ACCS Membership
Our Mission – To promote, establish, and equip member schools that are committed to a classical approach in the light of a Christian worldview.
Submit a Membership Inquiry
Click here to request your application.
Complete the Membership Application
We’ll work with you to address any questions before approving you for membership.
Why ACCS Membership?
For the past 30 years, parents have trusted ACCS schools to provide quality classical Christian education. Our membership standards provide parents with the assurance that the school they have chosen is a true classical Christian school.
What is ACCS Membership about?
What Does It Mean To Be a classical Christian school in the ACCS?
A Community Dedicated to Classical Christian
Setting Standards
of Excellence
Championing CCE in
Media, Policy,
and Partnerships
Events & Training
Head of School Mentorship
& School Consulting
Our School-Finder
Map
Accreditation
Networks & Partnerships
Job Board
Student Opportunities
Parent Engagement
Other Resources
To learn more about classical Christian education (CCE), read our “What is CCE” page.
Accredited Members
ACCS accreditation is among the most thorough of any accreditation in k-12 education, classical or conventional. Our schools conform to rigorous classical Christian academic practices and philosophy – no other accreditor provides this assurance to parents. Our accredited schools operate independently of state or federal governance. Learn more here.
Note that Full membership is a pre-requisite for Accreditation.
Are you an ACCS Member?
We would love to talk with you about applying for Accreditation.
Full Members
Full Members are established CCE schools that have met 12 academic and operational standards. Parents can expect ACCS Full members to practice distinctive classical Christian education.
Transitional Members
Schools that seek ACCS Membership that are making the transition to a classical Christian education model—and do not yet conform to all the standards of Full membership—may join the ACCS as Transitional members. These schools have up to 5 years to bring their program and operations into full compliance with our membership standards.
Startup Members
We offer Startup membership for launch schools in their first two years.
We help with all forms of classical Christian schools that have graduation tracks and offer diplomas, including hybrid models and schools that have limited grade-level services.
Once one full year of calendar membership has elapsed, the Startup member moves to Full membership, and standard membership rates apply.
Startup membership is available to schools in the US or Canada. International schools may apply for International Membership (see below).
International Members
International schools who follow a classical Christian education model and fulfill the standards of our membership requirements may apply to join as Members.
Apply for International Membership – $190 annually
Are you establishing a school outside of the U.S. or Canada?
Apply for Membership as an International-startup school – $390 for one year
Additional benefits:
The International Classical Christian Alliance also offers membership for schools who reside within their local branch. If you’re interested in joining the ICCA or forming an ICCA branch in your country with like-minded schools, visit this page. We would love to talk with you about this opportunity for classical Christian education in your country.
Click here to see if your school qualifies!
1. Be private and classical Christian.
2. Not accept government funding sufficient to compromise the classical Christian mission should the government funding be withdrawn in the future.
3. Operate a school with classrooms (physical or digital) and teachers where students are sent by their parents to be instructed. Nontraditional models like collaborative or University™ model schools, or online schools qualify.
4. Serve some combination of grades k-12. We do not charge per-student fees for pre-k.
5. Commit to providing or finding a path to full k-12 classical Christian education for students. This can include a future plan or a path involving another school. For example, you can qualify if you are k-4 planning to go to k-8, at which time students may transfer to another classical Christian school in your area serving grades 9-12.
6. Serve more than one family. Homeschools qualify as individual affiliates. Homeschool co-ops that offer high school diplomas may qualify. Generally, co-ops that offer classes, but no comprehensive program, do not qualify.
7. Teach the arts of the Trivium in the academic structure that you provide; also, teach at least two years of Latin or ancient Greek, one year of formal Logic, and one year of Rhetoric in the secondary for each student.
8. Support the work and mission of the ACCS.
9. Agree with the ACCS definition of classical Christian education (see this page) and implement it insofar as you have the ability and resources.
10. Agree with our statement of faith. (See our statement here.)
11. Agree to treat other ACCS member schools according to the “golden rule,” particularly with regard to recruiting families and staff.
12. Not discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national/ethnic origin.
13. Not affirm unbiblical family relationships.
Note: We have a Transitional membership under which schools do not need to meet requirements 4 and 7 for 5 years.
What is the meaning of membership?
Many schools can benefit from knowing how to run a good budget, learning how to structure their tuition increases, or knowing how to conduct more efficient faculty meetings. But as important as these features are, they are all procedural measures of success. The real substance of success is paideia. ACCS schools learn to form that by pursuing Christ and His Kingdom, by preserving a classical tradition, and through our standards of excellence in the classroom.
ACCS has supported our members for 30 years, providing them with a foundation built on the classical tradition, while they act as the architects to create a local Christian culture. Building culture starts with excellent teachers, board members committed to the vision, and invested parents and community. ACCS offers resources, wisdom, and partnership for these vital members of your team.
We know the hard work your school is doing, beyond even the work of developing hiring procedures or crafting an annual budget: Your school is partaking in the work of soul-formation known as paideia.
ACCS is your school’s partner in that lasting work.
Which membership type would be best for my school?
Full Membership 
Learn more & apply
Transitional Membership Learn more & apply
Startup Membership Learn more & apply
International Membership Learn more & apply
How does my school become ACCS Accredited?
ACCS accreditation is a school-improvement program specifically designed for classical Christian schools that meet all of our basic membership requirements.
We welcome you to learn more about the accreditation process and the recognition that ACCS accreditation offers.
If you are a member, inquire here!
How can schools outside of the U.S. and Canada join?
International schools who follow a classical Christian education model and fulfill the standards of our membership requirements may apply to join as Members.
Apply for International Membership – $190 annually
Are you establishing a school outside of the U.S. or Canada?
Apply for Membership as an International-startup school – $390 for one year
Additional benefits:
The International Classical Christian Alliance also offers membership for schools who reside within their local branch. If you’re interested in joining the ICCA or forming an ICCA branch in your country with like-minded schools, visit this page. We would love to talk with you about this opportunity for classical Christian education in your country.
Can a school transitioning to classical Christian education join?
We’d love to talk with you about transitioning your school to CCE! Please inquire here.
How do I know if my school is a good fit for membership?
In addition to being in agreement with the ACCS statement of faith and position statements, a school well suited for membership has a classical Christian mission and vision that is embodied by their active pursuit of classical pedagogy and paideia.
Their pedagogy will reflect the arts of the Trivium and their academics will include: integrated Humanities throughout lower and upper schools, and Latin or Greek, Logic, and Rhetoric in the upper school.
See a detailed list of our membership standards here.
Can online schools become members?
Yes, online schools can apply for membership. We charge only for full-time, diploma-seeking students ($5 per K-12 student).
In a K-8 program, “diploma” means that the student is participating in a program intended to meet the majority of their required schooling for that year. Part-time students who take classes ad hoc are not counted.
Are there resources for my teachers and administrators?
Administration and faculty at our member schools have access to our Member Resource Center (MRC). The MRC is host to numerous resources including: the ACCS publications library, webinars, the Curriculum Center, and our members-only Forum.
ACCS also runs various Regional Administrator’s Summits throughout the year, and partners with our Accredited Schools to provide ACCS Teacher Certification and Endorsed Teacher Training.