Tuscaloosa City Board of Education becomes the first board to earn the certification as Cognia and the Arizona School Boards Association expand governance training and certification opportunities for Arizona school boards.

ALPHARETTA, Ga., Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Effective school board governance helps boards focus on what matters most: student success and continuous school improvement. Launched this spring, Cognia Board Governance Certification recognizes school boards for operational effectiveness and a demonstrated commitment to high-quality education.

Today, Cognia® announced the first school board to earn Cognia Board Governance Certification and a new agreement with the Arizona School Boards Association (ASBA) to bring governance-focused training and certification opportunities to Arizona school boards.

Purposeful and Ethical Leadership in Tuscaloosa

Following a multiday review and evaluation of board performance against rigorous standards, Cognia recognized the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education as the first board to earn Cognia Board Governance Certification. The certification demonstrates that a school board’s governance practices help strengthen district culture, leadership, community engagement, and student success.

Cognia experts recognized the Tuscaloosa City Board of Education for its governance practices, leadership, and impact on student outcomes. The review highlighted several strengths, including purposeful, ethical leadership and the use of data to guide decision-making.

“Tuscaloosa City’s leadership and its commitment to excellence and successful student outcomes made this recognition possible,” said Dr. André Harrison, interim chief accreditation and certification officer at Cognia. “Their work was thoughtfully organized, and the board has used the governance protocol to support its continued growth and advancement.”

“We see this board governance certification process as an opportunity to push our governing body—our board of education—to become even stronger in supporting our schools and all students,” said Dr. Mike Daria, superintendent of Tuscaloosa City Schools.

Bringing Governance Training and Certification Opportunities to Arizona

Building on the certification framework demonstrated in Tuscaloosa, Cognia, and ASBA are collaborating to expand access to governance-focused training and provide Arizona school boards with a research-based pathway to examine, strengthen, and demonstrate effective governance practices. Cognia will provide the training and oversee the certification review process, while ASBA will connect the work to the responsibilities, priorities, and diverse needs of Arizona’s public school governing boards.

Through the agreement, Arizona school boards will have opportunities to strengthen their ability to:

• Support continuous improvement and better outcomes for students.
• Align decisions with the district’s vision, goals, and priorities.
• Use student learning data to guide meaningful action.
• Communicate clearly and collaborate effectively with stakeholders.
• Build and sustain trust with families, educators, staff, and the community.

“Strong governance requires boards to continually examine how their leadership, decisions, and relationships support the success of students and communities,” said Ellen White, executive director of the Arizona School Boards Association. “This agreement gives Arizona school boards another meaningful opportunity to build on the work they are already doing, strengthen their governance practices, and demonstrate their commitment to continuous improvement and student success.”

Together, Cognia’s certification framework and ASBA’s Arizona-specific governance expertise will provide boards with training, tools, and a clear process for pursuing certification. Participation in certification is voluntary, and boards that choose to pursue it will be evaluated through Cognia’s established review process.

The first Cognia Board Governance Certification in Alabama and the new Arizona collaboration represent important steps toward stronger leadership, greater community confidence, and better outcomes for every student.

About Cognia

Cognia® is a forward-thinking nonprofit improvement organization committed to serving schools and other education providers. Cognia offers accreditation and certification, assessment, improvement services, and professional learning within an evaluation and continuous improvement framework. Serving more than 40,000 public and private institutions from early learning through high school in more than 100 countries and territories, Cognia brings a globally recognized perspective to advancing teaching and learning. Learn more at Cognia.org.

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SOURCE Cognia