Cognia is the accreditation organization for all DoDEA schools, serving more than 30,000 public and private schools across the United States and more than 70 countries. The Schools of Distinction award recognizes schools and systems that truly stand out in their service to learners. Many members of the Cognia Global Network seek accreditation from Cognia, which is earned as the result of extensive internal preparation and a review by a team of outside educators. Once an institution is accredited, it engages in similar preparation and review every five years to maintain that designation.