Cognia Special Review

  • Update - 2/13/23

    The Clarke County School District has released the findings from the latest Cognia Monitoring Review Report, which indicate continued progress toward full accredited status. The district’s accreditation status remains Accredited Under Review, but Cognia noted that the district and Board of Education have made meaningful strides in initiating the directives identified in its December 2021 site visit.

    Cognia’s Monitoring Review Team conducted a follow-up virtual site visit Dec. 12-13, 2022, and its February 2023 report documents the district’s progress on two Leadership Capacity Standards:

    • Standard 1.5: The governing authority adheres to a code of ethics and functions within defined roles and responsibilities.
    • Standard 1.7: Leaders implement operational processes and procedures to ensure organizational effectiveness in support of teaching and learning.


    Another Monitoring Review Team visit will be conducted by August 2023.

    • Click here to read the full press release.
    • Click here to read the complete February 2023 Cognia Report. 

    Update - 3/18/22

    The Clarke County School District has released the findings from the latest Cognia Monitoring Review Report, which indicate continued progress toward full accredited status. The district’s accreditation status remains Accredited Under Review, but Cognia noted that the district has made meaningful strides in initiating the directives identified in its December 2020 site visit. 

    The March 2022 report follows the Cognia Monitoring Review Team's virtual site visit, which was conducted Dec. 2-3, 2021. 

    The Monitoring Review Team complimented the district for its progress and commitment to meeting the accreditation standards of all learners, and the district is expected to demonstrate additional progress regarding Standards 1.5 and 1.7 during its regular scheduled Accreditation Engagement Review. Cognia staff will collaborate with the district to schedule that review during the 2022-23 school year.

    Update - 12/10/21

    The Clarke County School District completed a virtual site visit with Cognia last week as part of the Special Review process initially started in 2019.  

    • The focus of the review was to assess board and district progress towards the improvement priorities and directives that were given after the last review in December 2020. 
    • The Cognia Monitoring Team met with the CCSD Superintendent, Board Members, parents, community members, and district leaders throughout the day on December 2, 2021.
    • In addition, the team reviewed documents, board meeting recordings, and a written progress summary. 
    • The Board expects to receive a report of Cognia’s findings by March of 2022. 

    Update - 3/5/21

    The Clarke County School District (CCSD) released findings from the latest Cognia™ Monitoring Review Report, which shows demonstrated improvement toward full Accredited Status. Although the district remains in Accredited Under Review status, the report showed that the district made gains in two of the three Board governance areas cited as deficient in its January 2020 review. "We depend on our Board members to help keep us focused on student equity, achievement, and success," said Xernona Thomas, CCSD superintendent. "While I am encouraged by the progress Cognia has noted, the report also clearly outlines the steps needed in order to provide the type of school system our communities expect and our students deserve."

    Superintendent's Updates - 9/3/20 BOE Meeting

    • Virtual visit scheduled for December 7-8, 2020. Participants will be able to meet with Cognia representatives via Zoom.
    • 15-30 minute presentation to team with Dr. Gantt and Dr. Thomas.
    • The district will provide a narrative response under each component of the standards addressed and upload evidence of completion or progress (Diagnostic Tool).
    • Interview groups will be 45 minutes each - BOE, administrators, building leaders, community members.
    • Board training, management and efficiency of meetings, and understanding the role of governance and not operations are overall areas to be addressed. 

    Documents Related to Cognia Special Review - Posted 4.27.20

    Documents Related to the Cognia Complaint

    Information About Cognia (formerly AdvancED)