The Association began in 1949 as the Private Schools Association of Dade County and was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1958. AISF schools serve more than 25,000 students in various programs: traditional and Montessori; boarding and day; pre-school, kindergarten, elementary, and secondary; special learning needs; experimental; religious, non-sectarian, non-denominational; and college preparatory. AISF maintains a State Office in Fort Lauderdale.
Independent schools channel resources directly to students’ learning, character development, and personal growth. The energy of independent schools goes into a common purpose of maintaining high academic standards unhampered by political considerations. The fundamental relationship is between student and teacher.
AISF is recognized by the Florida Association of Academic Nonpublic Schools (FAANS) as an accrediting agency for private schools in Florida. AISF is also a charter member of the National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA). Through NCPSA, AISF is a member of International Regional Accreditation Association (The Alliance), a coalition of regional, national and international accrediting bodies and educational experts from around the world helping to advance the standards and quality in education worldwide.
Through an agreement between NCPSA and Middle State Association Commission on Elementary & Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS), which is a regional, national and international accrediting organization, affords AISF member schools the opportunity to participate in a co-operative one self study/one team process for accreditation. Also through NCPSA reciprocal co-operative agreements with Accreditation International (Ai); American Montessori Society (AMS), National Independent Private School Association (NIPSA) and the National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA) using the one self-study process, one representative committee, and a single on-site evaluation process has been successfully implemented for many years.
