Bibb County School District earns Cognia accreditation with above average score

The district scored 303 on Cognia’s Index of Education Quality, exceeding the national average.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – The Bibb County School District has earned accreditation from Cognia with an “Above Average” rating for overall performance.

According to a school district news release, Cognia is a nonprofit accreditation agency that evaluates primary and secondary schools in the U.S. and internationally. This marks Bibb County’s first accreditation renewal under Cognia since the organization was formed by the merger of AdvancED and Measured Progress in 2019.

“We are very excited to achieve accreditation,” Superintendent Dr. Dan A. Sims said. “This whole process has been very rewarding because it allowed us to take an honest collaborative look at the district wholistically, and we’ve identified several areas of achievement and progress, while noting opportunities for improvement.”

The district’s Index of Education Quality score was 303, above Cognia’s network average of 296. Evaluators recognized respect and equity as “guiding principles” in the district’s efforts to build a collaborative learning culture. Examples included initiatives that emerged from advisory council input, such as Mental Health Awareness Week and “Meet Me at the Mall.”

The review also credited the district’s leadership development work, including local college partnerships, alternative certification programs and aspiring leaders cohorts. Bibb County was praised for its variety of student learning environments, including fine arts and academic magnet programs and CTAE pathways.

Cognia’s final report covered five areas: assurances, ratings of analyses, performance standards, insights from the review and a summary of findings, which included both noteworthy practices and areas for improvement.

“Our team worked very hard in this space and I’m proud of our team for a job well done,” Sims said.

Bibb County School District was last accredited in 2018 under AdvancED. Going forward, the district says it will use Cognia’s evaluation findings to guide future school improvement strategies.

For more information, view the accreditation performance report.