Accreditation
Accreditation is the act of granting credit or recognition (especially with respect to an educational institution that maintains suitable standards).
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external agency to determine if applicable standards are met. If standards are met, accredited status is granted by the agency.
DoDEA schools/systems have been through accreditation reviews for over 70 years. Beginning in 1947, with Heidelberg HS as the first accredited school.
In some countries in the world, the function of educational accreditation is conducted by a government organization, such as a ministry of education. In the U. S. and in many other countries, schools are accredited by private organizations.
The U.S. accreditation process developed in the late 19th century and early 20th century after educational institutions perceived a need for improved coordination and articulation between secondary and post-secondary educational institutions, along with standardization of requirements between the two levels.
