Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 7 - Education K-12 › Part 163 - Mississippi Nonpublic School Accountability Standards 2022 › INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION › INTRODUCTION

Current through June 25, 2024
Any nonpublic school may voluntarily request accreditation.
				  Accreditation of a nonpublic school will be determined by the extent to which
				  the school complies with each of the applicable requirements described in this
				  document.
Some differences exist between public school boards and
				  government agencies that have responsibilities for disbursing public funds and
				  the governing body or policy-making authority of privately funded schools,
				  which may delegate more fiscal freedom to the chief school administrator.
				  Although the accreditation standards for nonpublic school are in many cases
				  identical to the process standards for public schools, nonpublic schools do not
				  participate in the accountability system and school performance model for
				  public schools. Also, some exemptions and interpretations are allowed for
				  special purpose schools serving special populations, church-related schools,
				  and tribal schools. For the purposes of this nonpublic school accreditation
				  process, the following definitions are used.
School:
A school is
				  defined as an institution that exists for the purpose of teaching school-age
				  children, consists of one (1) physical plant located on one (1) school site,
				  includes instructional staff members and students, and is in session each
				  school year.
* Home schools and home-schooling programs, including those
				  that are affiliated with an accrediting agency, are specifically excluded from
				  this definition and are not eligible to participate in the State Board of
				  Education (SBE) accreditation process.
* Also excluded from this definition are day care centers,
				  preschool programs {except for special preschool programs specifically designed
				  to serve children with disabilities according to the Individuals with
				  Disabilities Act (IDEA) and Preschool Grant regulations}, and post-secondary
				  programs including adult education or vocational training programs specifically
				  designed to serve an adult-age student population.
Nonpublic School:
The
				  term nonpublic school includes the following:
(a) private schools,
(b) parochial and other church-related
				schools,
(c) special purpose schools
				either privately owned and operated or governed by a public agency other than
				the Mississippi Department of Education, and
(d) tribal schools funded by the Bureau of
				Indian Education. Nonpublic schools may be operated either as a for profit
				organization or as a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation.
Special Purpose School:
A special purpose school is defined as one that is organized to serve a
				  specific population(s) of students or to provide a special program of
				  instruction for students.
A special purpose school that serves students with
				  disabilities in accordance with IDEA and applicable state statutes and
				  regulations must meet all relevant state and federal requirements for special
				  education programs.
Church-Related School:
A church-related school is defined as one that is governed and operated by a
				  denominational, parochial, or other bona fide church organization or religious
				  order.
Local Governing Body
:
A
				  local governing body is defined as a policy-making entity, governing entity,
				  advisory council, or a combination of such entities, as designated at the
				  school level.