National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)

The NAIS was formed in 1962, after the merger of the Independent Schools Education Board and the National Council of Independent Schools. The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is a not-for-profit membership-based association, in the United States. The NIAS offers services to 2,000+ schools and associations in and outside of the United States, including more than 1,600 nonprofit and private K-12 schools. It is the largest association of independent schools uniting and empowering the private school community.

What are Independent schools?

They are not-for-profit, privately owned and governed schools having independent philosophies. Each of them can be driven by their separate and unique missions. They are also independently managed and financed. The governance is by an independent board of trustees and is primarily supported with tuition fees and also charitable contributions. Their accountability is towards the communities they serve and can be accredited by state-approved accrediting agencies.

NAIS unites and empowers the private school community by offering research and trend analysis, professional development opportunities, and leadership and governance, for school and board leaders.

NIAS Accreditation Criteria

With the Criteria for Effective Independent School Accreditation Practices, the member associations are required to prepare for a self-study demonstrating compliance, which happens over a 10-year cycle. The criteria align with the organization’s common ground for member associations by demarcating the best policies, practices, and procedures. Apart from that, NIAS uses Model Core Standards, which is a set of “ideal” standards to assess prospective member’s operating standards.