Photo by The Leon Photography

SMYRNA—Education leaders at the Archdiocese of Atlanta recently celebrated accreditation from Cognia, an organization that provides school improvement services.

Superintendent Patty Childs said the organization evaluates schools to ensure that they meet rigorous quality standards. Cognia sends external reviewers to evaluate a school’s leadership, teaching quality, and student performance.

Archdiocesan schools are accredited by Cognia under the district-wide model.

The Cognia Board (Council) Governance Certification launched in 2025, and it is specifically about the effectiveness of the archdiocesan school advisory council. The archdiocesan council was independently reviewed by Cognia and demonstrated that its practices meet Cognia’s standards for effective governance.

The primary goal of this certification is to help school leadership and advisory councils focus on student learning and student success, and to ensure that decisions are made based on mission and supported by data, said Childs.

This certification recognizes that the advisory council has been independently reviewed for effective governance. The Archdiocesan Schools Advisory Council collaborates with the Office of Catholic Schools and local school advisory councils. For parents, this certification affirms that the council has sound practices for inviting input, using evidence to guide decisions and planning for the future, keeping Catholic mission and student success at the center.