Accreditation: A High School Improvement Process Certificate

Throughout the state of California, high schools must have an accreditation to validate the programs and courses they offer. The accreditation process provides support for a structure for change. UCR Extension, in collaboration with the Accrediting Commission for Schools of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), has developed this certificate program to assist teachers, assistant principals and principals, department chairs, WASC coordinators, district administrators, and parents in understanding how the accreditation process can become a vehicle for school improvement. The certificate program provides educators with knowledge, skills, leadership approaches and instructional strategies for preparing for high school accreditation.

Topics include:

• Review of the High School Accreditation Process – A Research-Based Change Process
• Analysis of the Effectiveness of a School Program in Relation to Student Performance
• Analyzing the Student/Community Profile
• Ways to Assess High School-Wide Goals in Relation to WASC Criteria
• A School’s Self-Study Process
• An Analysis of Student Work in Relation to the Impact on Student Learning
• Analysis of High School-Wide Action Plan Activities to Determine Improved Student Performance
• Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Procedures for the Accreditation Process
• Resource Management and Development
• Support of Student Personal and Academic Growth
• The WASC Focus on Learning Process – Organization for Student Learning
• Preparations for the High School Accreditation Visit
• How to Document Progress
• Ways to Implement, Monitor and Accomplish the School-Wide Action Plan
• Analysis of Student Performance Data
• Disaggregating Student Data
• Comparison of Types of Data
• Protocols for Examining Student Work and Student Engagement in Learning
• The Role of the Visiting Chair
• The Role and Responsibilities of the Visiting Committee
• Accreditation Term Factors
• Practicum for Candidates to Demonstrate Their Knowledge of the High School Accreditation Process