I walked into a local high school today and saw a plaque on the wall in the office that said “AESD Accreditation”. This piqued my interest, and I asked the principal what Accreditation was.
Washington State school accreditation began to ensure that the state’s high schools were adequately preparing students for college. It was intended to document high program quality for colleges and the patrons of Washington’s educational system. It is now open to all grade levels and is a voluntary, self-study process that is a research-based approach to school improvement aligned to the School Improvement Planning process.
While voluntary, there are many institutions that require attendance at an accredited high school, including some private and out-of-state universities, some foreign-based schools, and even to apply for some jobs. High schools may have special programs that require accreditation such as International Baccalaureate Schools.
The accreditation process supports a long-term vision for a performance-based educational system that aligns accreditation requirements to the continuous improvement of student learning, achievement, and growth. The process provides for collaboration and deep reflection by the school community and for external review and validation of the school improvement plan and the process that led to its development. It also provides a statement of accountability to the public.
The process uses a six-step Cycle of Inquiry to focus on improvement planning and action:
- Getting ready
- Identifying issues & collecting data
- Analyzing data, determining needs and setting goals
- Reviewing research base and determining realistic solutions
- Creating a data-informed and achievement-focused plan
- Continuous monitoring and adjusting.
The Association of Educational Service Districts (AESD), which includes the nine Educational Service Districts (ESD’s) of Washington, has a program to accredit Washington State schools. The Northwest ESD 189 is the lead agency for accreditations that occur on a six-year cycle.
Last year, coaches worked with seventy-six schools (53 initial/renewal and 23 third-year reviews) throughout the state which were granted AESD Accreditation upon confirmation by a panel of volunteer ESD Board members.
To learn more, we invite you to view the AESD Accreditation website or contact David Forsythe, NWESD Assistant Superintendent for Operations, dforsythe@nwesd.org, 360-299-4021.
