Accreditation

Is PLA accredited?

The leadership and staff of Prodigy have researched the accreditation process. This included investigating various accreditation agencies, calling other private schools, and inquiring of universities whether accreditation would impact whether or not students can attend their institution. Accreditation agencies require that the applying school ensure that they are accomplishing their defined procedures and curriculum requirements. They charge up front fees, typically in excess of $1,000 as well as yearly expenses to maintain their stamp of approval.

Other private schools contacted were asked if they were accredited or not. Those individuals who said, “Yes, we are accredited,” were then asked if the accreditation process helped them do a better job serving their students and families. They most often said it did not help them and some even said the lengthy process distracted them from instructing the students. When asked why they did it, the typical response was, “It improves public perception.” Several schools said they were not accredited. One headmaster of a school that has been in operation for over 30 years in St. Louis, said, “No, we are not and we do not want to be!” When asked why he had this strong response, he responded, “Our stamp of approval is the success of our students and the parents are pleased with us. A large number of our students go on to receive scholarships to attend top level universities.”

When we called universities to determine whether it may work against our students to come from an unaccredited institution, Kansas State University admissions personnel said it could potentially make it tougher to be admitted. The Harvard admissions official stated that accreditation makes no difference to their university. She said they look for evidence of intellectual curiosity. We discovered from most higher education institutions that they look primarily at ACT or SAT assessment scores, admissions essays, and the high school GPA or other artifacts that indicate the quality of student learning.

Being unaccredited makes it more challenging for students to compete in music and sports programs. Though we value competition for certain endeavors and see its value, in general, we emphasize that students develop their talent in music, intellect, and physical activities because God gave them this talent and they honor Him and love people through their pursuits of excellence.