About Us
Accreditation
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ASC WASC)
Since 2000, Acaciawood School has been fully accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Schools of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, one of six regional accrediting associations in the United States. Accreditation is the result of a thorough self-study submitted to a visiting committee of education professionals. After reviewing the self-study report the visiting committee evaluates the school’s instruction and administration through an on site visit.
ACS WASC advances and validates quality ongoing school improvement by supporting its private and public elementary, secondary, and postsecondary member institutions to engage in a rigorous and relevant self-evaluation and peer review process that focuses on student learning. This mission is built upon these beliefs: 1) a school’s goal is successful student learning; 2) each school has a clear purpose and schoolwide learner outcomes; and (3) for ongoing school improvement, each school engages in collaborative self-reflection and analysis to assess progress in achieving its mission, vision, and schoolwide learner outcomes.
Accreditation is integral to a school’s perpetual cycle of assessment, designing and planning, implementation, monitoring, and reassessment based upon student achievement. It fosters excellence in elementary, secondary, adult, and postsecondary education by encouraging school improvement through a process of continuing evaluation and to recognize, by accreditation, schools that meet an acceptable level of quality in accordance with established research-based criteria. In addition to its official title, WASC also means We Are Student-Centered.
Why Accreditation?
- Assures a school community that the school’s purposes are appropriate and being accomplished through a viable education program — a trustworthy institution for student learning
- Validates the integrity of the school’s program and transcripts
- Facilitates transfer of credits to other English-speaking schools — critical for college/university acceptance worldwide
- Provides a process for regularly examining programs, processes, and data around school goals and student learning through data analysis, reflection, inquiry, and dialogue
- Builds a professional culture to support the school-wide action plan
- Fosters the continuous improvement of the school’s programs and operations to support student learning
- Provides valuable insight from fellow educators visiting the school
- Benefits schools that choose joint accreditation or other collaborative processes, e.g., ACS WASC/HIDOE and ACS WASC and IBO.