Gwinnett County Public Schools staff, elected leaders, students, parents and other community members will meet next week with the agency that determines the district’s accreditation.
The accreditation process by Cognia occurs every five years and involves numerous interviews, focus groups and a review of district materials.
In response to complaints about the Gwinnett school system, the agency conducted a special review of the state’s largest school district last year. That didn’t result in any penalties, but the review process is ongoing.
The main areas of Cognia’s attention during the routine evaluation that’s about to start are the district’s leadership, instruction and resources, said Al Taylor, the district’s associate superintendent for improvement and operations.
This year’s process will occur entirely through Zoom Monday through March 11, Taylor said.
At the end of that week, Cognia’s evaluator will discuss the district’s strengths and weaknesses. The full accreditation decision and report will come in the summer, Taylor said.
Accreditation provides colleges with a consistent set of standards for evaluating applicants, Cognia’s president previously told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It’s also a key element of Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship, which helps college-bound students pay for tuition at in-state institutions.
Cognia conducted a special review of Gwinnett just a few months ago. Last June, the agency investigated complaints about the school board and the district’s adherence to accreditation standards. The specific complaints were kept confidential.
Gwinnett retained its accreditation without facing any penalties, but Cognia did highlight some issues.
In a report released in September, the agency said the school board did not always adhere to parliamentary procedure and recommended training to ensure orderly discussions. It said board members broke the district’s chain of command by asking questions of staff members rather than the superintendent and improperly called an emergency meeting.
Cognia also said a board member posted a video with unprofessional language and another with racially insensitive language. It didn’t specify the language or the member.
The district implemented procedures and training to address Cognia’s critiques.
While Cognia decided not to penalize Gwinnett, the special review process is not complete. Cognia will conduct a follow-up assessment during the regular accreditation review, Taylor said. The final report of the special review is expected to be released this summer.
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