ACS WASC

Our Accreditation

What is Accreditation?

Accreditation is a voluntary dual-purpose process that schools (1) must be worthy of the trust placed in them to provide high-quality learning and (2) clearly demonstrate continual self-improvement. An accredited school focuses on a mission and specific goals for students:
  • Must be student-oriented;
  • Continuously examines student performance;
  • Accepts objective evaluation from external peer professionals trained by ACS WASC;
  • Maintains qualified faculty within an effectively organized school;
  • Regularly assesses the quality of educational programs;
  • Plans for the future.

 

Who benefits from accreditation?

Everyone. ACS WASC accreditation is a school improvement process, and therefore, serves as the foundation for quality education. An accredited school makes a statement to the broader community and its stakeholders of the institution’s trustworthiness and its ongoing commitment toward  student learning improvement. The public gains assurance that the accredited institution’s extensive evaluation conforms to expectations of performance and quality. Because accreditation requires continual self-evaluation and monitoring of its programs and operations, the public is assured that the educational quality of programs and services offered by the institution are current, reflect high standards of quality, and are offered with integrity. Students can be assured that the institutions in which they seek to enroll have been reviewed and the educational programs that are offered have been evaluated for quality. Educational institutions benefit from the stimulus for self-study and self-improvement provided by the accreditation process.

 

What are the criteria used to evaluate schools?

ACS WASC criteria are research-based guidelines of systemic school improvement that focus on student achievement of the schoolwide learner outcomes aligned with the academic standards. The criteria guide a school in evaluation of its organization and program, e.g., leadership empowerment, continual professional learning by staff.