# USA Accreditation Council (USAAC)

> USAAC provides innovative, future-ready and ethically grounded accreditation and program certification for schools and education providers worldwide.

USAAC accredits schools through one whole-school accreditation, USAAC Core, plus 8 specialist endorsements awarded together with or after Core. Every award has three levels (Established: Quality Assured; Advanced: Excellence in Practice; Elite: Sector Leadership). It also certifies individual workshops, courses and professional programs. Any certificate can be checked at https://usaac.us/verify.

## Accreditation

- [USAAC Core Accreditation (CORE)](https://usaac.us/accreditations/core): The whole-school foundation every USAAC school holds: sound governance, a broad curriculum, strong teaching, evidenced learner progress, safe and inclusive care, and trusted partnership with families.
- [STEAM & Robotics (SRA)](https://usaac.us/accreditations/sra): Future Readiness endorsement. Recognises schools where learners investigate, design, build and test through science, computing, engineering, robotics and technical AI, with the arts woven in as a genuine design discipline.
- [AI, Digital Learning & Online Safety (AIDL)](https://usaac.us/accreditations/aida): Future Readiness endorsement. Recognises schools that use AI and digital technology in human-centred, ethical and effective ways, teach every learner AI literacy and online safety, and build cyber resilience beyond the Core baseline.
- [Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Careers (IEC)](https://usaac.us/accreditations/iec): Future Readiness endorsement. Recognises schools where learners create value for others across all subjects, build financial literacy, and think about, explore and experience their future working lives.
- [Inclusive & Adaptive Learning (IAL)](https://usaac.us/accreditations/ial): Inclusion & Learner Development endorsement. Recognises schools where every learner, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, can access, take part in and progress through learning designed for variability from the start.
- [Health & Wellbeing (HWB)](https://usaac.us/accreditations/hwb): Inclusion & Learner Development endorsement. Recognises schools that promote the mental, physical, social and digital wellbeing of learners and staff through a whole-school, health-promoting approach.
- [Leadership & Character Development (LCD)](https://usaac.us/accreditations/lcd): Inclusion & Learner Development endorsement. Recognises schools that deliberately cultivate good character, ethical reasoning and responsible leadership, giving every learner real opportunities to lead, serve and grow.
- [Languages & Global Citizenship (LGC)](https://usaac.us/accreditations/lgc): Global Citizenship & Sustainability endorsement. Recognises schools where learners build real proficiency in additional languages, plurilingual and intercultural competence, and the knowledge, values and agency of global citizens, in line with UN SDG target 4.7.
- [Sustainable & Green Schools (SGS)](https://usaac.us/accreditations/sgs): Global Citizenship & Sustainability endorsement. Recognises schools that teach climate and sustainability well, run measurably greener operations and act with their communities, aligned with all four dimensions of the UNESCO Green School Quality Standard.
- [All accreditations](https://usaac.us/accreditations): overview, pathway titles and levels

## Levels and rules

- Established (Quality Assured): At least 75% of standards at Established or above, or 65% when at least a quarter are at Advanced or Elite, including every leadership standard (and, for Core, safer recruitment, health & safety and the safeguarding gate).
- Advanced (Excellence in Practice): No standard still Developing, and at least 60% at Advanced or above, with at least one Advanced standard in every area.
- Elite (Sector Leadership): Advanced requirements met, at least 75% at Advanced or above, and at least one third at Elite across at least half of the areas.
- USAAC Core: Valid 5 years, with an interim progress report at 2.5 years.
- Endorsements: Valid 3 years, with a short annual update.
- Program Certification: Valid 1–3 years, depending on the certification level.
- Pathway titles: Future-Ready School, Digital Excellence School, Whole-Child School, Global Citizen School

## Process and certification

- [Accreditation process](https://usaac.us/process): five phases from inquiry and eligibility to monitoring and renewal
- [Program certification](https://usaac.us/certification): Certified Workshop (4–15 hours), Certified Course (16–60 hours), Certified Professional Program (60+ hours)
- [Verify a certificate](https://usaac.us/verify): confirm a USAAC certificate by its ID or QR code

## About

- [About the Council](https://usaac.us/about)
- [FAQ](https://usaac.us/faq)
- [Contact and inquiries](https://usaac.us/contact): support@usaac.us