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Christopher Columbus High School, located in the Westchester neighborhood of Southwest Miami, has been named a 2024 Cognia® School of Distinction. The school earned this prestigious recognition based on achieving outstanding results in a rigorous accreditation engagement review conducted by Cognia, the global nonprofit school improvement organization. Cognia evaluates institutions by seeking evidence of growth in learning, a healthy learning culture, high-quality instructional environments, and effective leadership—characteristics the accrediting organization expects to see in quality schools that demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement.
Columbus is among a small and select group of institutions to receive this honor. Out of over 1,350 institutions reviewed in the 2023-2024 school year, only 49 schools and 11 systems were awarded this recognition.
The Cognia review process, grounded in research-based performance standards, involved a thorough examination by education experts, including third-party reviews, interviews, and classroom observations.
“We extend our sincere thanks to Pedro Garcia-Casals, our Dean of Curriculum and Professional Development, and Andres Fernandez, our Director of Continuous Improvement, and their hardworking committee for leading the successful reaccreditation effort,” said Thomas Kruczek, Columbus president. “We congratulate them and all of our talented and dedicated Marist educators on this incredible accomplishment.”
Dr. Mark A. Elgart, President and CEO of Cognia, praised the achievement: “Christopher Columbus High School is to be commended for earning the designation as a School of Distinction. Cognia Accreditation is already a mark of school quality recognized around the world. Being named a School or System of Distinction further acknowledges the demonstrated commitment to education quality and a mindset of continuous improvement Christopher Columbus High School has for its learners.”
On October 16, 2024, Dianna Weinbaum and Andy Martinez, Cognia’s Senior Director and Director of the U.S. Southeast region visited Columbus to celebrate the accomplishment and present President Thomas Kruczek and Principal David Pugh with framed certificates that proudly display the distinction. The entire Columbus administration, members of the accreditation committee, and faculty and staff members were present.
