Accreditation

In conjunction with the State Board of Education initiative to offer more flexibility to schools, the Indiana Department of Education has streamlined the procedure for accrediting schools and has transformed to a real-time accreditation system that is annually reported based on PL 221 category placements and compliance with IDOE Legal Standards.

New Private School/HomeSchool Tax Deduction

The new deduction is found on Indiana Department of Revenue's Schedule 2.

• Private School Deduction Instructions
• Private School Codes

Forms of Accreditation

The Indiana Department of Education accredits both public schools and non-public schools who choose to see accreditation under law. Private schools are not required to be accredited by the DOE.

There are three paths to accreditation:

• Traditional Accreditation - There are several levels of traditional accreditation, based on the school’s performance and compliance with Legal Standards:
• Full Accreditation
• Provisional Accreditation: Legal Standards Only
• Provisional Accreditation
• Probationary Accreditation
• Freeway Accreditation
• Charter School Accreditation

 Please click HERE for detailed information.

Accreditation of Schools Results for 2010-2011 Academic Year

• Most Recent Accreditation Listing 

Accreditation Legal Standards

Legal Standards are Indiana statutes and rules adopted by the Indiana State Board of Education that apply to each school for accreditation.

Instructional Time Requirements

By statute, Indiana schools at the elementary level are required to provide students with 300 minutes [five hours] of instructional time each day. These minutes cannot include time for lunch or recess. Secondary schools are required to provide students with 360 minutes [six hours] of instructional time.

180-Day School Year

In 1987, the Indiana General Assembly passed a law that extended the school year to 180 days. Before the law was passed and schools were required to make up lost days, Indiana high school graduates went to school the fewest number of days during their 13 years of schooling of students in any state in the United States. In fact, Indiana and Hawaii were the only states that did not reschedule canceled instructional days at that time.

Since that law was passed, schools are required to complete 180 full instructional days, based on the instructional time requirements described above. In the event of emergency weather conditions, schools are allowed a maximum of 120 minutes for a delayed arrival or an early dismissal. Anything beyond that amount of lost instructional time is not considered a full instructional day and the day cannot count as one of the 180 required instructional days.

Blue Ribbon and Four Star School Awards

• Indiana Four Star Schools Award
• United States Department of Education Blue Ribbon Award

Private School Numbers

410 lAC 6-5.1 defines "School" is any place, or structure in which systematic instruction of any kind or grade is carried on for more than 10 persons for five hours or more per week or two and one-half hours or more per day, including preschools, kindergartens; elementary and secondary schools providing instruction to meet the compulsory attendance law.

When schools request a school number they need to comply with the following requirements:

1. 10 students from preschool age through age 21. Students above age 21 cannot be counted unless they are special education students.
2. The school structure cannot also be used as a home.
3. Students attend this school as their primary education experience; they cannot be enrolled in another school.

Depending upon the county or municipality that a school sets within, zoning requirements may need to
be met for a school to be in compliance at that level.

Registering a private school with the Indiana Department of Education is not the same as seeking accreditation. Schools that are interested in obtaining a school number may submit a request using the Non-Public School Number Request Form

Other Resources

• Pre-kindergarten, Nursery school, preschool, day care, etc. – The State of Indiana does not accredit early childhood facilities. The Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) handles the licensing of early childhood facilities. 
• Kindergarten – The State of Indiana does not accredit stand-alone kindergartens. If the kindergarten is part of a school that includes at least first grade or higher, the kindergarten becomes part of the accredited school and all accreditation requirements apply.
• Post Secondary Schools – The Indiana Department of Education does not accredit schools beyond grade 12.

Please contact the Commission for Higher Education for information about institutions of higher education at (317) 464-4400. For information regarding post secondary education facilities that offer professional trade licenses, please contact the Commission on Proprietary Education at (800) 227-5695.