The Mission of the Canadian Educational Standards Institute is to promote educational excellence through a rigorous school accreditation process.

To this end:

· CESI recognizes and celebrates the independence, integrity and unique character of each school and the students whom it serves; and,

· CESI has developed rigorous educational and operational standards and evaluates the performance of member schools in meeting those standards in the fulfillment of their missions.

CESI member schools are corporations with Boards that operate at arm's length from the administration of the school and which maintain high educational and personal standards for their students while providing preparation for higher education. The schools' statements of purposes and objectives reflect legitimate educational and social goals. Schools must have five years of experience and must, within three years, be ready to undergo the full evaluation and accreditation process.

The Institute provides evaluation and accreditation of a school's overall program. Schools will be evaluated in terms of their own statement of philosophy, purposes, and objectives, and in terms of the Institute's Standards For Accreditation of Schools, details of which are set out below. CESI's Standards cover Purposes and Objectives, Values, Discipline and Extra-Curriculum, Academic Program, School Organization and Administration, Personnel, School and Community, Admissions, Governance, Financial Management and Physical Plant.

Although particular programs and emphases vary from one institution to another, in all Institute schools education is viewed in the broad sense as encompassing the intellectual, moral and emotional development of each student.

The work of the Institute is governed by a Board of sixteen Directors, of whom five are Heads of accredited schools, two are Chairs of the Boards of CESI Schools, and nine are independent members-at-large.

THE CESI STANDARDS COUNCIL is responsible for maintaining and updating the Institute's Standards for Accreditation and Sustaining Membership, for developing appraisal criteria and for fostering and promoting quality in education in Institute schools. The majority of members of this Council are professional educators from Institute schools.

THE CESI EVALUATION COUNCIL is responsible for ensuring the development of appropriate procedures to evaluate schools seeking accreditation and for evaluation of Institute schools on a regular cycle. The Evaluation Council reviews reports of Visiting Committees to the schools and also reviews responses of the Schools to the Recommendations of the Visiting Committee.

The majority of members of this Council are experienced educators independent of member schools. The Chair of the Evaluation Council is a member of the Institute's Board of Directors.