ACS WASC Standards

WASC is excited to present our newly revised and streamlined accreditation standards. Our framework now seamlessly serves comprehensive, elementary, middle, adult, and alternative domestic schools through a single, coherent set of standards organized into three clear categories with nine focused standards. This approach eliminates complexity while maintaining rigor and emphasizing innovation in teaching practices, resource allocation, and student support systems. Additionally, our revisions specifically highlight continuous improvement through data-driven decision-making and champion varied assessments to measure student progress. These enhanced standards maintain our commitment to educational excellence while providing schools with greater flexibility to demonstrate their unique strengths and innovative approaches to student success.

WASC Standards

Category A: Vision, Leadership, Faculty and Staff, Resources, Continuous Improvement, and Accountability and Compliance

Standard A1: Vision and Mission: The school has a clear mission and vision centered on student learning, success, and well-being, which actively guide all aspects of the school and are collectively understood and implemented by the school community to support students and engage families.

Standard A2: Leadership and Governance: The school’s leadership and governance facilitate effective decision-making, shared accountability, and continuous improvement to support student learning and to foster a collaborative culture. 

Standard A3: Faculty and Staff: Qualified faculty and staff engage in ongoing, collaborative, differentiated, professional learning and reflective dialogue aligned to student needs and schoolwide goals to enhance instruction, strengthen practices, and improve teaching and student outcomes.

Standard A4: Continuous Improvement: The school uses a variety of qualitative and quantitative data to support ongoing improvement planning, guide decision-making, and drive initiatives that improve student outcomes and organizational effectiveness.

Standard A5: Resources: Fiscal and human resources are appropriately and strategically allocated to ensure and sustain financial stability, supporting the school’s mission, educational programs, continuous improvement, and success for all students.

Standard A6: Accountability and Compliance: The school demonstrates accountability by implementing clear policies and ethical practices aligned with its mission, ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations established by civil authorities within its operating jurisdiction(s), and effectively communicating these efforts to the entire community.

Category B: Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, and Assessment and Data Analysis

Standard B1: Curriculum: The school provides a rigorous, relevant, and research-based curriculum that is standards aligned, and responds to student needs that prepares them for future success.

Standard B2: Teaching and Learning: Instruction is student-centered, differentiated, and grounded in research-based strategies that ensure engagement, critical thinking, and real-world application to  prepare all students for success.

Standard B3. Assessment and Data Analysis:  The faculty uses varied, comprehensive, and valid assessments to collect and analyze quantitative and quantitative data that measures student progress, identifies learning needs, and guides instructional and curricular adjustments.

Category C: School Culture, Systems of Support, and Student Success and Community Partnerships

Standard C1: School Culture: The entire school community fosters a collaborative and safe culture based on trust, respect, and shared responsibility to ensure all students have access to programs and opportunities that support them in their academic and social-emotional growth toward achieving their full potential and well-being.

Standard C2: Systems of Support: The school provides effective and responsive systems of support that address students’ academic and social-emotional needs through personalized learning pathways, and time and targeted interventions and assistance that lead toward academic growth, and success for all students.

Standard C3: Student Success and Community Partnerships: The school prepares all students for future college, career, and life success by promoting engagement and providing impactful learning opportunities through meaningful partnerships with families, community, education, and industry organizations that strengthen student agency and readiness.