DSA Cognia Accreditation

Desert Star Academy & Desert Star High School is Cognia Accredited!

The quality of a school goes beyond its name, location, or reputation. An education institution succeeds when it supports every learner every day, offering opportunities for every learner to reach further. One hallmark of a good school is that it continually strives for improvement. Like the member institutions we serve, Cognia™ works to innovate and improve. In during the 2024-2025 school year, DSA leadership completed a performance review examining the Cognia Performance Standards to acknowledge changes and set expectations for a quality education institution in a new era. Based on current research in education, input from practitioners, and multiple expert reviews, this cyclical development process assures that the standards at the foundation of our improvement and accreditation strategies continue to be viable, feasible, and relevant to educators in today’s world.

Why is accreditation important?

Accreditation is your assurance of Desert Star High School's academic excellence. Accreditation ensures a standard of quality among credits, courses and grade level placements between schools and universities around the world. It also validates the equivalency of diplomas and certificates to other accredited schools and universities. In addition, scholars in accredited schools become part of a worldwide network of quality institutions focused on scholar performance.

What are the four Key Characteristics evident when institutions effectively adopt the Cognia Performance Standards?
Key Characteristic 1: Culture of Learning
Key Characteristic 2: Leadership for Learning
Key Characteristic 3: Engagement of Learning
Key Characteristic 4: Growth in Learning

More information on the Cognia standards are available for download here:
Cognia Standards