Approval, accreditation, certification, and licensure are sometimes used interchangeably. Each word, however, has a separate and distinct meaning.

When referring to Maryland schools and/or teachers, these words have the following meanings:

Approval . . .
is the term used for schools that hold a Certificate of Approval from the Maryland State Board of Education. "Approved" schools have met the requirements established in nonpublic school approval regulations.  A Maryland nonpublic school is required to obtain a Certificate of Approval from the Maryland State Board of Education before beginning to operate (unless the nonpublic school has registered its operation with the Maryland State Department of Education as a church-exempt school).  An approved school must maintain compliance with COMAR 13A.09.09 or COMAR 13A.09.10, as applicable, as a condition to maintain its Certificate of Approval.

Accreditation . . .
is a process for evaluating the quality of an educational program for the purpose of educational program improvement. Accreditation is voluntarily sought by a school. The accreditation process is carried out by accrediting bodies that organize a team of professionals to evaluate a school.  The accreditation is usually based on a self study by the school prior to the accreditation visit.

Certification . . .
is the issuance of a certificate or document to an individual verifying that specific academic or professional standards have been met. A teaching Certificate is not required by the State Board of Education for teachers in nonpublic schools approved under COMAR 13A.09.09. Some schools, however, require a valid teaching certificate as a condition of employment.

Licensure . . .
is the term used for the issuance of a renewable license by a licensing agency. The State Board of Education does not issue licenses to nonpublic schools.