Accreditation Overview and Process

Why Become Accredited by the Academy?

To have your Orton-Gillingham Instructional Program and/or Training Program endorsed by the Academy.

OGA Accreditation is a process leading to the recognition of education organizations as having a level of performance, integrity, and quality that entitles them to the confidence of the educational community and the public they serve.

The Academy provides an objective and professional assessment of OG instructional programs and OG training programs through the Accrediting Committee. The committee consists of Fellows with experience working in Academy accredited schools, camps, and clinics.

The Academy does not accredit the school or organization; it only accredits the Orton-Gillingham Instructional and/or Training Program.

Accreditation of Instructional Programs

Schools, camps, and clinics may be accredited as providing an OG instructional program designed to meet the needs of students with dyslexia. Only schools that have already been accredited by national and/or state certifying organizations are eligible to apply.

Accreditation also requires that the instructional leadership of the program be vested in a staff member who is a Fellow of the Academy.

The Academy provides a Curriculum Handbook to all Fellows which outlines the standards and curriculum content at each level of membership. It falls to the Fellow to create their own curriculum based on these standards.

Accreditation of Training Programs

The Academy accredits training programs to train individuals interested in becoming Orton-Gillingham practitioners. The instructional leadership of the program must be a Fellow of the Academy. Academy criteria for the accreditation of an Orton-Gillingham practitioner training program emphasize the adequacy of curricula used by a program and the preparation and experience of the staff providing the training.

The Academy has established standards for the accreditation of Orton-Gillingham programs at two levels of training.

At the Associate Level, programs are reviewed for their preparation of individuals for entry level Orton-Gillingham practice. At this level, the program provides ongoing instruction and supervision to the practitioner learning to use this Approach.

At the Certified Level, programs are reviewed for their preparation of individuals who will become independent practitioners.

Accreditation also requires that the instructional leadership of the program be vested in a staff member who is a Fellow of the Academy.

Once a program’s preliminary application for accreditation is accepted, an Academy mentor is assigned to assist the applicant at the various stages of the application process. Through a supportive process, based on a self-study approach, the Academy works with the program to achieve these goals at the level of the standard. The Academy accredits the Orton-Gillingham training program of an organization but not the organization itself.

Benefits of an Accredited Training Program

Accredited training programs send their trainees through the Accredited Training Track application process. This type of application enables the trainee to apply to the Academy on a rolling basis which substantially reduces the time between the application and acceptance to the Academy.

Important Criteria

The facility and OG training/instructional programs need to be in operation for 3 years before accreditation by the Academy can begin. If it is a school, it must already hold accreditation from an official school accreditation agency.
Academy accreditation requires that the instructional leadership of the program be vested in a staff member who is a Fellow of the Academy.
For a training program, the program must have a least 5 applicants apply to the Academy’s Certifying Committee with an 80% acceptance rate before applying for accreditation.
For an instructional program, the instructional staff must consist of certified Academy members at various levels of certification or at least in the process of being Academy certified.
The accreditation process takes a minimum of a year to complete.

What does the accreditation process involve?

The process includes:

Submitting a preliminary application to the Accreditation Committee for approval to continue with the self-study.
A site visit for observations by two members of the Accreditation Committee.
Complete a self-study of the organization and submit it to the Accreditation Committee for review. Information requested in the self-study include:

Instructional Program

Mission statement and goals
Present objectives based on mission and goals
Implementation of mission and goals
Shows evidence of ongoing, self-study, and evaluation and how it affects the program, planning, and curriculum design
Information on the organization and governance
Provide details of the effective educational/instructional programs following the Orton-Gillingham Approach for students with dyslexia
Curriculum
Instructional staff
Physical facilities and resources

Training Program

Mission statement and goals
Shows evidence that it engages in ongoing, systematic self-study, and how it affects the program, planning, and curriculum design
Demonstrates verifiable and ongoing evaluation of graduates, for example, the percentage of trainees who achieve Academy membership status
Information on the organization and governance
Information on trainee development
Curriculum
Instructional staff
Physical facilities and resources

What is the first step?

Download the brochure of the program you are interested in having accredited from the links below (instructional in schools, camps, and clinics or training).
If your program meets the criteria listed in the brochure, fill out a Preliminary Application and email or mail the form to the Academy office. If mailing, send in a check with the application fee of $75. If emailing, mail the check separately. We can also email you an invoice if you would like to pay by credit card.
Preliminary Applications are accepted by the Accrediting Committee on a rolling bases.
The committee will review your application and contact you with the next steps which include discussing the Academy standards, scheduling a site visit, and working with a mentor on the self-study application.

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