The Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC) and the Council of British International Schools (COBIS) are pleased to announce their new partnership, which jointly recognizes each other’s accreditation schemes. As part of this partnership, COBIS will recognize WASC accredited schools as a route to COBIS membership, and WASC will recognize schools that have completed COBIS Compliance or COBIS Accreditation as being eligible for WASC candidacy or accreditation.
This agreement demonstrates the strength and value of global partnerships, benefitting schools and students around the world. Both organizations recognize the quality and impact of each other’s accreditation schemes, and the value of each other’s work in supporting the international and British international school communities.
Colin Bell, COBIS CEO, said of the partnership:
“I am pleased to announce our partnership with WASC, an organisation that is, just like COBIS, committed to excellence in education. This partnership demonstrates COBIS’ commitment to constantly work to advance the international education sector, and offer choice and value to our Members. We are proud to work with organisations like WASC to serve high-quality British international schools around the world.”
Dr. Barry Groves, WASC President, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, building on WASC’s accreditation of 5,300 schools worldwide:
“We are thrilled to embark on this partnership with COBIS, a testament to our shared dedication to excellence in education and ongoing student improvement. This collaboration underscores our commitment to fostering quality and diversity within the international education landscape. By recognizing and respecting each other’s accreditation schemes, we aim to empower schools and enrich learning experiences for students worldwide. We look forward to the positive impact our partnership will bring to the global educational community.”
COBIS is a membership association that represents more than 400 schools and organizations, globally. High-quality COBIS schools, which educate over 200,000 students and employ more than 17,000 teachers, can be found in more than 80 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas. COBIS is the premier global association for British international schools overseas.
WASC, a world-renowned accrediting association and one of the six regional accrediting agencies in the United States, works closely with the Office of Overseas Schools under the U.S. Department of State. This regional association provides assistance to over 5,300 schools worldwide, including California, Hawaii, and other US states; Guam and the other Pacific Islands; Asia; the Middle East; Australia; New Zealand; Europe; and Africa. WASC extends its services to public and private pre-K-12 schools, as well as adult schools and supplementary education programs.
For more information, please contact Maeve O’Leary, Marketing and Communications Manager at COBIS by emailing maeve.oleary@cobis.org.uk or calling +44 7716 641264, or Dr. Margaret Alvarez, WASC Vice President of International Accreditation, by emailing malvarez@acswasc.org.
For more information on COBIS Accreditation and Compliance, please visit the COBIS website.