Houston County earns six-year Cognia systems accreditation; noted for teacher leadership and PLCs

Houston County School District announced May 13 that it has earned systems accreditation from Cognia for six years after an accreditation engagement review.

Doctor Lasonya Frierson, assistant superintendent for district and school effectiveness, told the board that Cognia evaluated the district across 30 performance standards tied to four characteristics: culture of learning, leadership for learning, engagement in learning and growth in learning. She said the district received an Institution Eligibility and Quality (IEQ) score of 3.38, above Cognia's network average of 2.96.

Frierson said Cognia recognized two districtwide noteworthy practices: operating as a districtwide professional learning community focused on high levels of learning for all, and promoting leadership development for teachers through the Houston County Teacher Leadership Academy and other leadership programs. She said Cognia also assigned an area for improvement: leveraging technology to enhance student engagement and higher-order skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, problem-solving and creation.

Frierson presented the findings to the board and the superintendent—s executive cabinet at a May 12 retreat; the May 2025 community report and strategic plan special edition is dedicated to outgoing Superintendent Mark Scott and highlights the accreditation results. The board then recognized Frierson's presentation and took a group photo with the accreditation plaque.

Frierson emphasized that accreditation is a multi-year process that reviews evidence, data analysis, and narratives. She said the recognition reflects the district—s work on teacher leadership and systems-level professional learning communities and that the district will continue to work on the Cognia-identified area for improvement around technology integration.