Accreditations

The Branch School has been accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest since 2018.  This prestigious accreditation is the result of tremendous hard work and dedication and the school faculty and staff are thrilled by this acknowledgement of our school and program. 

ISAS reported that "The Branch School is a dynamic community.  All constituency groups are proud of the work in which the school is engaged.   Everyone is deeply committed to students and they work to support one another to advance the mission of the school.   At every turn, the visiting committee observed education alive in the classrooms... Teachers at The Branch School are joyful in their commitment to their students.  They exercise the art and science of teaching with easy grace and enthusiastic grit."

The Branch School is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest, (ISAS).  ISAS, a member of the International Council Advancing Independent School Accreditation (ICAISA), has voluntarily submitted to a rigorous and impartial review of its accreditation program and demonstrated its adherence to the Council's Criteria for Effective Independent School Accreditation Practices.  ISAS is commended by ICAISA for the quality of the Association's accreditation program for its Member Schools.

The Branch School has been accredited by Cognia (formerly AdvancED) since 1998.  Cognia is a forward thinking nonprofit organization laser-focused on improving educational opportunities for all learners. Cognia works with schools and systems of all types and sizes across the globe to clearly assess the quality of each institution and provides an explicit set of standards and criteria for accreditation and certification. Meeting and exceeding those standards results in a valuable recognition of excellence.

At our 2018 re-accreditation visit, the following themes for recognition were noted:

• The school has shown a commitment to the culture and community through the practice of educating students in academics and character traits and providing support for opportunities to practice community values providing students with occasions to apply and achieve in learning, thinking, and life skills.
• The diverse board makeup and individual commitment to the mission of the school allow the school to function under the leadership of a strong board with daily school operations managed by uniquely qualified and experienced leadership, faculty, and staff, thus creating a highly functional management team.
• The Branch School's inspirational and caring teachers infuse a positive, safe environment conducive to augmenting student's academic, social, and emotional growth.

Their report stated that "all of the classrooms were warm and welcoming.  Respect for others is the standard and was easily observed throughout the school.  Students responded eagerly to questions and were not intimidated by the fear of failure.  Parents, students, and staff referred to the “family and community” relationship that is a hallmark of The Branch School."