SAIPAN — The CNMI’s largest private school has an internationally recognized stamp on its work. Mount Carmel School announced it has earned Cognia American School Certification, a full six-year accreditation from the nonprofit school improvement organization that provides quality assurance for schools, districts and education providers worldwide.
“Time and again, Mount Carmel School has shown itself to be the greatest steward of our young people’s education in the CNMI,” said Mount Carmel School President Christine Igisomar. “I am not surprised that we achieved this milestone through the dedicated support of our teachers, faculty, and staff, whose commitment and hard work helped guide us toward this six-year accreditation by Cognia, an outstanding organization that has certified more than 30,000 schools worldwide in their pursuit of academic excellence. We look forward to sharing that academic excellence with all our students and with the many more students who will join our Mount Carmel School family in the future.”
The certification provides an internationally recognized mark of quality for the school’s alignment to U.S. standards and curriculum and English-language instruction, said former President John Blanco, adding that it “demonstrates our commitment to excellence in American education.”
To earn the certification, a school must submit to internal and external review evaluating its commitment to U.S. educational philosophy, with the mark signifying the school meets Cognia’s American School Certification Requirements and provides a high-quality American-style education program.
“We give thanks to last year’s accreditation team for ensuring our school was well-prepared for the accreditation visit,” said returning Principal Frances Taimanao. “We are especially grateful to all our stakeholders – students, parents, employees, and board members – who participated in interviews that were integral to the accreditation process.”
Dr. Mark A. Elgart, president and CEO of Cognia, said the certification “provides schools a transparent, rigorous framework for schools to meet requirements of a high-quality, rigorous American education, opening doors for students seeking future opportunities aligned with American academic pathways. We commend Mount Carmel School for commitment to excellence in education aligned with U.S. standards and curriculum.”
Cognia serves 40,000 public and private institutions from early learning through high school in more than 100 countries. Founded in 1952, Mount Carmel School is the CNMI’s largest private K-12 Catholic institution, providing what it describes as a rigorous, faith-based education preparing students for academic success, leadership and service to the community. More on the certification is available at cognia.org.
