November 27, 2024

Doodle Bugs! Earns Accreditation from the Middle States Association (MSA)

Doodle Bugs! Children’s Learning Academy is proud to announce that as of November 15th, 2024, all 17 Doodle Bugs! locations have received official accreditation and reaccreditation from the Middle States Association (MSA). This prestigious recognition is the gold standard for measuring and advancing school improvement.

“I am happy to congratulate the schools that achieved Middle States accreditation or reaccreditation” says Christian Talbot, president of MSA-CESS. “Accreditation is voluntary, professional peer review in service of school improvement. Pursuing accreditation helps the entire school community – administrators, teachers, parents, and students – to think about the future they want and how to get there. Earning accreditation shows that a school is committed to doing everything it can to support its students.”

Doodle Bugs! is among 195 schools and school systems in 24 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and 21 other countries earning national accreditation this month.

About the Middle States Association

The Middle States Association (MSA) is a worldwide leader in accreditation and school improvement. For over 125 years, MSA has been helping schools and other educational institutions establish and reach their goals, develop strategic plans, promote staff development, and advance student achievement. MSA accredits schools across the United States, and in more than 100 countries around the world. Their mission is to affirm to the public a member school’s trustworthiness and commitment to continuous improvement, by providing the network and resources for the promotion of proven practices.

The Accreditation Process

Accreditation is a voluntary self-evaluation process that schools and other educational institutions use to demonstrate that they are meeting a defined set of research-based performance standards. The accreditation process is as follows:

The school completes a self-study, which is comprised of 5 key performance standards: Foundations, Governance and Organization, Student Well-Being, Resources, and Teaching and Learning.
A team of volunteers from MSA conducts an on-site peer review to observe operations and interview various stakeholders (managers, teachers, parents) with the goal of verifying the information provided in the self-study.
The team makes their recommendation to MSA, where it undergoes a multi-level review.
The school is accredited.

Once a school is accredited, the reaccreditation process occurs every 7 years.

Doodle Bugs! Accreditation Timeline

This year, Doodle Bugs! is proud to be celebrating 20 years with MSA!

“The partnership between Doodle Bugs! and MSA has been wonderful,” says Daniel Rufo, Senior Associate Vice President of MSA-CESS. “I have personally worked with both the corporate office and a number of centers and am consistently impressed with everything they do, from the curriculum to the aesthetics of each building. I can honestly say that the dedication to the children and families is unmatched. MSA is proud to accredit the organization and looks forward to continuing to work alongside such amazing people.”

The company’s accreditation timeline is outlined below.

2004: Doodle Bugs! becomes the first program in Western New York to participate in MSA’s innovative Early Age Accreditation project.

2006: Cheektowaga, Clarence, East Amherst, and West Amherst locations receive accreditation.

2012: Lancaster, Orchard Park, Penfield, and Webster locations receive accreditation.

2013: Cheektowaga, Clarence, East Amherst, and West Amherst locations receive reaccreditation.

2014: The Doodle Bugs! Home Office receives accreditation.

2016: Doodle Bugs! Victor receives accreditation.

2023: The Doodle Bugs! Home Office receives reaccreditation.

2024: The Doodle Bugs! Brighton, Greece, Henrietta, Lakewood Ranch, Mars, McCandless, Oviedo, and Southpointe locations receive accreditation, while all other centers receive reaccreditation.

Planning for the Future

Through the accreditation process, we have developed a 7-year plan for growth and improvement. This plan represents a commitment to excellence in all areas of our company. We are so proud and endlessly grateful to our Doodle Bugs! community for their support in helping us accomplish this huge achievement and look forward to a future of continuous growth and achievement.

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