Accreditation
Not yet accredited. Here is our road map.
Southern Islamic Institute is not accredited. We are pursuing accreditation, and we expect it to take several years, because accrediting bodies rightly want to see a school operate before they judge it. This page explains what that means for your child, and exactly where we are on the road.
We will never say or suggest that SII is accredited until an accrediting body has granted it. Being a candidate for accreditation is not the same as being accredited, and we will say which one is true.
The basics
What accreditation is, and why it matters
Accreditation means an independent body has reviewed a school against published standards (its teaching, its curriculum, its leadership, its policies, and how it improves) and found that it meets them. It gives families confidence in the quality of a school, and it helps with moving between schools, with college admissions, and with how some states treat a school.
Accreditation is voluntary for private schools in most states. A private school can operate legally without it, and many new schools do while they work toward it. But it matters, and we are committed to earning it.
What it means today
What our status means for your child
Grades 1 to 8
If your child moves to another school later, that school decides how to place your child. Most schools place younger children by age, records, and sometimes a placement test. We give you a clear record of what your child studied and achieved.
High school
Full-time high school opens only when our accreditation candidacy is active. When it does, we will tell families plainly that another high school decides which SII credits it accepts, and that some colleges, scholarship programs, and athletic associations may ask for more evidence, such as test scores.
A few states
A few states require an online school to be accredited or registered before it can be a child's school of record there. Full-time enrollment is paused in those states until we meet their rules. The state table shows which.
Road map
Our road to accreditation, phase by phase
Our founder first published this road map in 2025. We have corrected it: an earlier version marked some steps done that were not, such as running pilot courses before any student had enrolled. This version says where each phase really stands.
Foundations In progress
The operating company and its business name for the school, a full curriculum framework (our founder's outline, now being written into lessons), our written policies (published on this site and under attorney review), and the school software (built and in testing). Registering SII's name and completing attorney review are on our checklist before we take tuition.
State requirements In progress
A state-by-state table of what each state asks of an online private school and of its families, reviewed by an attorney, including South Carolina, our home state. Full-time enrollment stays paused in any state whose requirements we have not met.
Applying for candidacy Not started
We plan to apply to a regional accrediting body that accredits online schools (for example Cognia or the Middle States Association) and to the Council of Islamic Schools in North America, which evaluates a school's Islamic environment as well as its academics. Beginning this process is on our checklist before we take any tuition.
Self-study and review Not started
After operating for the period the accrediting body requires, we complete a self-study, submit student work samples and policy handbooks, and host review visits. We act on their findings and report every year.
An accreditation decision Not started
Our founder set a goal of full accreditation within 3 to 5 years of founding. That matches how long new schools usually take, and we will not rush it.
A correction to our earlier notes: the National Council for Private School Accreditation does not accredit individual schools. It recognizes the associations that do. Our earlier list also counted our own learning platform as a met requirement; a school cannot grade its own homework, so that line is gone.
Follow along
Our progress on each step appears on Where We Are. If you have questions about accreditation and your child, write to admissions@