“Powerfully strong” accreditation score achieved by IEDB

Iowa Education for Deaf & Blind (IEDB) earned "powerfully strong" accreditation scores from Cognia Global Commission, a non-profit network of educators dedicated to strengthening schools and the largest education improvement organization in the world. IEDB earned accreditation as a unified educational service agency for the first time.

Cognia accreditation is voluntary and occurs every five years. IEDB's process included a year-long self-study along with commission interviews and evidence review to determine its performance aligns with the commission's indicators for leadership, learning and resource standards. 

"The evaluator told us the [Cognia] team was impressed with how we keep our focus on our students," said John Cool, interim superintendent of Iowa Education for Deaf and Blind. 

IEDB earned high marks for its clearly-defined mission and its student-focused and inclusive programs. Cognia noted that IEDB programs have a positive impact on families statewide.