Why We Chose Accreditation

An “accredited school”. Is the label worth the effort?

A colleague congratulated me recently on Bridgeway Academy’s recent success in adding to our accreditation status by becoming accredited through AdvancEd and SACS CASI.  Expecting me to reflect for several minutes before answering, he went on to ask me if I thought the process was a necessary evil or a worthwhile endeavor that will impact who we are.

I had no need for hesitation.  Working to gain status as an accredited homeschool academy, although long and often arduous, was and is an incredibly valuable process for Bridgeway Academy and our students.  Yes, working to become accredited meant that we must demonstrate how we meet educational standards, how we determine success, how we customize our programs to students and ensure they consistently gain ground in their learning and growth academically.

But more valuable to us in the accreditation process was the need to examine everything.  The areas we assessed included:

1. the enrollment process
2. our staff
3. our instructors
4. our curriculum
5. our delivery systems
6. our guidelines
7. our handbooks,
8. our systems
9. and more

. . . status as an accredited school means a careful evaluation of everything.

With such close evaluation (required in order to gain accredited status), we were able to identify exactly what we do well, where we exceed expectations, and where we need improvement.  It forced us to not only stop and really assess just how well we meet the required standards and expectations but also the standards, expectations and needs of our students and families.  And what we found was both heartening and inspiring.

We were heartened to learn that in many areas, Bridgeway Academy exceeds educational requirements, exceeds what other accredited homeschool organizations provide, and exceeds the expectations of our students.

And through that accreditation process, we were also challenged when we identified several areas where we just were not quite measuring up to what we wanted for our academy and our students.  Those challenges gave birth to inspiration, to teamwork and to some incredible improvements—some already implemented; others still in development.

So as an accredited school, Bridgeway Academy is committed to constant improvement.  And that means that we truly value your input, your ideas, your suggestions.  We want our students and families to know that we are committed to your success and will do whatever we can to help you get there.

So, yes, becoming an accredited school greatly benefits our students as they move into their future, but it also greatly benefits our students right now as we continue to improve what we do to make your homeschooling experience with Bridgeway stronger and more effective than ever before.