History

     The Florida Catholic Conference Accreditation Program is one of the oldest Catholic accreditation programs in the country and has influenced other Catholic school accreditation programs. In the late 1960's the bishops of Florida, appointed a committee to explore the process of accreditation. After studying the various accreditation programs currently in use, they decided to establish a program unique to Catholic schools in the state which would assure their Catholic identity and guarantee their constant and continued improvement. They further decided that their program would be an adaptation of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) accreditation program. In 1969, the bishops established the Florida Catholic Conference Accreditation Program and required all parochial and diocesan elementary and special education schools to be accredited. They also determined that the secondary schools would continue to seek accreditation by SACS.

     In 1970-1971, the first set of schools began the self-study process and, in 1972, were visited and received accreditation status. By 1981-1982, one-hundred forty schools had been accredited. In 1995, the Diocese of Savannah requested admission and was accepted into the program. As of June 2003, there were 170 accredited elementary schools, 9 schools in candidate status, and 18 schools in affiliate status.

     Standards are periodically reviewed, updated, and then promulgated by the bishops of Florida. The standards and accreditation process have been revised five times since 1972. Most recently, in 2000-2001, a committee was charged to revise the standards and set in motion a new process called "school improvement plan." The new standards went into effect in the 2002-2003 school year.

Purpose

     The Florida Catholic Conference Accreditation Program has established a program of accreditation for Catholic schools in the Province of Florida and the Diocese of Savannah, Georgia. The accreditation program provides a systematic process of school improvement through the application of educational standards or criteria.