DoDEA Europe South District Schools Earns Cognia Systems of Distinction Award
The DoDEA-Europe South District is proudly recognized with the 2024 Cognia System of Distinction Award, standing out among 1,100 institutions reviewed during the 2022-2023 Engagement Reviews. This prestigious award highlights the district’s exceptional dedication to continuous improvement and excellence demonstrated in their recent Accreditation Engagement Review. 
Dr. Jeff Arrington remarked, "The validation from the Cognia Engagement Review Team highlights our district’s unwavering dedication to excellence and continuous improvement. Over the past five years, we have successfully implemented a range of initiatives that align with our district’s goals, including Focused Collaboration, College and Career Readiness Standards, and the Learning Walkthrough Tool. Our efforts have evolved from initial implementation to achieving notable results, sustainability, and established best practices as recognized by Cognia. By concentrating on targeted math and literacy outcomes and crafting comprehensive strategies to support every student across Europe South, we have made remarkable strides. I am immensely proud of our district staff, leadership, military partners, and educators, whose collective commitment has been instrumental in this success."
Cognia is a global, nonprofit improvement organization dedicated to helping institutions and other education providers grow learners, teachers, and leaders. Cognia offers accreditation and certification, assessment, and improvement services within a framework of continuous improvement. Serving 40,000 public and private institutions from early learning through high school in 90 countries, Cognia brings a global perspective to advancing teaching and learning. The Schools of Distinction award is given to those entities that exhibit exceptional service to learners. Institutions within the Cognia Global Network seek accreditation through rigorous internal preparation and external evaluation by educational experts. Accredited institutions are required to undergo similar evaluations every five years to maintain their accreditation status.
Dr. Michelle Howard-Brahaney, DoDEA Europe-Director for Student Excellence, shared, "Europe South has achieved remarkable results in building systems that place student achievement at the forefront and promote shared leadership among all stakeholders. Our commitment to open communication and collaboration throughout the district has strengthened our educational practices, leading to significant improvements for students, teachers, and schools. These efforts continue to drive positive outcomes, ensuring success across our entire learning community."
