Accreditation of Schools
All archdiocesan schools, parish schools, and independent private schools in the
Archdiocese of Los Angeles must be accredited through the co-accreditation process of the Western Catholic Education Association (WCEA) and the
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Accreditation through the
California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) alone is not sufficient for accreditation as a Catholic school in the archdiocese.
Western Catholic Educational Association
The
Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA) is a private educational agency established under the auspices of the bishops of the Catholic dioceses of California for the purpose of school improvement and accreditation. Through an executive director, WCEA is administered centrally for all member dioceses. It accredits Catholic schools in California as well as in other states and U.S. territories. WCEA has established
standards for evaluating the Catholic identity in schools.
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
The
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), a regional non-governmental group that the U.S. Department of Education recognizes as an accrediting agency for schools, provides institutional accreditation of private elementary schools, public and private high schools, and post-secondary schools.
Accreditation Process
WCEA and
WASC formally cooperate in accrediting Catholic schools. WCEA commissioners of the archdiocese facilitate the program of accreditation for the archdiocese and participate as members of the overall WCEA commission. WCEA participates in the review and recommendation process. The fundamental goal of WCEA is school improvement. The processes for school improvement, as carried out through the combined efforts of WCEA, WASC, and the local diocese and school community, result in a term of joint accreditation granted by WCEA and WASC. Terms of accreditation are granted upon evidence of acceptable quality and the progress each school makes toward achieving its full potential for the particular student body it serves.
The accreditation process ensures that schools:
Foster excellence in elementary school and high school education
Encourage school improvement through a process of continuous self-study and evaluation
Assure the school and its publics that the school has clearly defined and appropriate educational goals and has established conditions that promote achievement of those goals currently and in the future
Identify the school as having unique and appropriate purposes and goals and possessing the means to accomplish them
Assure that the school meets formally approved criteria for the operation of a quality school
Provide a form of recognition by an external agency that assures that the school is committed to quality and ongoing school improvement based on self-assessment and planning
Role of the Department of Catholic Schools
The
Department of Catholic Schools participates in formulating and administering the accreditation process through its representation on the Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA) Elementary and Secondary Commissions. The Department of Catholic Schools, through the designated elementary and secondary commissioners for the archdiocese, also assists all Catholic schools in the accreditation process by:
Reviewing the philosophy and learning expectations of each school in connection with the preparation required in the accreditation process
Providing services prior to the visit from
WCEA and
WASC, such as curriculum reviews and studies of administrative structures and school budgets
Ensuring that schools make progress on the WCEA and WASC Visiting Committee reports of critical areas for follow-up by requiring the schools to submit regular statements to the Department of Catholic Schools
Role of the Schools
School leadership and staff are committed to a continuous accreditation process to improve the school and effect change. Every school must engage in an ongoing process for accreditation that requires collaborative planning. The accreditation process encompasses reviewing, prioritizing, and implementing the recommendations from
WCEA into the school's action plan. The accreditation process should involve the entire school community. The result of the process is the creation of an original Self-Study document based on a template provided by WCEA.
Role of the Visiting Committee for Schools
After the Self-Study document has been completed, a Visiting Committee of professional educators formed by the Department of Catholic Schools visits the school to validate the document. The Visiting Committee writes a report that reflects key areas of strength and critical areas for follow-up and submits a confidential Justification Statement for a recommended term of accreditation. These materials are submitted to the WCEA commission for review and deliberation. The commission then grants status of accreditation and identifies any basis for interim review and assessment.
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