Accreditation began in NCA at both the higher education and secondary education level. The accreditation of elementary, middle level, and special schools began in 1969. Presently, there are more than 8,000 schools in our Commission. NCA was chartered in Wyoming in 1909 with Central High School in Cheyenne becoming the first member, followed by Laramie High School and Sheridan High School in 1913. Membership now includes more than 150 schools.
Accreditation is granted each year after annual reports are completed by member schools.
The school improvement process is a continuous effort using a five-year school improvement cycle. The heart of the NCA school improvement process is the involvement of parents, teachers, students, and administrators in a process that evaluates the total school program in relationship to how all students are learning. NCA provides schools with a school improvement process that will help them meet the requirements for state accreditation while focusing on student success. Technical assistance is provided throughout the phases of the process. The Wyoming Department of Education is the sponsoring agency, and the NCA State Office is located at 2300 Capitol Avenue, Hathaway Building, 2nd Floor, Cheyenne, WY 82002-0050.