CSI Accreditation Protocol, Measuring the Mission, Receives an Update  

It is critical on a regular basis for an accreditation organization, such as CSI, to submit its accreditation process to a thorough review, a deep dive into its accreditation protocol. Historically faithful in such work, the CSI accreditation team recently completed a full protocol review. Measuring the Mission had last been revised in 2019 and it was time for an “overhaul.”

The intended outcome of this thorough look into the CSI accreditation protocol was the development of a revitalized version of Measuring the Mission, one in which terminology and concepts were edited, revised, and refreshed. It was time to again examine our protocol against industry standards for the continuity of excellence and also to determine what information was redundant or perhaps missing from former versions of Measuring the Mission. Through this work, our hope was that the CSI accreditation process would continue to be the accreditation model of choice for Christian school accreditation, challenging schools to measure their unique mission, and find themselves faithful to their purpose and calling.

The CSI accreditation team made an intentional decision for the Measuring the Mission review process to be a fully collaborative effort with stakeholders. Measuring the Mission review teams included many individuals in school leadership who use the protocol, some original authors of Measuring the Mission, several accreditation regional coordinators, and various experts from other Christian educational service organizations. The CSI accreditation team is so very thankful to these individuals who gave of their time, energy, and expertise to bring Measuring the Mission to its next level of excellence.

Reflections from Two Review Team Members

CSI Regional Coordinator and Sioux Center Christian School Head of School, Josh Bowar, who was a member of the team that worked on the Measuring the Mission revision team, had these thoughts to share:

“As both a regional coordinator and a head of school, I’m excited to start using the updated version of Measuring the Mission. Throughout the revision process, I witnessed thoughtful conversations, intentional writing, and healthy questioning. Members of the revision team were “all in,” passionate about providing the very best tool for CSI member schools. The CSI accreditation process continues to help schools faithfully live out their missions, with a focus on why we exist: to treasure and train God’s kids so that they may be transformed. The updated accreditation tool reflects current best practices and timeless truths, while still respecting and providing room for the unique needs and situations of each school. The best schools are on a journey of continuous improvement, and Measuring the Mission 2022 will serve as an effective roadmap.”

Krista Wright, high school principal at Central Valley Christian Schools, was another member of the revision team. Krista is looking forward to leading her school through Measuring the Mission 2022 in the upcoming school year.

“Last spring, I had the unique opportunity to participate in the review and revision of Christian School International’s Measuring the Mission accreditation protocol. I knew that in the coming months, I would be leading my school, Central Valley Christian Schools in Visalia, California, through the accreditation process so this seemed like a good chance to get a sneak preview of the updated standards. Little did I know that this work would actually grow my enthusiasm for digging into our upcoming accreditation self-study process.

During the Measuring the Mission revision work, teams of Christian educators examined the standards closely. We worked together to update the standards into meaningful benchmarks which measure today’s Christian schools, who are responding to the current environment while staying rooted in their Christian school legacy.

As I observed the transformation of the Measuring the Mission standards, I became excited for how the updated standards would point us toward a school improvement plan that would help us be more responsive to the needs of our students, staff, and community stakeholders. I greatly appreciate the strong emphasis on our statement of faith on which the foundation of our school holds firm. There are standards on governance that help protect our school from potential political threats. In the post-COVID era, I commend the strengthened standards concerning student health and guidance as well as additional emphasis on school safety.

But as an academic leader who strives to develop leaders from within and foster a collaborative culture, I am most excited about the updates to the Teaching for Learning and Leading for Learning strands of the protocol. I find that collaborative teams that are laser-focused on student learning are able to ensure high levels of learning for all students. Together, teams of professional educators are the best people to clarify their standards, accurately assess student learning, respond with meaningful intervention, and discern best practices from their student data. Greater emphasis on this collaborative commitment to continuous improvement is an ambitious goal for Central Valley Christian but one that I believe is a worthy pursuit.

Those who have led the CSI accreditation process can attest to the countless hours of detail-oriented effort required to complete the tasks of the self-study and school improvement plan. To be honest, I feared the accreditation process would feel as though we were jumping through hoops. In contrast, I have found Measuring the Mission 2022 provides essential direction to guide Central Valley Christian through a healthy process of self-evaluation. I look forward to witnessing the intentional growth that comes out of our next school improvement plan.”

Thank you to Josh, Krista, and all the other review team members for their work. Below is a complete list of the review team members who participated in this important work.

Measuring the Mission Review Team

If your school is not yet accredited through CSI, please contact us for more information. Measuring the Mission 2022 is currently in use by several schools, and many additional schools are looking forward to its implementation in the coming semester. If you would like to learn more about Measuring the Mission 2022 or CSI accreditation, visit our accreditation webpage or contact Sheryl Jo, director of accreditation.