Mike Hutchens
Communications Director
Union City Middle School is in excellent standing in the education business.
After extensive internal and external reviews conducted by school administrators and teachers that confirmed the school’s commitment to students and stakeholders in all areas, UCMS was recently informed that it has earned Cognia® Accreditation.
Cognia is a nonprofit organization that provides quality assurance for schools, school districts, and education service providers. The group recognizes schools across the globe that meet rigorous standards focused on productive learning environments, equitable resource allocation, and effective leadership, according to a release.
Schools in good standing can maintain their accreditation for a six-year term.
“Accreditation as conferred by the Cognia Global Accreditation Commission provides Union City Middle School a nationally recognized mark of quality for our school,” said UCMS Principal Lance Morgan, who accepted a certificate along with Vice Principal Cole McAdams from Cognia celebrating the school’s status.
“It demonstrates to our community our commitment to excellence, our willingness to enact meaningful change based on evaluation and feedback, and our desire to be the best we can be on behalf of the students we serve.”
Vice Principal Cole McAdams led the process for UCMS, enlisting a team of dedicated teachers to aid with the extensive process. Among those working alongside McAdams were future Vice Principal Allison Kail, Austin Atwill, Lindsey Hayslett, and Kelsey Arnold.
“Those teachers, especially, were of great help,” McAdams said. “We had a handful of others who assisted too. The number of quality people in our building who can contribute to something like this is simply amazing.
“Their assistance was priceless.”
Dr. Mark A. Elgart, president and CEO of Cognia, stated, “Cognia Accreditation is a rigorous process that focuses the entire school and its community on the primary goal of ensuring all students can flourish in engaging and equitable learning environments. We commend Union City Middle School for meeting high standards and making progress on key indicators that impact student learning.”
Cognia is the parent organization of the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC,) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI).
Parents and interested community members can learn more about Cognia Accreditation at cognia.org