Accrediting Commission for Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

School and visiting committee accreditation materials and resources and training materials are no longer located on the website and are now found in the School and Member Portals. A user name and password are required to access the portals. Please contact ACS WASC at mail@acswasc.org to request access or for additional information.

Accreditation is a voluntary dual-purpose process that schools (1) must be worthy of the trust placed in them to provide high-quality learning and (2) clearly demonstrate continual self-improvement. An accredited school is focused on a mission and goals for students; it is student-oriented and examines its students’ performance continuously; it accepts objective evaluation from a team of outside peer professionals trained by ACS WASC; it maintains a qualified faculty within an effectively organized school; it collaboratively assesses the quality of its educational programs on a regular basis; and it plans for the future.
ACS WASC accreditation is a school improvement process and therefore is a process that serves as the foundation for quality education. An accredited school is a statement to the broader community and the stakeholders that it is trustworthy institution for student learning and committed to ongoing improvement.
  • The public is assured that accredited institutions are evaluated extensively and conform to expectations of performance and quality. Because accreditation requires continual self-evaluation and monitoring of its programs and operations in relation to the impact on student learning and periodic external review, the public can be assured that the educational quality of programs and services offered by the institution are current, reflect high standards of quality, and are offered with integrity.
  • Students can be assured that the institutions in which they seek to enroll have been reviewed and the educational programs that are offered have been evaluated for quality.
  • Educational institutions benefit from the stimulus for self-study and self-improvement provided by the accreditation process.
See also ACS WASC Overview.

The Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC), a world-renowned accrediting association, a regional accrediting association in the United States, works closely with the Office of Overseas Schools under the Department of State. ACS WASC provides assistance to schools located in California, Hawaii, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Fiji, Asia, and other parts of the world. ACS WASC extends its services to approximately 5,200 public, independent, church-related, charter, online, supplementary education programs/centers, and proprietary pre-K-12 and adult schools; and works with 20 associations in joint accreditation processes, and collaborates with other organizations such as the California Department of Education, the Hawaii Department of Education, the Association of Christian Schools International, the Council of International Schools, and the International Baccalaureate.


See also ACS WASC Overview.

Please contact the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities directly. They can be found on the web at www.wascsenior.org and reached by telephone at 510 748-9001.

Please contact the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges directly. They can be found on the web at www.accjc.org and reached by telephone at 415 506-0234.

Currently preschools are only accredited when they are part of a multiple grades school. Please contact the ACS WASC office for more details.

ACS WASC allows for the accreditation of independent study programs and/or homeschool programs that meet the following ACS WASC requirements:

  • Continuation schools, alternative schools, and independent study schools that are connected to public school districts, including those that offer a home-study program, are eligible for accreditation provided the program has been included in the school’s self-study evaluation within the ACS WASC accreditation process. The school must provide oversight of curriculum and delivery of instruction by a credentialed teacher who is qualified for the high school subject matter covered. For K-8 courses/curriculum and delivery of instruction the school must provide oversight by a credentialed multi-subject teacher. Grades, transcripts and analysis of assessment results must be provided by a credentialed teacher and not the parent.
  • Private schools offering independent study as their primary instructional delivery system are eligible for accreditation if they meet all ACS WASC private school criteria and meet the local, state, or national requirements for schools. The school must provide oversight of curriculum and delivery of instruction by a qualified teacher for K-8 students. For high school courses the school must provide oversight by a qualified teacher with either a bachelor’s or master’s degree according to subject matter. Grades, transcripts, and analysis of assessment results must be provided by teachers and not the parent.
  • Charter schools that offer independent study as their primary instructional delivery system are eligible for accreditation if they meet all ACS WASC criteria and meet the local state or national requirements for schools. The school must provide oversight of curriculum and delivery of instruction by a teacher who is credentialed and qualified for the high school subject matter covered. For K-8 courses/curriculum and delivery of instruction the school must provide oversight by a credentialed multi-subject teacher. Grades, transcripts, and analysis of assessment results must be provided by a credentialed teacher and not the parent.
  • Private School Satellite programs (PSPs) that are directly connected to an ACS WASC-accredited school are eligible for accreditation, provided that the program has been included in the school’s self-study evaluation within the ACS WASC accreditation process. The school must provide oversight of curriculum and delivery of instruction by a qualified teacher for K-8 students and for high school courses the school must provide oversight by a qualified teacher with either a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree according to subject matter. Grades, transcripts, and analysis of assessment results must be provided by teachers and not the parent.
  • Individual homeschools where students are taught by parents at home are not eligible for ACS WASC accreditation.

ACS WASC accredits online schools and programs. ACS WASC has aligned with the iNACOL Standards that are also used by the University of California in the evaluation of online a-g courses. UC requires all online courses to be assessed against the iNACOL Standards for Quality Online Courses before the courses are submitted to UC for “a-g” review. ACS WASC is in the process of integrating the iNACOL standards with the ACS WASC criteria and indicators in all aspects of the accreditation process.

In order to be eligible for ACS WASC affiliation, student enrollment must reach and maintain a minimum of 6 full-time students.

ACS WASC encourages schools to modify the suggested model self-study process as long as the school adheres to the outcomes or parameters of a quality self-study. These are listed below:

Many small schools conduct the self-study process and ongoing analysis of action plan progress as a committee of the whole. During the self-study process schools concentrate on one criteria category for a determined time period and then move to the other criteria. Usually, schools work with curriculum, instruction, and assessment initially as much information is gleaned that can be used in examination of the other programmatic areas.

  1. The involvement and collaboration of all staff and other shareholders to support student achievement
  2. The clarification and measurement of what all students should know, understand, and be able to do through schoolwide student goals (schoolwide learning outcomes)
  3. The gathering and analyzing of data about students and student achievement
  4. The assessment of the entire school program and its impact on student learning in relation to expected schoolwide learning results, academic standards, and the ACS WASC criteria
  5. The alignment of a long-range action plan to the school’s areas of need; the development and implementation of an accountability system for monitoring the accomplishment of the plan.

This is important to note because in November 2002 the University of California passed a policy that requires all schools that want UC approval of courses to meet the a-g requirements to be accredited by ACS WASC or at least be an initial ACS WASC candidate.


See also ACS WASC Overview.

ACS WASC criteria are research-based guidelines of systemic school improvement that focus on student achievement of the schoolwide learner outcomes aligned with the academic standards. The criteria guide a school in evaluation of its organization and program, e.g., leadership empowerment, continual professional learning by staff.

The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) is legislation that fundamentally changed how all local educational agencies (LEAs) in California are funded, how they are measured for results, and the services and supports they receive to allow all students to succeed to their greatest potential.

The Commission shall grant a status of accreditation that shows a strong correlation to existing student achievement results and current programmatic and operational actions based on the ACS WASC criteria and accreditation status factors noted in the visiting committee report and the visiting committee recommendation. The visiting committee will base its status recommendation on evidence contained in the self-study and encountered during the school visit that indicates:

  • The degree to which high achievement by all students is occurring
  • The capacity of the school to implement, monitor, and accomplish the action plan aligned to the areas of greatest need impacting student achievement
  • The school’s status with respect to institutional and/or governing authority expectations.

ACS WASC charges annual membership fees. Schools seeking initial affiliation with ACS WASC leading to full accreditation shall pay a nonrefundable application fee plus an initial visit fee (see the Beginning the Accreditation Process page for further initial visit information). Visiting Committee fees are also charged when an accreditation visit is scheduled to take place. Please refer to the appropriate schedule for additional fee information.

See also ACS WASC Fees.

Accreditation status, granted by action of the Commission, starts on July 1 and expire on June 30.

After reviewing the ACS WASC Conditions of Eligibility, interested schools and supplementary education centers/programs should submit the ACS WASC Application. Both of these documents as well as additional information can be found on the Beginning the Accreditation Process page of the ACS WASC website.

If it is determined that the school may be eligible for affiliation with ACS WASC, an Initial Visit School Report template will be sent to the school for completion and submission to the ACS WASC office. On receipt of the forms and approval to proceed, a two-member, one- or two-day visit to the school will be scheduled. Initial visits to newly established schools will not occur prior to the second semester of operation, i.e., a spring visit if a school opens in the fall. Following the visit, the committee will prepare a report to present to the Commission for action. This will include recommendations regarding the school’s ongoing improvement. The school will be notified by the president of the Commission’s action. If the Commission’s action is favorable, the school will be granted either candidacy or initial accreditation for a period of time not to exceed three years.

The only information released to the public about schools is found in the ACS WASC directory. Because ACS WASC is not a governmental agency, it is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

ACS WASC accreditation codes are available in the Directory of Schools on the ACS WASC website. Search for the school, then double click on the school’s name. The ACS WASC code will be listed immediately below the school’s grade span.

ACS WASC requires that personnel be qualified for the position they hold and meet any requirements of governmental or private associations. Public school teachers are expected to be fully credentialed per state mandates. Private school teachers are encouraged to be highly qualified and have expertise in the grade level and/or discipline being taught.

At the elementary and middle school levels, the transfer of records and credits from a non-accredited school to an accredited school is usually not a problem; most accredited schools at the secondary level have policies related to what credits will be accepted. In addition, schools may want to review curricular standards and courses before accepting the credits.

ACS WASC also recognizes some of the other national and international accrediting associations. Please contact the ACS WASC office for further details.

Public school records would be transferred to the district or county office of education if a school closes. In case of a consolidation of public schools, the records may be housed at the remaining school. In the case of certain religious schools that are part of a system (such as Catholic or Seventh-day Adventist schools) the records would be sent to the church headquarters.

Parents and students who have a concern about this issue should ask their school to supply them with information stating what plan they have for storing records in case the school should close. While the matter of retaining student records at the elementary and junior high school level is important, it is crucial at the high school level to know where school records (especially transcripts) will be housed for many years in the future.

ACS WASC maintains an extensive database of experienced professional educators from which to select accreditation team members. These individuals come from a variety of backgrounds — public and private education at all levels — including classroom teachers, administrators, college professors, school board members, and others who have an intimate knowledge of educational trends and issues.

One of the requirements for ACS WASC accreditation is that schools and districts annually contribute members to participate on visiting committees.

Team members are selected on the basis of their expertise and the type of school being evaluated. If a school is being jointly accredited with an agency such as the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools (HAIS) or with a religious organization, the team members are selected collaboratively with the other agency. Team members are required to participate in ACS WASC-conducted training so they will be thoroughly familiar with the ACS WASC evaluation process, and have an understanding of what is expected of them as a visiting team member.
Retired educators are eligible to serve on accreditation visits. Their expertise has been a valuable asset to accreditation as well as coaching others new to the accreditation process.

ACS WASC does not consider allegations concerning the personal lives of individuals connected with its affiliated institutions. It assumes no responsibility for adjudicating isolated individual grievances between students, faculty, or members of the public and individual institutions. The Commission will not act as a court of appeal in matters of admission, granting or transfer of academic credit, grades, fees, student financial aid, student discipline, collective bargaining, faculty appointments, promotion, tenure, and dismissals or similar matters.

With regard to an affiliated institution operated or governed by a religious organization, the Commission will not respond to any complaint regarding the religious nature or programs of the school (e.g., a complaint about the orthodoxy of a religious service, textbook, or class will not be adjudicated by the Commission). If the complainant has instituted or has threatened to institute litigation against the institution, no action under this procedure will be taken by the Commission while the matter is under judicial consideration

See also the ACS WASC Complaint Process.

A school may only appeal the decision of the Commission to grant:

  1. Probationary Accreditation Status
  2. Accreditation Status Withheld.

A six-year status with a review may not be appealed. In addition, initial visit decisions on candidacy and/or initial accreditation cannot be appealed. The action of the Accrediting Commission on an appeal shall be final.

The appeal must be based on one or more of the following grounds:

  1. There were errors or omissions in carrying out prescribed procedures on the part of the evaluation team and/or the Commission;
  2. There was demonstrable bias or prejudice on the part of one or more members of the evaluation team or Commission which materially affected the Commission’s decision;
  3. The evidence before the Commission prior to and on the date when it made the decision which is being appealed was materially in error; or
  4. The decision of the Commission was not supported by substantial evidence.

A letter is to be directed to the Commission by the chief administrator(s) of the district and school within sixty (60) calendar days of receipt of the letter of notification of the action by the Commission, stating the basis for the appeal. A check in the amount of the appeal fee shall accompany the letter of appeal.

See also the ACS WASC Bylaws and Policy Manual.

Schools that have had their accreditation status withheld (which has become final on appeal or where the school chooses not to appeal) have the option to seek reinstatement and request a Reinstatement Visit. In order to be reinstated, the school must submit a reinstatement report that addresses the identified critical areas for follow-up and provide sufficient evidence of the progress made. ACS WASC will then decide upon an appropriate time for a two-day Reinstatement Visit. The visit must occur within 18 months from the date of the Commission’s decision to withhold accreditation or the school will need to reapply for accreditation through the Initial Visit process.

Please see the ACS WASC Substantive Change Procedures for information about the substantive change process.

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