Throughout the Spring 2026 Semester, the American School of Valencia will complete the key stages of the accreditation process with the Middle States Association (MSA) by writing and submitting the required Self-Study. The Self-Study, following the Excellence by Design protocol, will define our school’s path for growth and improvement for the 2027-2034 accreditation cycle. Below are the most relevant updates on this important process.
What is the Accreditation Process?
Accreditation is a voluntary process of peer review that validates the quality of the school’s educational programs and operations. In the case of ASV, accreditation by an external educational association from the country of the school’s curriculum is a requirement in Spain in order that ASV can operate as an international school (centro extranjero). The accreditation protocol requires us to reflect on how ASV meets the five MSA Standards for Accreditation and to establish new Student Performance and Organizational Capacity Objectives for the coming years. MSA has been the accreditation association since ASV was founded in 1980.
Our Progress So Far
The new accreditation cycle requires an ongoing culture of planning, and some initial tasks were completed in the 2024-2025 academic year, like the selection of the MSA Planning Team. The main work began in September 2025 with the training of a dedicated MSA Planning Team, which includes faculty, staff, Board of Governors representative, and parents from each school section. This team is leading a thorough review of the ASV foundational documents, reflecting on the 220 Indicators of Quality, and is currently completing the Self-Study through an internal review of every aspect of school life. All faculty-staff members are providing their valuable input in two different meetings, one held on January 28, 2026, and the other one taking place on February 11, 2025.
Community Engagement
The accreditation process is also built through collaboration. In February and March 2026, ASV will hold a series of informative meetings with school stakeholders to share information about the MSA process, goals and how the upcoming accreditation process benefits student learning at ASV.
Final Submission
ASV will be ready to submit the final Self-Study and supporting documentation by the end of the Spring 2026 semester, leading up to the on-site visit from the MSA Visiting Team in November 2026.
Please stay tuned for upcoming announcements, and do not miss the end-of-year update in June 2026.
