Miss. Code. tit. 7, pt. 163, INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION, INTRODUCTION
Any nonpublic school may voluntarily request accreditation. Accreditation of a nonpublic school will be determined by the extent to which the school complies with each of the applicable requirements described in this document.
Some differences exist between public school boards and government agencies that have responsibilities for disbursing public funds and the governing body or policy-making authority of privately funded schools, which may delegate more fiscal freedom to the chief school administrator. Although the accreditation standards for nonpublic school are in many cases identical to the process standards for public schools, nonpublic schools do not participate in the accountability system and school performance model for public schools. Also, some exemptions and interpretations are allowed for special purpose schools serving special populations, church-related schools, and tribal schools. For the purposes of this nonpublic school accreditation process, the following definitions are used.
School: A school is defined as an institution that exists for the purpose of teaching school-age children, consists of one (1) physical plant located on one (1) school site, includes instructional staff members and students, and is in session each school year.
* Home schools and home-schooling programs, including those that are affiliated with an accrediting agency, are specifically excluded from this definition and are not eligible to participate in the State Board of Education (SBE) accreditation process.
* Also excluded from this definition are day care centers, preschool programs {except for special preschool programs specifically designed to serve children with disabilities according to the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and Preschool Grant regulations}, and post-secondary programs including adult education or vocational training programs specifically designed to serve an adult-age student population.
Nonpublic School: The term nonpublic school includes the following:
Special Purpose School: A special purpose school is defined as one that is organized to serve a specific population(s) of students or to provide a special program of instruction for students.
A special purpose school that serves students with disabilities in accordance with IDEA and applicable state statutes and regulations must meet all relevant state and federal requirements for special education programs.
Church-Related School: A church-related school is defined as one that is governed and operated by a denominational, parochial, or other bona fide church organization or religious order.
Local Governing Body: A local governing body is defined as a policy-making entity, governing entity, advisory council, or a combination of such entities, as designated at the school level.
Miss. Code. tit. 7, pt. 163, INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION, INTRODUCTION