Practitioner’s Note The Council of Islamic Schools in North America (CISNA): An Internationally Recognized Accrediting Agency

Practitioner's Note The Council of Islamic Schools in North America (CISNA)An Internationally Recognized Accrediting Agency Sufia Azmat (bio) and Leila H. Shatara (bio) INTRODUCTION The number of Islamic schools in the United States continues to rise, along with the demand for qualified leadership, teaching staff, and sustainable funding models for these schools. Post-pandemic anecdotal data demonstrates this increase as the Council of Islamic Schools of North America (CISNA) continues to receive inquiries from communities on how to establish new Islamic schools. Feedback from school leaders reveals that they are outgrowing their current campuses and need to expand to accommodate growing student populations. From 1991 to 2015 there was an 800 percent increase in Islamic school enrollment, from 4,482 students to 40,485 (Council for American Private Education, 2017). The share of total private school enrollment in Islamic schools increased from 0.1 to 0.8 percent from 1991 to 2015. Currently, about 300 Islamic schools in the United States serve more than 50,000 students (Islamic Schools League of America, 2021). Although the number of schools continues to [End Page 116] grow and existing schools increase enrollment, parents who have enrolled their children in Islamic schools as well as the public still question the quality of education delivered at these schools. As Islamic schools mature and evolve, they seek ways to improve their credibility and public image. One of the pathways for quality assurance is seeking accreditation. This article elaborates on Islamic schooling in the United States and the Council of Islamic Schools of North America's role in providing guidance and leadership to enhance the services provided by Islamic schools. The need for Islamic schools is founded on a parental desire to instill and strengthen their children's Muslim identity. Islamic schools strive to fulfill this need by enabling and empowering students to learn within an Islamic framework. According to a recent study on why parents choose Islamic schools, the study found that "parents' desire to teach their children the foundations of the Islamic religion was one of the major factors for choosing Islamic schools. The parents' desire to preserve the Islamic cultural heritage and to provide their children the opportunity to develop an American Muslim identity grounded in Islamic values was of equal importance." This study also revealed that many other factors influenced Muslim parents' choice of Islamic schools unrelated to religious teachings or cultural preservation. Quality of education and the physical and psychological safety provided by the private environment of Islamic schools were identified as influential factors in parents' enrolling their children in Islamic schools. (Shatara et al., 2020, p. 66). Interviews conducted at accreditation visits indicate that while parents, when responding to a formal survey, may state that their top factor for selecting an Islamic school is for their child to forge a strong Muslim identity, their actions and words in informal situations reveal that they expect a high-quality academic education. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE COUNCIL OF ISLAMIC SCHOOLS IN NORTH AMERICA In 1989, an education symposium organized and hosted by the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) gathered Muslim educators, community members, and representatives from many Islamic institutions throughout North America. Discussions resulted in the appointment of a seven-member ad-hoc committee to serve as the architects of a mechanism for cooperation and communication among full-time Islamic schools throughout the continent. This committee included representatives from [End Page 117] various US geographical regions and Canada. By November of 1991, as a result of the committee's efforts, the first full-time Islamic School general assembly meeting was held in Detroit, Michigan. Approximately 45 full-time Islamic schools were represented, a constitution was ratified, and the Council of Islamic Schools of North America was formed. CISNA has served as a unifying organization for Islamic schools in the United States and Canada since its inception and has partnered with ISNA for nearly two decades to bring professional development and networking opportunities to Islamic schools and Muslim educators. The Council of Islamic Schools in North America supports the vital role of Islamic schools by advocating for equitable opportunities for Islamic school students to participate in appropriate state and federal...

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