School Accreditation
Indiana’s performance-based accreditation system (IC 20-21-4.1) applies to all public schools, including charter schools, and any nonpublic that voluntarily seeks and is granted state accreditation under the performance-based system. A school shall be accredited under the performance-based system if the school meets legal standards, as determined by the Indiana State Board of Education.
The Indiana State Board of Education is charged with adopting rules to establish and implement the performance-based accreditation system. This process is currently under development.
Nonpublic School Accreditation
Nonpublic schools may voluntarily seek accreditation from the Indiana State Board of Education. A nonpublic school may seek accreditation by submitting a notice of intent form to the Department during the submission window, which runs from January – April. Upon receipt of the notice of intent, the Department will provide the applicant school with the petition template, to be completed and returned to the Department. Please send any notices of intent or questions to SchoolAccountability@doe.in.gov.
Accredited Indiana Virtual Schools
Virtual/Online School in Indiana
The following standalone virtual schools are currently accredited by the Indiana State Board of Education:
- Achieve Virtual Education Academy (Public School, M S D Wayne Township)
- Achieve Virtual Elementary (Public School, M S D Wayne Township)
- Cloverdale Distance Learning Academy (Public School, Cloverdale Community Schools)
- eSACS Virtual School (Public School, MSD Southwest Allen County Schls)
- FaithPrep Indiana (Nonpublic School)
- Fort Wayne Virtual Academy (Public School, Fort Wayne Community Schools)
- Gary Virtual Academy (Public School, Gary Community School Corp)
- GEO Focus Academy (Nonpublic School)
- Indiana Connections Academy (Charter School, authorized by Ball State)
- Indiana Connections Career Academy (Charter School, authorized by Ball State)
- Indiana Digital Alternative School (Public School, Union School Corporation)
- Indiana Digital Elementary (Public School, Union School Corporation)
- Indiana Digital JR and High School (Public School, Union School Corporation)
- Indiana Gateway Digital Academy (Public School, Clarksville Community School Corporation)
- Insight School of Indiana (Charter School, authorized by Ball State)
- NAFC Virtual Academy (Public School, New Albany-Floyd Co Con Sch)
- Options Indiana (Charter School, authorized by Ball State)
- Phalen Virtual Leadership Academy (Charter School, authorized by Trine/Education One)
- South Bend Virtual School (Public School, South Bend Community School Corporation)
- Southeast Fountain Virtual Academy (Public School, Southeast Fountain School Corp)
- Trojan Virtual Academy (Public School, Duneland School Corporation)
- Vigo Virtual School Academy (Public School, Vigo County School Corporation)
- Virtual Preparatory Academy of Indiana at Madison-Grant K-5 (Public School, Madison-Grant United School Corp)
- Virtual Preparatory Academy of Indiana at Madison-Grant 6-8 (Public School, Madison-Grant United School Corp)
- Virtual Preparatory Academy of Indiana at Madison-Grant 9-12 (Public School, Madison-Grant United School Corp)
For more information on accreditation for virtual schools, please review the Office of Accountability Virtual Accreditation Guide. Information on the performance and progress of these virtual schools may be found at. Specific questions regarding a virtual school’s accreditation status and academic programming may be directed to the specific online provider.
Third-Party Accreditation for Nonpublic Schools
Third-Party Accreditation
A nonpublic school in Indiana may be recognized by the Indiana State Board of Education if the school holds accreditation with one or more of the following entities:
- Accrediting Association of Seventh-day Adventist Schools, Colleges, and Universities (AASDAS)
- Accrediting Commission for Schools Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACSWASC)
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Accrediting organizations for K-12 schools that are interested in being recognized may submit a petition to the State Board of Education for consideration. The notice of intent to submit a petition must be submitted between August 1 and September 1 prior to the school year for which the organization seeks recognition. Questions on this process may be submitted to schoolaccountability@doe.in.gov.