LAKE CHARLES — The Office of Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Lake Charles announced on August 10, 2023, that the Diocese has earned system accreditation by Cognia™, a nonprofit organization that provides quality assurance for schools, school districts, and education service providers.
Cognia, formerly AdvancED, nationally recognizes districts that meet rigorous standards that focus on productive learning environments, equitable resource allocation that meet the needs of learners, and effective leadership. Earning accreditation from the Cognia Global Accreditation Commission means that the system and all of its schools are accredited, and that the Diocese of Lake Charles is recognized across the nation as a school system that meets Cognia Standards of Quality and maintains a commitment to continuous improvement.
“Systems accreditation as conferred by the Cognia Global Accreditation Commission provides the Diocese of Lake Charles a nationally recognized mark of quality for our school system and each school within our system,” shared Superintendent Kimberlee Gazzolo. “It demonstrates to our community our commitment to excellence, our openness to external review and feedback, and our desire to be the best we can be on behalf of the students we serve."
Gazzolo continued, "Our school employees demonstrate their ongoing commitment to learner’s religious, academic, and non-academic needs and interests. Cognia recognized our collaboration and collegiality and our focus on Catholic traditions."
Catholic schools in the Diocese of Lake Charles are St. Louis Catholic High School, Immaculate Conception Cathedral School, St. Margaret Catholic School, and Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic School, all in Lake Charles; Our Lady’s Catholic School in Sulphur; and Our Lady Immaculate Catholic School in Jennings.
To earn accreditation from Cognia, a school district also must implement a continuous process of improvement and submit to internal and external review. School systems in good standing can maintain their accreditation for a five-year term.
Dr. Mark A. Elgart, president and CEO of Cognia, stated, “Cognia System Accreditation is a rigorous process that focuses the entire school system and its community on the primary goal of preparing lifelong learners in engaging environments where all students can flourish. The Diocese of Lake Charles is to be commended for demonstrating that it has met high standards, is making progress on key indicators that impact student learning.”
Cognia is the parent organization of the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI). Parents and interested community members can learn more about the Cognia Accreditation at cognia.org.
