The Islamic Faith Academy of Tyler has been recommended for accreditation by AdvancED, an accreditation and school improvement company that works with more than 27,000 public and private schools around the world.

loading...

The small school and its curriculum underwent a thorough inspection and review by the company after providing a self study and years of data.  AdvancED looks at seven primary areas, among them the school’s management, teaching and learning process, and assessment of student performance.

Last month the company capped off the process with a campus visit that included interviews with teachers, students and parents.

The small Islamic school has 54 students in preschool through third grade. Class sizes are small - some have only five or six students.  To meet standards set by the Texas Education Agency, teachers follow the same state curriculum guidelines used in public schools, and use textbooks from the state-approved list.

In addition to the core courses the state requires, children are taught Islamic studies which include the tenets of the Islamic faith, and Arabic so they can be taught in the language of the Quran, Islam's holy book.

The school's principal says above all, the school teaches Muslim children to live in America,  He said everything they teach is designed to show students how their faith and their country can mesh.

He says gaining accreditation from AdvancED will show the public that the school meets or exceeds state education standards.

More From Newstalk 860