Bears Guide to Colleges is a standard library book, and a classic in its field! He states: "Accreditation is a peculiarly American concept. In evey other country in the world, all colleges are operated by the government, or gain the right to grant degrees directly from the govrnment. In the USA, accreditation is entirely voluntary, done by private, non-governmental agencies. There are good accrediting agencies and bad ones, recognized ones and unrecognized ones, legitimate ones and phony ones.
"So when a school says, 'Yes, we are accredited,' that statement alone means nothing. You must always ask, 'Accredited by whom?'"
ACCREDITATION BY FLORIDA COUNCIL OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS MEANS:
Assurance to your community that you have quality education objectives.
That you have established conditions under which those objectives can reasonably be expected to be achieved.
That you have the approval of fellow educators who represent private education statewide
There are five areas which accreditation covers: Legal Relationships, Administration, Academics, Staff and Physical Environment. There are 33 specific items that will be built into a schools self-evaluation and accreditation file for the peer review team.
Florida Council of Private Schools is a non-profit organization determined by the Internal Revenue Service from federal income tax under section 501 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code as an organiation described in section 501 (c) (3). We chartered the organization on April 25, 1995.
DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
1. God is the eternal Creator, Sustainer, and Provider of all things. He created all things in the universe in the six literal days of creation week.
2. Jesus Christ is the only-begotten, virgin-born Son of God; He lived a sinless life, shed His blood for the sins of all mankind, rose from the grave, ascended into heaven, and will return to the earth. He is the only Mediator and Savior.
3. The Holy Spirit convicts the unsaved of sin, righteousness and judgment; in believers he effects the new birth, indwells, empowers, instructs and guides.
4. Salvation is the gift of God offered to man by His grace, and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
5. All men will be resurrected in the body; the saved unto life; and the unsaved unto damnation.
6. Believers have spiritual unity in the Lord Jesus Christ; not in the organized unity sought by ecumenism.
7. The Bible is the inspired, only infallible, authoritative preserved Word of God.
THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS
1. School mails Application, with $75 fee, to FCPS. They receive an Accreditation Manual detailing the process.
2. The school appoints a person to be the Accreditation File Builder, who will begin gathering the file Items. When the File is complete they should contact the FCPS office.
3. Accreditation File and copies of all published materials (including forms) of the school is sent to FCPS office in Casselberry, FL.
4. After review of the file, with all items present, a site review will be arranged. The administrators of two or more schools will do the review. The administrators doing the visit will need to be reimbursed by the school applying for accreditation. All motel, meals and travel for the review team must be paid by the school asking for the review. This will be billed to the school from FCPS and paid to FCPS. FCPS will then reimburse the administrators for their expenses.
5. Following the site review FCPS will notify the school of approval for accreditation; or notify them of additional steps necessary for approval.
6. The annual membership fee is $100 for preschool, $225 preschool through High School, and $125 for Kindergarten through High School. Membership is renewed yearly by November 1st.
