Dec. 3, 2024 – Duval County Public Schools is being recognized on a global level for excellence in education.
In its accreditation of the school district, Cognia – a global nonprofit school improvement organization – recognized the district as a 2024 “System of Distinction;” a recognition shared by only 60 other schools and school systems across the nation and Puerto Rico.
This honor followed an extensive district-wide accreditation review with Cognia earlier this year, which included a comprehensive assessment of the district’s policies, programs, practices, learning conditions, and cultural contexts. The process involved a third-party review by education experts, interviews, and classroom observations. The goal is to find evidence of growth in learning, a healthy culture for learning, engaging and high-quality instructional environments, and effective leadership for learning.
The district not only secured accreditation for the next six years, but Team Duval also earned extremely high marks praise from Cognia’s evaluators.
“The evaluation team noted your unwavering commitment to your strategic vision, innovative practices, and effective decision-making.” Shared Dianna Weinbaum, a leader with Cognia who presented a plaque to the school board during Tuesday’s Board meeting.
Weinbaum continued: “These factors have propelled your organization to new heights establishing a commendable standard for leadership within the community. Additionally, the district’s focus on excellence in curriculum design and implementation, along with your strategic use of data analytics creates a dynamic and impactful learning environment.”
In her address to the board, Weinbaum highlighted Chief Academic Officer, Paula Renfro and previous superintendent, Dr. Dana Kriznar, in their preparation for the accreditation process.
“I was honored to be part of a team of dozens of educators and school and district leaders who led the district through this rigorous accreditation process,” said Renfro. “To not only receive accreditation, but also be recognized by Cognia as a “System of Distinction” is a testament to the dedication of our administrators and educators to excellence and continuous improvement.”
About Cognia
Cognia offers accreditation and certification, assessment, and improvement services within a framework of continuous improvement. Serving 40,000 public and private institutions from early learning through high school in more than 90 countries, Cognia brings a global perspective to advancing teaching and learning. Find out more at cognia.org.