Mark A. Elgart, Ed.D.
President & CEO, Cognia
A Legacy of Improvement
2024 Impact Report
Cognia is a forward-thinking nonprofit school improvement organization. Since 1895, Cognia has helped educators continuously improve their practice so that students receive the best learning opportunities possible. Through our partnerships with schools, we empower educators to help schools be better tomorrow than they are today.
Education is ever-changing, and Cognia also has evolved. Like the institutions we serve, our organization is committed to growth and innovation. Over the past 130 years, we have refined our performance standards, forged transformative partnerships, and introduced tools and services, enabling member institutions to shape their own continuous improvement journeys.
This report celebrates our shared achievements from the 2023-2024 academic year. Thank you for trusting us as a partner in your continuous improvement journey.
OUR MISSION
To serve as a trusted partner in advancing learning.
OUR VISION
To impact and inspire education providers to advance and enable pathways of success for all learners.
OUR VALUES
• Be Inclusive
• Engage with Honesty
• Pursue with Courage
As a trusted partner to 17 million students and 800,000 educators across 40,000 public and private institutions in 90 countries, Cognia provides the foundation for schools and systems to unlock their full potential.
Improving Through Accreditation
At Cognia, accreditation is a launchpad for continuous improvement. Our comprehensive approach examines the whole institution—policies, programs, practices, learning environments, and cultural dynamics—ensuring every element works in harmony to meet the needs of every learner.
During the 2023–2024 academic year, Cognia conducted 1,435 accreditation reviews, delivering actionable insights to educators worldwide.
- 1,253 U.S.-based institutions
- 182 international institutions
Developing the first SEA accreditation review process
In 2024, Cognia became the first accrediting organization to develop an accreditation review process specifically for state education agencies (SEAs). This innovation was realized in partnership with the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI), which became the first SEA in the United States to earn accreditation.
Cognia Accreditation for SEAs is an innovative approach to improving education that supports systems and institutions in reaching their goals. The process recognizes areas of effectiveness as well as identifies areas for improvement in operations and helps our state partners maximize efficiency. Our SEA Accreditation partners gain an outside professional perspective that enhances their capacity to lead improvement efforts beyond compliance across their state.
Introducing Performance Standards for Education Service Organizations
On July 1, 2024, Cognia unveiled its Performance Standards for Education Service Organizations (ESOs), a framework designed to meet the unique needs of these vital institutions.
Developed with input from ESO practitioners and grounded in research, these standards define the practices that drive high-quality education services and establish clear, actionable criteria for continuous improvement.
Empowering Excellence with Certification
Cognia STEM Certification began in 2014–2015 when nine schools participated in the Cognia (then AdvancED) STEM Certification Pilot Program. Building on this foundation of excellence, Cognia developed a competency-based education (CBE) certification in collaboration with the Aurora Institute’s CompetencyWorks initiative.
Between 2023 and 2024, 156 schools and systems earned certification:
- 24 competency-based education (CBE) certifications
- 132 early learning, K-12, and postsecondary STEM certifications
New partnership initiative funds schools’ STEM certifications
In 2024, Briar Woods High School in Virginia achieved two “firsts.” It was the first public high school in the state to receive Cognia STEM Certification. It was also the first school to partner with a business in its certification process—the Chantilly office of Engineering Consulting Services (ECS), a company specializing in geotechnical, construction materials, environmental, and facilities engineering.
This new partnership program bridges education and industry, empowering schools to deliver quality STEM learning experiences that prepare students for real-world success.
The birth of CBE certification
In 2023, Westminster Public Schools (WPS), the first district to earn Cognia Competency-based Education (CBE) Certification, celebrated its fifth consecutive year off Colorado’s “Accountability Clock.”
The district’s partnership with Cognia began in 2017 when WPS sought support for its competency-based model after struggling to align with Colorado’s age-based assessments. Several of its schools had been placed on the state’s Accountability Clock. Together, WPS and Cognia crafted a managed pathway plan rooted in continuous improvement. By 2018, the district was officially “off the clock” and has since maintained a state rating of Accredited with Improvement.
Today, WPS’ ongoing success is a beacon of innovation and improvement, inspiring schools and districts nationwide to embrace the transformative power of competency-based learning.
Transforming Instructional Practice Through Observation
Launched in 2012, the Effective Learning Environments Observation Tool® (eleot®) was Cognia’s first classroom observation instrument designed to measure and foster a learner-centric, engaging classroom environment. In 2021, we expanded this toolset with the Teacher Observation Tool to support teachers’ professional growth with learner-centric teaching strategies. In 2024, Cognia enhanced its observation capabilities again with the launch of the Environmental Rating for Early Learning online observation tool.
During the 2023–2024 academic year, eleot and the Teacher Observation Tool facilitated 253,322 classroom observations. Educators conducted an additional 1,528 early learning observations, examining best practices for fostering early childhood development.
Over one million observations with eleot
In February 2024, schools and systems using the Effective Learning Environments Observation Tool reached an extraordinary milestone: over one million classroom observations have been conducted since the tool’s launch.
This achievement underscores the pivotal role eleot plays in fostering learner-centric environments and driving meaningful improvement in teaching and learning. Educators gain valuable insights with each observation and help shape more engaging, effective, and empowering classrooms for students worldwide.
Turning Challenges into Opportunities
Since its introduction in 2012, Cognia Diagnostic Review has been a cornerstone of improvement for schools and systems needing comprehensive or targeted support and improvement for schools with pockets of underperformance. This process uncovers the root causes for underperformance, provides a roadmap for success, and builds leaders’ capacity to champion meaningful change and effective continuous improvement. To date, we have conducted 446 diagnostic reviews.
Our turnaround services offer a further boost via intensive, data-driven support to help struggling institutions achieve sustained progress. As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, we are expanding our turnaround services to help schools build leader capacity and provide even more institutions with on-site support.
During the 2023–2024 academic year, Cognia conducted 53 diagnostic reviews, equipping educators with critical insights to address the root causes of academic underperformance—whether among specific student subgroups or the general population.
Schools achieve remarkable gains with Cognia Diagnostic Review
In 2023, Jefferson County Schools in Alabama saw a dramatic shift in performance, thanks to their partnership with Cognia and the power of our Diagnostic Review process. By expanding improvement planning and adopting a data-driven approach, the district achieved significant gains in state-level accountability indicators for individual schools.
- Fultondale High School: Demonstrated more growth in college and career readiness than 99% of other high schools statewide.
- Pleasant Grove High School: Achieved academic growth surpassing 86% of other high schools in the state.
- Minor Community School: Outperformed 91% of elementary schools in academic growth statewide.
These results highlight how Cognia’s targeted, data-driven approach empowers schools to overcome challenges and drive meaningful improvement. Together, we are shaping a brighter future for every learner in Jefferson County Schools.
Turnaround processes launch academic growth
In 2023, Hawkins Mill Elementary School and Trezevant High School in Memphis-Shelby Schools, Tennessee, shattered expectations, rising from the bottom 5% of the state’s Title I schools and achieving growth that outpaced even historically high-performing schools. These remarkable results were made possible through their partnership with Cognia in Tennessee’s turnaround pilot program.
Once designated for Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) due to persistent underperformance, both schools embraced the data-driven Cognia Turnaround Process and rewrote their stories of success.
At Hawkins Mill Elementary, third graders’ math growth surpassed the majority of third graders across Tennessee, including students in more affluent and high-performing schools. At Trezevant High School, English II student growth exceeded 92% of all high schools in the state. Biology student growth outpaced 77% of all high schools statewide.
Assessments with Actionable Insights
Summative assessments provide key academic performance data for states
Cognia provides summative assessments for 1.2 million students across the country, helping institutions meet state and federal accountability requirements. Our summative assessments provide meaningful data to states, districts, schools, and educators to understand their students’ performance against academic content standards. Cognia offers rich reporting capabilities as well as professional learning opportunities around assessment literacy to support the use of summative assessment data in schools. Cognia also develops alternate assessments for many states, providing opportunities for all students to demonstrate progress in their learning.
Cognia acquires CenterPoint Education Solutions
On July 1, 2024, Cognia took a bold step forward by acquiring CenterPoint Education Solutions, a highly regarded nonprofit known for its innovative interim, diagnostic, and screening assessments. This strategic partnership enhances Cognia’s ability to meet the evolving needs of schools and systems by delivering flexible, curriculum- and standards-based assessments throughout the school year.
With the addition of CenterPoint Education Solutions, Cognia now offers an expanded interim evaluation system designed to empower educators with actionable insights at key intervals.
Interim assessments drive significant two-year gains
From 2021 to 2023, Carmen Schools of Science and Technology in Wisconsin achieved significant progress, transforming student outcomes through the strategic implementation of Cognia Interim Assessments.
Leveraging our interim assessments, Carmen Schools established a data cycle that integrated professional learning to empower educators with actionable insights, deep dives into assessment data to identify trends, and instructional planning tailored to meet student needs and accelerate growth.
Across all schools and grades:
- The percentage of students scoring in the “Does Not Meet” range on state tests decreased.
- The percentage of students scoring in the “Meets” and “Exceeds” ranges increased significantly.
- Notably, sixth-grade students showed a 31.7% increase in the percentage of students in the “Exceeds” range.
Carmen Schools’ success underscores the transformational power of data-driven instruction. Their achievement sets a powerful example of how focusing on growth and continuous improvement can drive real results.
Improvement Solutions for Leaders and Educators
Cognia provides customizable professional learning experiences and leadership development solutions. We provide in-person, virtual, and asynchronous experiences, providing flexibility and depth for school leaders and educators to achieve meaningful results.
The Cognia Learning Community enhances professional learning with an interactive platform where educators access high-quality content, collaborate with peers, and accelerate improvement on their own schedule. Since the Cognia Learning Community launch in 2022, its learning labs have been used by 61,548 educators and education leaders.
The Cognia Leadership Circle professional learning community connects district leaders with their peers for on-demand problem-solving and professional growth.
Cognia hosts inaugural Leadership Circle Summit
In October 2023, Cognia hosted its first Leadership Circle Summit. We brought together district superintendents from across the nation for an immersive, four-day in-person event. The summit created a dynamic environment where leaders came together to collaborate, share insights, and explore innovative solutions to pressing challenges. The event also featured prominent speakers and experts, including New York Times bestselling author John C. Maxwell, who led a small-group session.
In a post-event survey, an outstanding 100% of participants affirmed that the summit’s collaborative, peer-led learning approach effectively met their professional growth needs.
Cognia announces partnership with AASA
In September 2024, Cognia proudly announced an agreement with AASA, The School Superintendents Association. The new partnership gives AASA members access to Cognia’s exclusive Leadership Circle professional community.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR WORK WITH AASA IN A RECENT LEADER CHAT EPISODE >
130 Years of Commitment and a Look to the Future
Moving forward, we will continue to modernize accreditation, help schools build capacity for improvement, assess student learning in real time with actionable data, and use data for informed decision-making. We are laying the groundwork for educators skilled at fostering student engagement and knowledge so learners become problem solvers. We are planning improvements to how we serve leaders and support professional learning in the Cognia Learning Community and will grow our partnerships with state education agencies pursuing Cognia SEA Accreditation.
We’re so thankful for our school and district partners who make our work possible, and who improve the lives of students every single day. We are excited for the future and look forward to finding new ways to serve as a trusted partner in advancing learning.