Within the walls at King Science & Technology Middle, you’ll find a science classroom that is home to lizards, snakes, turtles and even an axolotl salamander.

“I like being at this school and this class because I get to learn more about animals,” said Iri Robinson, King Science & Technology Middle eighth grader. “And of course the teamwork that comes with it.”

Classrooms like this demonstrate the learning that takes place throughout Omaha Public Schools. Learning that helped our district earn systemwide accreditation last spring from Cognia.

As part of that process, evaluators observed 102 classrooms and interviewed more than 400 students, staff and community members across our district.

“A team comes from all over the country, who have worked in large school districts, and they go to schools and classrooms, talk to leadership teams, parents and staff and then give us the findings of our strengths and areas of weakness,” said Susanne Cramer, Omaha Public Schools chief school improvement officer. “The rigor of the process benefits us because it helps us get better.”

School districts in Nebraska are accredited every five years. Previously, we were evaluated by individual schools. This is the first time Omaha Public Schools has gone through the process and been accredited as a single system.

“It’s important that we have a common understanding of what effectiveness is and what processes are going to drive improvement,” said Cramer. “If we’re engaging in continuous improvement, collecting evidence along the way and doing what we’re supposed to do, then there shouldn’t be any surprises.”

King Science & Technology Middle participated in the evaluator school visits and interview process.

“This was an opportunity for an outsider to come in and provide non-biased feedback,” said Jane Laughlin, King Science & Technology Middle principal. “If we are going to improve as a district, then we need to be evaluated as one district.”

The Cognia accreditation review commended Omaha Public Schools for strong classroom management and positive learning environments across our district.

Evaluators also identified growth opportunities, such as raising academic expectations, strengthening progress monitoring and ensuring students experience consistency from school to school or classroom to classroom.

“We want all of our students to get the same experience no matter where they’re located in our district,” said Laughlin. “And that we're educating with fidelity so that what we’re doing for our students is going to improve their performance and their livelihood in the future.”

The Cognia feedback will help shape our next strategic plan. A draft of the plan is anticipated in December 2025, with potential approval in February or March 2026.

October 2025