2 0 0 0 , ▁when ▁its ▁Commission ▁on ▁School s ▁( l ater ▁N AC ▁C AS I ▁and ▁now ▁merged ▁into ▁Ad van c ED ) ▁and ▁its ▁Commission ▁on ▁Institution s ▁of ▁High er ▁Education ▁( now ▁the ▁High er ▁Learning ▁Commission ) ▁were ▁formed ▁as ▁independent ▁corpor ations ▁that ▁began ▁independent ▁operation ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁ ▁Federal ▁context ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁educational ▁acc red itation ▁has ▁long ▁been ▁established ▁as ▁a ▁peer ▁review ▁process ▁coordin ated ▁by ▁acc red itation ▁comm issions ▁and ▁member ▁institutions . ▁With ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Department ▁of ▁Education ▁and ▁under ▁the ▁terms ▁of ▁the ▁High er ▁Education ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 5 , ▁as ▁am ended , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Secretary ▁of ▁Education ▁is ▁required ▁by ▁law ▁to ▁publish ▁a ▁list ▁of ▁nation ally ▁recognized ▁acc red iting ▁ag encies ▁for ▁higher ▁education . ▁There ▁is ▁no ▁similar ▁federal ▁government ▁list ▁of ▁recogn ised ▁acc red itation ▁ag encies ▁for ▁primary ▁and ▁secondary ▁schools . ▁Public ▁schools ▁must ▁ad here ▁to ▁criteria ▁set ▁by ▁the ▁state ▁govern ments , ▁and ▁there ▁is ▁wide ▁variation ▁among ▁the ▁individual ▁states ▁in ▁the ▁requirements ▁applied ▁to ▁non - public ▁primary ▁and ▁secondary ▁schools . ▁There ▁are ▁six ▁regional ▁acc red itors ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁that ▁have ▁histor ically ▁acc red ited ▁( and ▁therefore ▁include ▁among ▁their ▁membership ) ▁most ▁elementary ▁schools , ▁junior ▁high ▁schools ,