WASC
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) is one of six regional accrediting associations in the United States. The Commission provides assistance to schools located in California, Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and East Asia.
Why Accreditation?
Why Accreditation?![]()
The following is from the WASC website
- Certification to the public that the school is a trustworthy institution of learning
- Validates the integrity of a school’s program and student transcripts
- Fosters improvement of the school’s programs and operations to support student learning
- Assures a school community that the school’s purposes are appropriate and being accomplished through a viable educational program
- A way to manage change through regular assessment, planning, implementing, monitoring and reassessment
- Assists a school/district in establishing its priority areas for improvement as a result of the perpetual accreditation cycle that includes
- School self-assessment of the current educational program for students
- Insight and perspective from the visiting committee
- Regular school staff assessment of progress through the intervening years between full self-studies.
Below are additional examples with respect to accreditation:
In December 2002 UC faculty approved a policy that requires all California public and private high schools to be WASC-accredited (or a candidate for accreditation) in order to establish and/or maintain an "a-g" course list.
Accreditation is required with respect to the Cal Grants.
The WASC/CDE (California Department of Education) process serves as the basis for the Single Plan for Student Achievement.
Colleges and universities examine transcripts to determine if the students have attended accredited institutions.
Teachers will not receive credit for the years during which they taught at a non-accredited school by many schools/districts nationwide. WASC receive calls from school personnel who are recruiting applicants for teaching positions with respect to their prior schools of employment.
The military recruiters expect the applicants to be from accredited schools.
Many districts have policies to accept credits only from WASC accredited schools or schools accredited by other regionals with whom WASC has reciprocal agreements.
In December 2002 UC faculty approved a policy that requires all California public and private high schools to be WASC-accredited (or a candidate for accreditation) in order to establish and/or maintain an "a-g" course list.
Accreditation is required with respect to the Cal Grants.
The WASC/CDE (California Department of Education) process serves as the basis for the Single Plan for Student Achievement.
Colleges and universities examine transcripts to determine if the students have attended accredited institutions.
Teachers will not receive credit for the years during which they taught at a non-accredited school by many schools/districts nationwide. WASC receive calls from school personnel who are recruiting applicants for teaching positions with respect to their prior schools of employment.
The military recruiters expect the applicants to be from accredited schools.
Many districts have policies to accept credits only from WASC accredited schools or schools accredited by other regionals with whom WASC has reciprocal agreements.
