Western Association of Schools and Colleges - ACS

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) is one of the 6 non-governmental, regionally accrediting bodies in the US. The association presides over public and private schools located in California, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Marianas, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and over the American/International Schools in East Asia and the Pacific.

Through one of its 3 commissions, the Accrediting Commission for Schools (ACS), the association accredits schools below the college level. This includes elementary, junior high, middle, and high school levels as well as adult vocational programs. Recently, the commission has been working with 14 other associations in a commendable effort to pilot the accreditation of supplementary and distance learning programs on a case-by-case basis. The commission is recognized by the US Secretary of Education as a reliable accrediting authority, and prides itself on working with the federal and state governments on a collaborative level.

The goals of the commission are straightforward. It strives to ensure that all of its accredited schools program initiatives promote and provide successful student learning. The commission believes that educational programs should encompass both the cognitive and affective components of learning in order to foster human growth and development so all students have the best opportunity to become responsible, productive members of the school community and of society.

The commission uses research-based guidelines in establishing the criteria that it uses to evaluate schools. The criterion focuses around one central tenet; the schools understanding and achieving of an appropriate purpose for its institution type. The commission ensures that its accredited institutions meet its set criteria through regularly scheduled visits by an experienced and knowledgeable committee. The commission's accredited schools are also subject to internal review through a mandated comprehensive self-study program.

In summary, the commission is a trusted accrediting authority for several territories in the western hemisphere. The commission accredits schools below the college level, and is leading the way in accrediting supplementary and distance learning programs. The goals of the commission are to have its accredited schools proactively facilitate successful student learning, and are achieved through the research-based criteria used to assess schools in the accreditation process.

Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Schools is recognized by the United States Department of Education.

Article References

WASC ACS Official Website
http://www.acswasc.org/

Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges Western Association of Schools and Colleges
http://www.accjc.org/