Independent and other accredited schools and colleges are mandated every 10 years to devote considerable time, thought, and treasure to accreditation process. Formerly often regarded as hollow drudgery and something of a "pro forma" exercise, the accreditation process--the preparation of an exhaustive self-study, the sometimes welcome and sometimes disruptive descent of a visiting committee months afterward, completed by the often anti-climactic vote of the accrediting body--is increasingly viewed by schools as a golden opportunity. Clever souls in the world of accreditation have noted the substantive connection between the changes that schools must make and the once-humdrum-but-annoying process of accreditation. Since standards cover every aspect of a school's operations from the academic program to finances to health and safety, accreditation provides an extraordinary opportunity for schools to engage in the fundamental re-examination of practices in an era that practically screams out for change and innovation. The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), which does not accredit schools but which requires member schools to be accredited by an approved accrediting body, has come to play an important role in accreditation today. While the approach of another accreditation cycle may not exactly bring smiles to the faces of administrators and faculty, more and more they understand and appreciate the great and growing value of the process. Not only does accreditation give schools the opportunity to examine, correct, and improve the small, quotidian aspects of their work, but it also opens the door to considering and undertaking essential change.