Al-Salam Day School, which was already accredited through the Missouri Nonpublic School Accrediting Association, looked to aim higher. On Thursday, March 5, 2015, Al-Salam Day School received recommendation to receive dual accreditation from Advanc-ED, which conducts rigorous on-site external reviews of PreK-12 schools and school systems world-wide, and CISNA (Council of Islamic Schools of North America).
With dual accreditation from Advanc-Ed and CISNA, Al-Salam Day School becomes the only school in Missouri and one of the first 10 schools in North America to earn this distinction.
Over the last two years, dedicated Board members, staff members, teachers, parents, students, and beloved community members have been working on achieving dual accreditation through Advanc-Ed, an international organization which ensures that all learners realize their full potential in the United States and 70 other countries, as well as CISNA, an association of Islamic schools and educational organizations providing a forum for setting a common agenda and advocating for Islamic education.
Over two days, the Advanc-Ed external review team observed Al-Salam Day School, interviewed stakeholders, and reviewed evidence and artifacts provided by Al-Salam Day School and studied them according to their “Standards for Quality.” This requires each school to be reviewed in a way that is appropriate to its mission and purpose.
These Standards are research-based, comprehensive quality statements that describe conditions and factors that contribute to a quality educational experience and operational effectiveness. Advanc-Ed research confirms their beliefs that every school requires:
- stable governance, management, and leadership
- a coherent course of study
- a reliable system by which to assess students’ progress
- instructors who have a clear understanding of what they aim to teach, how, and why
- and access to the resources they need.
The hard work finally paid off March 5, 2015, when the external review team announced that Al-Salam Day School would be recommended to receive dual accreditation for five years from these respected and internationally recognized organizations.
Al-Salam Day School also joins area high schools such as Clayton, CBC, John F. Kennedy, and St. Joseph’s Academy to earn accreditation from Advanc-ED.
To put things in perspective, out of more than over 26,000 thousand schools in Missouri, Al-Salam Day School joins one of only 239 other Missouri schools to receive accreditation from Advanc-ED.
In addition, Al-Salam Day school is one of five, among 500 Islamic schools, to be accredited by CISNA.