NPSA Standards for Participating Schools


NPSA  Standards

The standards of the NPSA K-12 division reflect the expectations of sound educational practices.  There are six major categories.  The descriptions and requirements of each standard are detailed below.

Institutional Purpose and Description

 Philosophy of Christian Education  

  •  Statement of Purpose/Mission
  •  Statement of Faith
  •  Philosophy of Christian Education

 Statement of Nondiscrimination   

  • Statement of Nondiscrimination

 Legal Operations and Records

  • Signed statement of compliance with all of the federal, state, and local regulations that govern the operations of the school

 Long-Range Planning

  •  Master Plan summary for the next three (3) years

 Policies and Procedures

  • Faculty Handbook
  • Student and/or Parent Handbook (or equivalent informational statements or brochures)

Advertising and Publications

  • Sample copies of informational brochures, pamphlets, and representative samples of advertisements

 Branch Campuses/Schools

  • Narrative statement of any branch campuses, schools, or facilities at other locations.  If none, a statement must be included to that effect.

 Substantive Change

  • Statement regarding any substantive change that may have occurred since the last reporting. If none, a statement must be included to that effect.

Administrative Standards

 Governance

  • Outline of the school's governance structure (or the supporting church/ministry, if so appropriate)
  • List of all members of the governing board or other legal entity charged with the governance of the school attesting to their Christian faith and their support of the Statement of Faith of the school (signed by the chief administrative officer)

Administrative Personnel

  • Organizational chart of all school administrators (or statement if there is only one administrator)
    Administrator's Summary Form

Budget Planning

  • Financial statement dealing the income and expenses (including balance sheet) for the last complete fiscal year with explanation
  • School budget for the upcoming academic year, including projected income and expenses and rationale

 Accounting and Financial Management

  • Credit report or letter of reference from creditors or vendors describing the ethical business conduct of the school
  • Letter from school's financial institution which gives reference to financial stability including EIN (Employee Identification Number).
  • Bank statements for last ninety (90) days - Financial Reviewer Qualification Form

Fund Raising and Resource Development

  • Narrative description of all major fund-raising activities, net profits, and use of funds raised (or statement if no fund raising events were used)

Student Tuition and Fees

  • Tuition and fee schedule (and any other required charges) for the current academic year
  • Student refund policy

 Student Recruitment and Admissions

  • Statement from chief administrator attesting to the sufficiency of current enrollment for the continuance of its programs
  • A copy of the student application form

Faculty and Support Staff

Faculty Qualifications

  • Copy of faculty application
  • Faculty Summary Form
  • Summary of Faculty with Special Qualifications

 Support Personnel

  • Copy of staff application (or signed statement if same as faculty application)
  • Support Staff Summary Sheet

 Employment Practices and Policies

  • Salaries and Benefits Form

Staff Development Planning

  • Copy of Spiritual Development Plan Form, Physical Development Plan Form, Professional Development Plan Form used with school staff

Institutional In-service Programs

  • Annual Staff Development Plan

Educational Programs and Services

Supervision of Students

  • Copy of student supervision plan or policy

 Academic Calendar and Attendance

  • Academic calendar for current school year and school attendance requirements
  • Signed statement regarding length of school day and daily schedule (including length of class periods)

Spiritual Program Development

  • List of school-wide spiritual goals and objectives
  • List of school-wide spiritual programs (or signed statement if none exists)

 Academic Program Development

  • Academic Course List (for all courses/grades)
  • Signed statement from chief administrator that school has produced course/program goals and scope and sequence for each course and grade level; representative samples included
  • Summaries of the latest standardized achievement tests (per grade level)

 Physical Fitness Program Development

  • Physical fitness and health goals for each elementary grade level and for all secondary courses offered in health, gym, or other areas
  • List of extracurricular sports programs or related recreational programs in support of its physical fitness/health goals (or signed statement if there are none)

 Curriculum Materials and Methodology

  • Signed statement from chief administrator that all texts, materials, or software used are supportive of its Statement of Faith, or if any text is in violation, that effective steps have been taken to compensate with an explanation of those steps included

Non-Traditional Programs/Video Instruction

  • Nontraditional Approaches and Media Summary

Student Evaluation, Reporting, and Uniform Grading System

  • Preschool Testing and Assessment Strategies
  • Copy of the school's grading system (and an equivalency scale if other than traditional letter grading system is used)
  • ACT and SAT school code number for schools with secondary grades

Student Records and Tracking

  • Copy of student Cumulative Record Form
  • School Discontinuance Plan
  • Tracking of graduates

Facilities and Support Services

Nature and Allocation of Facilities

  • School Site Facilities Plan with classroom assignments for the current academic year
  • Signed statement regarding insurance coverage for physical plant (including liability) or acceptable alternate strategy of self-insurance

Purchasing System

  • Narrative description of purchasing system for supplies and materials

 Parking/Transportation and Insurance Services

  • List of all vehicles used or owned by school
  • Letter attesting that all vehicles used in the transport of students are sufficiently insured and drivers licensed (or signed statement if none are used to transport students)
  • Copy of school's written policy regarding the use of private vehicles used for school purposes in any capacity (including field trips) and including driver and insurance requirements

Equipment, Furniture, and Other Physical Resources

  • Furniture Inventory
  • Instructional Equipment Inventory

 Library

  • Narrative description of the school's library facilities (or of arrangements made with nearby libraries)
     - Instructional Materials Inventory List

Student Development Services

  • Narrative description of all student development programs, services, and activities

 Other Support Services

  • Narrative description of support services, including staffing.  Details regarding the use of volunteers should be included.

Preschool Standards

 Preschool Programs, Services, and Activities Offered

  • Preschool summary of programs, services, and activities

 Parent Access and Release of Children

  • Access Policy
  • Child Release Policy

Daily Schedule

  • Daily Activity Schedule

Health and Hygiene Considerations

  • Federal, state, and municipal health regulations have been met

Food Services and Nutritional Concerns

  • Food service program
  • Schedule of meals and snacks
  • Sample menu

Illness and Special Needs

  • Child illness, accident, and health emergency situations
  • Enrollment of special needs children

 Emergency Preparedness

  • Emergency preparedness meets federal, state, and municipal requirements

 Child Abuse Awareness Plan

  • Child Abuse Awareness Plan
     


Schools that apply to NPSA, and are approved as a Candidate for Accreditation, will be sent the NPSA Accreditation Manual, which explains each standard and details the criteria for assembling the Application for Accreditation Notebook ("Self-study Notebook").

The Self-study Notebook is an important document produced by the school during the accreditation process.  Its production encourages the school to take an in-depth evaluation of all areas of operations and programs, and it gives the school opportunity to develop the accountability and discipline required by quality Christian educational programs.  The Self-study Notebook itself is vital to the review process; its validation is one of the main purposes of the Site Visit Committee, and its use by the Review Committees is indispensable in understanding the full scope of operations of the school.

The production of the Self-study Notebook is not to be viewed as a one­time event, but as an ongoing process.  Once developed by the school, it should be reviewed annually-both to assist in filing any required reports and to serve as a basis for determining if substantive change has occurred at the school.  It is vital that the Self-study Notebook be kept up-to-date and portray a current picture of the state of affairs of the school.

The Application for Accreditation Notebook represents a tangible evidence of the degree of excellence attained at the school.  By keeping the Self-study Notebook current and in accordance with the accreditation standards, the school can develop a continuous system of self-evaluation and staff involvement and prevent any erosion of the high levels it had achieved when the Self-study Notebook was first submitted.

The National Private School Association encourages its member schools to be credible witnesses of academic, spiritual, physical, and operational excellence through Christian education.  Schools are to see the development of their Self-study Notebook, as well as their participation in the other stages of the accreditation process, as an opportunity to express the glory of Christ through Christian education.