Certification & Accreditation
The NAUMS, Inc. certification process protects and maintains the identity and integrity of University-Model® education — and prepares member schools for Cognia accreditation.
The NAUMS, Inc. Certification Process
The NAUMS, Inc. certification process protects and maintains the identity and integrity of University-Model® education. Successfully completing this process prepares schools for school accreditation.
Become a NAUMS, Inc. member
Only member schools are eligible for NAUMS, Inc. certification and the consultative services required for successful Cognia accreditation.
Complete NAUMS, Inc. certification
Schools provide digital evidence of compliance with the NAUMS, Inc. Certification Standards — which are cross-walked with the Cognia Accreditation Standards, so the same evidence serves both.
Earn Cognia accreditation
Once member schools are certified by NAUMS, Inc., they are automatically eligible for Cognia accreditation.
- Every 5 years
Maintain through five-year engagement reviews
NAUMS, Inc. represents Cognia in on-site engagement review visits every five years. These visits serve a dual purpose: NAUMS, Inc. certification and Cognia accreditation.
NAUMS, Inc. certification and Cognia accreditation hold member schools accountable for implementing and maintaining high standards while ensuring parents the excellence and quality to which their children are entitled.
Our Accreditation Partner: Cognia
Cognia is the largest community of education professionals in the world.
Accreditation Partner to NAUMS, Inc. and Certified University-Model® Schools
Cognia accreditation of the NAUMS, Inc. corporation opened the door to Cognia accreditation of University-Model® schools.
Cognia is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that conducts rigorous, on-site external reviews of PreK–12 schools and school or corporate systems (like NAUMS, Inc.) to ensure that all learners realize their full potential. While its expertise is grounded in more than a hundred years of work in school accreditation, Cognia is far from a typical accrediting agency. Its goal is not to certify that schools are good enough; its commitment is to help schools improve.
Cognia traces its roots to the 2006 merger of the PreK–12 divisions of the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI), expanded through the addition of the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) in 2011. Prior to that merger, NAUMS, Inc. was accredited by the Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation in 2006.
Combining the knowledge and expertise of a research institute, the skills of a management consulting firm, and the passion of a grassroots movement for educational change, Cognia serves as a trusted partner to schools across the United States and 70 other nations —
- schools and school systems served
- 32,000
- educators employed across them
- 4M+
- students enrolled
- 20M+
- nations, including the United States
- 70+
NAUMS, Inc. Certification Standards
The NAUMS, Inc. Certification Standards are cross-referenced to the Cognia Accreditation Standards — so one body of evidence carries a school through certification and accreditation together.
In June of 2021, the NAUMS, Inc. corporation was approved for Cognia Corporate System accreditation for all certified University-Model® schools. Originally accredited as an educational corporation in 2006, NAUMS, Inc. supports the school association known as University-Model® Schools International (UMSI), which operates as a dba of NAUMS, Inc.
Approval of the NAUMS, Inc. Corporate System of Cognia accreditation for all certified UMSI schools gives the corporation the opportunity and privilege to represent Cognia when it conducts on-site engagement review visits every five years. These visits serve a dual purpose: NAUMS, Inc. certification and Cognia accreditation.
To facilitate this combined process, the NAUMS, Inc. Certification Standards have been cross-walked with the Cognia Accreditation Standards. Therefore, when a school provides digital evidence of compliance with the NAUMS, Inc. Certification Standards, it is also providing evidence of compliance with the Cognia Accreditation Standards. University-Model® schools maintain their Cognia accreditation through NAUMS, Inc. membership and certification.
A Distinctly Christian Standard
NAUMS, Inc. and UMSI are distinctly Christian ministries, consistently striving to educate with excellence in today’s dynamic culture. This necessitates being fully informed of current cultural trends while at the same time actively engaging all learning pursuits and relationships with a well-studied biblical worldview. This includes the manner in which key words are defined and interpreted. In all matters of best practice, NAUMS, Inc. favors the classic biblical definitions of words and values over their contemporary, often changing usages.
Standards for the Four Program Components
Certification standards have been established for the major components of the University-Model® program — and because each is cross-walked to Cognia’s standards, a school documenting one is documenting both.
- Academics
- The college-preparatory program in which students achieve a high degree of academic excellence — the academic heart of every University-Model® school.
- Character Development / Family Ministry
- The partnership between parents and school toward a mutual goal — wholesome, competent, and virtuous followers of Christ — while preserving and protecting the God-ordained family relationship.
- Student Activities
- The programs adopted from traditional schooling — academic competitions, student council, yearbook, competitive sports, drama, band, and choir among them — so University-Model® students do not miss out.
- Program Support
- The administrative and governance structures that sustain the program — the same ground, from finance and business practices to policies and procedures, where NAUMS, Inc. consults with member schools.
Eligibility: Membership Comes First
Only member schools are eligible for NAUMS, Inc. certification and the consultative services required for successful Cognia accreditation. Once member schools are certified by NAUMS, Inc., they are automatically eligible for Cognia accreditation.
Begin certification
Ready to pursue NAUMS, Inc. certification, or have questions about the process? Tell us about your school and a member of the NAUMS, Inc. team will follow up.
Tell Us About Your School
Share a few details and a member of the NAUMS, Inc. team will follow up about certification and Cognia accreditation.