Guiding Principles

Education One’s Guiding Principles define the standards by which we authorize, support and hold schools accountable. They reflect our belief that strong authorizing requires both professional expertise and measurable impact. These principles inform our policies, oversight practices and continuous refinement of how we evaluate school performance and outcomes.

Educator’s Lens

Education One approaches all decisions through an educator’s lens, grounded in student success. Our team’s deep experience in K–12 education informs how we design processes, evaluate performance and support schools in ways that are both practical and impactful. By centering the needs of students and school communities, we ensure our authorizing practices promote meaningful learning, strong instructional environments and long-term student outcomes.

High Expectations

Education One holds both our schools and ourselves to high expectations in academics, governance and ethical practice. We believe excellence is achieved through ongoing reflection, data-informed decision-making and a commitment to continuous improvement. Our authorizing practices are transparent, aligned to NACSA’s national standards and intentionally designed to drive sustained growth and stronger outcomes over time.

Commitment to Innovation

Education One values and authorizes schools that pursue innovative models and practices designed to accelerate student learning and prepare students for a rapidly changing world. Innovation is not viewed as novelty, but as purposeful design grounded in evidence, reflection and measurable outcomes. We expect schools to articulate how their model drives student success and to evaluate the effectiveness of their approaches over time. Education One mirrors this commitment by continually refining our authorizing practices, using differentiated oversight, data-informed frameworks and adaptive strategies to ensure innovation leads to meaningful and sustainable impact.

Partnership and Collaboration

As a university-based authorizer, Education One intentionally leverages partnerships to expand opportunities for students, educators and schools. We connect schools with relevant university resources, such as dual enrollment, field experiences, internships, professional learning and student support initiatives, where alignment exists, and value can be demonstrated. Collaboration is purposeful and outcomes-focused; partnerships are designed to strengthen school capacity, enhance student experiences, and contribute to measurable academic and postsecondary outcomes. Through intentional coordination with university departments and school leadership teams, Education One ensures partnerships move beyond access to deliver real impact.