Holden School and Live Oak High School Named Cognia Schools of Distinction
LIVINGSTON, La. – Holden School and Live Oak High School have been named 2022 Cognia™ Schools of Distinction for excellence in education.
Cognia is a global, nonprofit improvement organization dedicated to helping institutions and other education providers grow learners, teachers, and leaders. The organization recognizes Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 education institutions that exemplify excellence in education and service to learners.
“Both Holden School and Live Oak High School are to be commended for their consistency in performing at the highest level. This elite recognition is well deserved and just another indicator of the quality of public education provided by Livingston Parish Public Schools,” Superintendent Joe Murphy said.
Cognia selected 96 schools in the United States and Puerto Rico and nine in other countries across the globe as 2022 Schools of Distinction.
“The team identified exemplary themes throughout the school (Grades Pre-K to 12) that include a strong family and community bond supported by all; a safe, caring and supportive environment, a solid collaborative network among faculty and staff, and the commitment to a systemic process to gather, analyze and use data to ensure decisions align with the mission and vision of the school,” Holden Principal Kristine Rountree said.
Rountree said Holden School has been accredited through Cognia for more than 30 years. As part of the accreditation process, the school must submit to a review and host a peer visit. Those visits often include interview sessions with stakeholders, including parents, students and staff.
Live Oak High School Principal Beth Jones stated that her school first earned Cognia Accreditation in 1970 and was most recently reaccredited in January 2022. Cognia accreditation is well known at all stages of the educational spectrum. It is the largest accreditation system for educational institutions in the world.
“The accreditation team identified exemplary themes throughout the school (Grades 9-12) that include resource and community, program evaluation and results, instruction and innovation, culture, climate and stakeholder engagement,” she said. “The fidelity by which the school embraces its purpose and mission provides opportunities for individual student growth.”
Jones said the accreditation process gives students and their parents the assurance of receiving a quality education and that course credits and degrees earned are recognized by colleges and employers.
Cognia President and CEO Dr. Mark A. Elgart said, “These Livingston Parish Schools are to be commended on their recognition as Schools of Distinction. Cognia Accreditation is already a mark of distinction recognized around the world. Being named a School or System of Distinction further recognizes the commitment to education quality Live Oak High and Holden High have for their learners.”
For Cognia Global Network member institutions, Cognia offers an opportunity to be further recognized as a school or system of distinction in the year in which an accreditation engagement review is held. Unlike the typical six-year accreditation cycle, this program recognizes institutions that hosted a Cognia Accreditation Engagement Review within the recognition year 2021-2022.
Cognia offers accreditation and certification, assessment, and professional services within a framework of continuous improvement. The organization serves 36,000 public and private institutions from early learning through high school in more than 90 countries, bringing a global perspective to advancing teaching and learning.