Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy earns accreditation

The Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy has been awarded initial accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement, executive director of the academy Elaine Swafford announced Tuesday.

The academy opened in 2009 and had been deemed one of the worst-performing charter schools in the state as recently as 2012, when Swafford took over leadership at the all-girl school. CGLA is a combination middle and high school for girls with curriculum focusing on science, technology, engineering and math.

"Accreditation demonstrates to our students, parents and community that we are focused on raising student achievement, providing a safe and enriching learning environment, and maintaining an efficient operation staffed by highly qualified educators," Swafford said in the press release.

The academy is among 10 schools in the Hamilton County school district that have earned accreditation. This particular accreditation is nationally recognized, and schools must meet the council's standards, be evaluated by a team outside of the school and implement a continuous process of improvement.

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