Synchronized accreditation with Cognia effective July 1, 2025, through groundbreaking educational partnership
In May 2024, Indiana Online, the state’s largest online non-profit supplemental course provider and a department of the Central Indiana Educational Service Center (CIESC), earned Virtual Learning Program Accreditation from AccredVEd, powered by the Virtual Learning Leadership Alliance (VLLA). This achievement makes Indiana Online the first program nationwide to receive this distinguished recognition, with synchronized accreditation with Cognia set to take effect July 1, 2025.
The synchronized accreditation comes following an April 17, 2025, announcement from VLLA and Cognia about their groundbreaking partnership. As cited in the press release, “The agreement marks Cognia’s first partnership in the Synchronized Accreditation Program specially focused on virtual learning, a significant milestone for both organizations. This collaboration enhances the accreditation process for virtual schools and online programs, offering a research-based approach to recognizing and evaluating high-quality online education.”
The AccredVEd accreditation process involves a rigorous, research-based benchmarking evaluation that assesses online course quality, teacher effectiveness, and program operations. Indiana Online underwent a comprehensive review aligned with the National Standards for Quality (NSQ) Online Programs, demonstrating its commitment to academic integrity, accountability, and continuous improvement.
“Indiana Online’s achievement of this accreditation sets a high standard for online learning programs nationwide,” said VLLA Director Cindy Hamblin. “Their dedication to quality and excellence is commendable and serves as a model for others to follow.”
Indiana Online Executive Director Kim Hendrick expressed pride in the accomplishment, stating, “We were excited to participate in this national accreditation model to showcase our program and receive feedback from other programs from across the country. Being the first state in the nation to receive this accreditation is amazing.”
As John Ashworth, VLLA President, noted in the K-12 Dive announcement, “By integrating Cognia’s well-established accreditation framework with AccredVEd’s specialized approach for virtual learning, we are providing online programs with a robust pathway to demonstrate excellence and continuous improvement.”
Indiana Online currently partners with over 300 schools statewide to offer more than 180 online courses, including Core 40, Advanced Placement, and dual credit options. All courses are designed by licensed Indiana teachers to meet state standards and are approved by the NCAA and College Board. The program has experienced steady growth, with over 33,000 course enrollments in the 2022-23 school year—a nearly 10% increase from the previous year.
For more information about Indiana Online’s accredited courses and programs, visit indianaonline.org.
About Indiana Online
A department of the Central Indiana Educational Service Center (CIESC), Indiana Online is the largest non-profit online supplemental course provider in the state of Indiana. In partnership with over 300 schools statewide, Indiana Online offers a wide variety of full-time, year-round, and summer courses taught by Indiana-licensed teachers within their content area of expertise. Each course meets Indiana State Standards and applicable courses are approved by the NCAA and College Board. Indiana Online provides supplemental courses, FlexED, Academy, Summer School, tutoring, and EdReady Indiana Pathway to Algebra.
About the Virtual Learning Leadership Alliance
The Virtual Learning Leadership Alliance (VLLA) is an esteemed association of supplemental virtual programs from across the United States. Comprising primarily state virtual schools and leading consortia, VLLA is a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening online learning through leadership, advocacy, expertise, and professional relationships.
About the National Standards for Quality Online Programs
The National Standards for Quality Online Programs offer a comprehensive framework for improving online and blended learning programs across various educational organizations. Each standard is supported by detailed indicators, explanations, and examples, providing flexible, practical guidance for diverse program types.
About AccredVEd
AccredVEd, powered by VLLA, is a specialized accreditation and certification program designed to elevate virtual schools and online programs. By combining trained expert peer review with research-based National Standards for Quality Online Programs, AccredVEd streamlines the process of recognizing and evaluating high-quality virtual learning.
About Cognia
Cognia is a forward-thinking, global nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing educational excellence through accreditation, certification, assessment, and customized improvement services. Serving over 40,000 public and private institutions from early learning through high school in more than 90 countries and territories, Cognia brings a universally recognized perspective to advancing teaching and learning.
Contact:
- For Indiana Online: Kim Hendrick at khendrick@indianaonline.org
- For VLLA : Cindy Hamblin at chamblin@k12vls.com
- For AccredVEd: Dr. Chris Harrington at charrington@michiganvirtual.org
