ACS WASC APPLICATION

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Application Type

DISTRICT ACCREDITATION REQUEST FOR CALIFORNIA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS

ACS WASC INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION

Important Deadline Information - International Schools
APPLICATION DEADLINES:

Fall initial visit: February 1

Spring initial visit: September 1 (of the preceding year)


NOTE: All documents including application, payment, and supporting documents must be received by the date above. Please see the list of supporting documents near the end of this application.

ACS WASC APPLICATION

Important Deadline Information - U.S. and Pacific Islands
APPLICATION DEADLINE:

Fall initial visit: April 30

Spring initial visit: September 1 (of the preceding year)


For example:

  • The application must be submitted by April 30, 2021 if you are seeking accreditation for the 2021-22 school year and would like to request a fall 2021 initial visit.
  • The application must be submitted by September 1, 2021 if you are seeking accreditation for the 2021-22 school year and would like to request a spring 2022 initial visit.
NOTE: your application, payment, and supporting documents must be received by the date above.
Institution Information

Please use the full official name of the school or district that is applying for accreditation







Site Address






Please include area code



Principal/Primary Contact
The principal, head of school, or chief administrator who will be the primary liaison with ACS WASC.








Please include area code, and extension if appropriate.

Please include area code, and extension if appropriate.
Secondary Contact
Please indicate a second contact as the alternate liaison with ACS WASC.








Please include area code, and extension if appropriate.

Please include area code, and extension if appropriate.
Indicate requested season for scheduling an initial visit (required):
Note the application deadline at the beginning of this form.
ACS WASC Eligibility Guidelines
  • All public and private schools must meet the legal requirements of the jurisdiction in which they are located in order for their request for ACS WASC accreditation to be considered. California schools must list with the California Department of Education submitting an affidavit indicating compliance with the Education Code. Schools located outside of California must meet local authorizing jurisdictional requirements.
  • All schools must meet the conditions of eligibility to be considered for ACS WASC accreditation. Please review the Conditions of Eligibility on the ACS WASC website.

Note: ACS WASC does not accredit programs or divisions within a school, nor does ACS WASC accredit for-profit post-secondary schools.

ACS WASC Eligibility Guidelines
  • International schools must meet the legal requirements of the jurisdiction for an international school [i.e., county (local and nationwide)] in which they are located in order for their application for ACS WASC accreditation to be considered. Based on the country, there may be restrictions to the type of passport held by the student enrolled. Note: ACS WASC does not accredit programs or divisions with a school; there must be evidence that a school located within a school has separate operations, leadership, budget, curriculum, etc. in order to be eligible for ACS WASC accreditation.
Category





Focus and Attributes




Select all that apply, if any.

Select all that apply
District Contact and Address


Please start to type, and then select the name from the list. If District is not listed here, add details below.



Please indicate your main contact at the District/Diocese office







 








Corporate Headquarters Contact and Address

Please start to type, and then select the name from the list. If office is not listed here, add details below.



Please indicate your main contact at headquarters







 








Joint Affiliation
Please select the affiliate organization(s) that the school is either accredited by or is currently seeking joint accreditation from.

NOTE: In the affiliate organization area below, please search for the full name of the affiliate.

Please start to type, and then select the name from the list.




Additional Information


Important: Only select the grades that will be in place at the time of the initial visit.


IMPORTANT: Provide the appropriate documents and additional evidence that demonstrate the appropriate licensing and include supporting documentation:
Demographic Information 
Please indicate the percentage of students in the school who are:
Online Curriculum
If any portion of the school/program's curriculum is delivered online, please indicate:
percentage of coursework offered online
%
percentage of students utilizing the online system
%














School Narrative

Include student populations, curricular program, any unique factors, etc.
Billing Information


This is the person to whom ACS WASC will send invoices for membership and fees








Please include area code, and extension if appropriate.
Application Fee
A non-refundable fee of $160.00 must be sent with this completed application in order to be processed.
Checks should be made out to the Accrediting Commission for Schools, WASC
and mailed to: ACS WASC, 533 Airport Boulevard, Suite 200, Burlingame, CA 94010.  
To use PayPal, please see details on our website: ACS WASC PayPal Payment Instructions.

ACS WASC International School Eligibility Expectations

[Provide comments below to ensure clarity. A more detailed response will be expected in the School Description based on the ACS WASC international criteria and indicators. To be considered for ACS WASC affiliation, the applicant school must meet the following eligibility expectations.]
Student Well-Being
  • The school utilizes policies and procedures that protect students from abuse and neglect and afford a safe and secure environment in which to grow and develop.
Provide the appropriate documents and evidence for student well-being as noted in the required evidence submissions below.

Student Learning: School Purpose and Program
  • English is a major part of the instruction even though the school may be bilingual.
  • The school has developed and published a clear statement of purpose (beliefs, core values, vision, mission, schoolwide learner outcomes) that includes an explanation of what it means to be internationally-focused.
  • The school has an admissions policy compatible with the school’s stated purpose. 
  • The school has a written well-developed curriculum appropriate to the organization’s purpose as an internationally focused school preparing students to be globally competent. 
  • The course of study, as well as marking, grading and reporting procedures, facilitates student and faculty transfer to other schools of a similar type in other countries and within the United States. The international curriculum meets the minimum requirements for admission to North America and other worldwide English-speaking colleges and universities. 
  • The student body is oriented toward programs commonly found in the United States and other English-speaking countries, including those of an extra-curricular or co-curricular nature.
  • Programs of studies include courses dealing with the history, culture, and language of the host country and region, in addition to those that cover other parts of the world, e.g., North America.

School Governance, Leadership, and Staff
  • The governing body is not subordinated solely to a national government or a central ministry, but is a local entity responsive to the needs of the users of the school, i.e., students, parents, faculty. 
  • The school has employed a chief administrative and instructional leader, who is qualified for the position. 
  • The school has qualified instructional staff for all the subject and program/grade levels. The majority of teachers are fluent in English and potentially other languages. In addition the qualified staff members have had training and experience in the facilitation of English language acquisition in the areas of reading, writing, listening and speaking. 
  • The school has an overall schoolwide action plan that includes strategies and approaches to measure student progress toward meeting the schoolwide learner outcomes and the academic standards in order to ensure students are globally competent. 
  • The school has developed an adequate financial base to give reasonable assurance of continuing financial stability.

School Operating Minimum Requirements
  • The school must be in at least the second semester of operation, with students, teachers, and administration in place. 
  • School enrollment must reach a minimum of 6 full-time students. 
  • The school’s program must include at least two grade levels. Note: An exception would be a new high school that begins with only grade 9 or grade 10.

Required Documents and Supporting Evidence

Once we receive your Application and the Application Fee, it will be reviewed. Then our office will send you a link to upload the required evidence and documentation. Below is the list of items needed. Please plan in advance to give yourself enough time to submit all items by the appropriate deadlines.

Evidence Checklist to be submitted:
  1. Application Fee
  2. School’s operational license (including an English translated version)
  3. Head of school qualifications  
  4. Percentage of instruction in English  
  5. List of campuses (if more than one)  
  6. Enrollment by grade (per campus)  
  7. Vision, mission, and student schoolwide learner outcomes  
  8. Admission policy  
  9. Description of curriculum  
  10. Governing board policy manual  
  11. Schoolwide action plan

Child Protection Policies should include these areas:
  1. List and date of fire drills, evacuation drills, etc.  
  2. Health, internet, safety, and emergency policies  
  3. Abuse and neglect policy and procedures  
  4. Procedures involving employees, visitors, etc.  
  5. Procedures involving volunteers  
  6. Anti-bullying policies  
  7. Complaints procedures  
  8. Security manual (for guards)  
  9. Code of conduct behavior for students  
  10. Code of conduct for employees  
  11. Guidelines of student restraint  
  12. Health education curriculum  
  13. Health records  
  14. Risk assessment for field trips  
  15. Criminal background checks  
  16. Emergency procedures for external threats  
  17. Proper signage for restrooms
  18. Critical incident management handbook
  19. Safe use of technology
Additional District Information
Upload a separate list sheet listing all district schools and include the following information for each school:
  • School Name
  • City
  • Enrollment
  • Grade Levels
  • Indicate whether the school is currently ACS WASC accredited.
District Description

Include student populations, curricular program, any unique factors, etc.
PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING
Visit the ACS WASC website at www.acswasc.org to review the conditions of eligibility and other initial visit information.
This is the email address ACS WASC will use to send a receipt of this application.
Required Evidence and Documentation
Directions: Please provide the items listed below with the submission of your application using any of these methods:
  • Share and organize files by category on Dropbox or Google Drive (please contact Kristen Chow at kchow@acswasc.org to set up a shared folder) 
  • Provide access to the files by including links within the application. Include appropriate evidence in the body of the application.
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