Akiva Hebrew Day School, was the first Jewish day school in the region to receive accreditation through the Michigan Non-Public School Accrediting Association (MNSAA), an arm of the Michigan Association of Non-Public Schools. Akiva is held to standards at least as high (and most times higher) as those set by the State of Michigan and the United States Department of Education.

Some interesting facts about the accreditation process:

• Akiva submits a School Improvement Plan to MNSAA every year, upon which our accreditation renewal is based. The purpose of the plan is to ensure we are constantly and consistently identifying strengths and relative weaknesses, looking at how we can improve our program and our systems.
• The accreditation review cycle requires a site team visit every seven years. Our last site review occurred in early 2009. In 2010 we are slated for a site review. Team members represent professional educators across the metropolitan Detroit area, and include representation from public and private schools, within and outside of the Jewish community. This provides opportunity for fresh, unbiased impressions. (Roberta Martin, Director of Student Services, has assisted MNSAA in the past by participating in the site review process in other area private schools.)
• The purpose of the site review team is to verify that what we have stated about our educational programming is, in fact, true. They examine personnel records, curriculum, programming, etc.
• The members of the site review team interview all employees of the school, and at least 10% of the students and 10% of the parent body. The school has no control over who is contacted. All interviews are highly confidential.
• Every full-time and most part-time employees of the school participate as members of at least one committee, charged with the task of self-evaluation of their particular department/area of expertise. Much of this work was done on their own time!
• The self-evaluation consists of 12 reports, including Mission & Philosophy, School & Community, School Climate, Organization & Administration, Professional Staff, Curriculum (in general, and by department), Instructional Materials & Resources, Student Services, School Facilities, Development/Strategic Planning & Finance, and Child Care Services.