institutions are evaluated based on meeting certain criteria and improving to fit the standards. It is important for healthcare and legal institutions because it increases credibility and shows they know what they provide.

3. Business Accreditation:

Businesses are classified based on meeting the standards that are required to get accredited. It is important because it builds more trust in people and promotes professionalism in organizations.

Types of Affiliation

There are three basic types of affiliation:

Institutional

It is the association among various institutions such as schools, colleges, medical centres, etc. It is beneficial because the shared resources through affiliations lead to the overall enhancement of the institutions as a whole.

Political

It is the affiliation between a political leader or a political party. Its perks are that it increases the network, helps manage relations, and leads to reaching desired goals.

Social

It is the link between organizations, the community, and management. Creating a community where people share similar interests and goals is the actual meaning of affiliation.

Accredited vs Affiliated Schools in the USA

According to the data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), there has been an enormous rise in accreditation and affiliation in schools in the US.

Percentage of accredited schools in the USA

Out of all the accredited schools in the U.S., 75% are public, while 25% are private.

Percentage of affiliated schools in the USA

Out of all the affiliated schools in the U.S., 84% are public, while 16% of them are private.

The process of accreditation generally includes the following seven steps:

The first step consists of evaluating the institution’s strengths and weaknesses against the specific accreditation standards.
The institution submits An application to the accreditation body stating that it adheres to the required standards and seeks accreditation.
The accreditation body goes through the institution’s document verification to check whether the standards are met.
A preliminary assessment is conducted by the accreditation body team at the institution to provide feedback.
An evaluation is conducted by the agency to confirm whether the institution matches the specific requirements for approval or not.
After the evaluation, if the institution meets the specific needs, then the agency grants accreditation.
Assessments are conducted periodically to ensure the institution maintains the requirements.

The Process of Affiliation

The Affiliation process consists of 5 simple steps:

Recognizing mutual interests

As the first step, discussions over mutual interests and end goals regarding benefits are recognized by both institutions.

Agreements and disapproval

Responsibilities are assigned, and terms and conditions, etc., are formulated.

Evaluating and approval

Both of the institutions make sure that they have similar goals to achieve and that they are a perfect fit for each other.

Confirmation

Institutions make it official that they are working together.

Cooperation

After confirming the affiliation, institutions now share resources and assist each other in reaching the end goals.

How to check Accreditation and Affiliation?

If you are curious about the proof of accreditation or affiliation of a particular institution, you can verify using a simple process.

How do I check if the school is accredited or not?

To check the accreditation of an educational institution, the best thing to do is to visit its official website directly.
After that, look for the section provided for accreditation and its proof.
Check the details of the accreditation body granting the status with a date.
To verify the validity, visit the official website of the accreditation agency and find the list of institutions accredited by them.
If you find the name of the institution you were looking for, it is confirmed that it is accredited by that body.
If you still have any queries, you can directly reach out to the accreditation body by emailing or giving them a call, and they will answer all your queries.

How do you check if the school is Affiliated or not?

To check whether the institution is affiliated or not, you must visit the institution’s official website.
Now check for any dedicated segment for affiliations on their page.
If you want to verify, you can contact them directly.
They will verify that the affiliation is valid, and you’re good to go.

Quality parameters are paramount when enrolling in a school if you want to see your child succeed in academics and career. For instance, a credible school will not hide these details from parents. Rather, they are proud of the hallmarks attached to their institution. International Schooling, a Cognia, USA-accredited KG-12 American Online School, is an educational institution that might be the perfect fit for your child.

Cognia (formerly AdvancED) is a non-profit organization renowned worldwide for school accreditation. The Cognia accreditation assures that the school maintains standards and provides high-quality education. It has a network of 40,000+ schools globally and serves millions of students worldwide.

By choosing International Schooling, you will be assured that your child is in the right hands and will achieve success in all aspects of their life. International Schooling offers an enriching environment for its students that enhances their critical thinking, reasoning, interpersonal skills, etc.

International Schooling follows the American curriculum and has students from all over the world. Your child gets exposure to diverse cultures and learns about various backgrounds and viewpoints. This makes them truly educated global citizens in times to come.

This perfect opportunity won’t wait for you forever, as the enrollments are open for a limited number of seats. Enroll your child in International Schooling today and secure their future today.