KAAE Accreditation process safeguards academic quality by ensuring that all institutions in Kurdistan meet rigorous, internationally aligned standards of excellence, and it drives continuous improvement that strengthens teaching, assessment, and student support systems.
The Commission on K–12 Follows a Rigorous Process to Evaluate Schools:
Accreditation empowers educators with clear frameworks that support curriculum design, instructional innovation, and institutional accountability while fostering a learning environment where learners develop critical thinking, ethical responsibility, and lifelong learning habits.
1
Needs-based analysis
In this initial stage, schools engage with KAAE accrediting body to assess its readiness and to identify gaps between current practices and accreditation standards.
2
Pre-visit evaluation
A team of trained evaluators conducts an onsite visit to the school, reviews the documents, and provides criterion-based feedback to meet the standards.
3
Self-Study
Schools undertake a comprehensive internal evaluation, gather data, analyze its strengths and areas of improvement, and document how they meet each accreditation standard.
4
Accreditation Visit
A team of trained evaluators reviews the self-study and conducts a visit to make a formal accreditation decision.
5
Annual Report
Accredited schools submit yearly reports documenting ongoing compliance with standards and sharing any significant changes. This ensures continued accountability and allows for monitoring progress to achieve long-term strategic goals
Stages of K–12 Accreditation Process
The K-12 accreditation process unfolds through a series of structured stages designed to evaluate institutional quality to ensure sustainable improvement. Each stage builds on the last, guiding schools toward excellence, accountability, and meaningful student outcomes.
Pre-Application Consultation (Initial Interest)
Schools register with KAAE to express their interest in accreditation. During this stage, the school receives orientation and training sessions to unpack the accreditation framework standards alongside the complete toolkit of resources.
Candidacy Application
The school conducts a self-review against KAAE’s fundamental criteria for eligibility to confirm that the necessary systems and structures are in place to start the accreditation process.
Candidacy Visit
Schools that meet eligibility requirements advance to candidacy. At this stage a team of trained evaluators conducts an onsite visit to examine the operational and academic infrastructure and to provide capacity-building workshops.
Offer of Candidacy
KAAE issues an offer of candidacy signaling that the school has met baseline requirements to achieve full accreditation. It marks the official start of the accreditation timeline to host the full evaluation visit.
Self-Study
The school undertakes a thorough, evidence-based examination of all aspects of its operations, programs, and quality assurance systems. Once the self-study report is completed by the school, it is submitted to the accrediting body as the foundation for the accreditation visit.
Team Accreditation Visit
The accreditation visit conducted by a team of trained evaluators assesses how well the institution meets accreditation standards by examining the self-study report, verifying evidence, engaging in interviews, and observing academic and administrative operations.
Accreditation Commission Decision
Based on peer review findings, the Board of Trustees makes an accreditation decision. Accredited schools are officially recognized for meeting quality benchmarks and are listed in the KAAE Directory of Accredited Institutions.
Continuous Compliance and Reaccreditation
Accreditation represents an ongoing commitment to high quality education. Schools are required to demonstrate continuous improvement and compliance with standards through annual reports, periodic reviews, and a structured reaccreditation process.
Contact
For inquiries related to Commission on K-12, please reach out to: