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 Dear Colleagues,
On July 1, 2012, the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) became an accreditation division of AdvancED, expanding our capacity and resources to deliver accreditation and school improvement services to schools and school systems within the NWAC region. With our shared mission to improve the quality of education around the world, by joining with the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI) under the parent organization AdvancED, NWAC will continue to build on its 95 year tradition, but also help build the future of AdvancED with NCA CASI and SACS CASI. NWAC becomes part of a world-wide network serving nearly 30,000 public and private schools and school systems in over 70 countries. Through this global network, educational providers of all types benefit from:
- international recognition;
- shared standards of educational excellence;
- a unified, clear and powerful accreditation process; and
- external evaluation focused on continuous improvement.
Additionally, all schools in the AdvancED network, including NWAC schools, will have access to the Adaptive System of School Improvement Support Tools (ASSIST), a state-of-the-art, web-enabled platform for accreditation and school improvement.
NWAC will continue to accredit under the NWAC name so that schools will continue to enjoy the brand recognition in our region, while gaining access to a broader network of schools and greater resources. We are excited about the opportunity that joining AdvancED offers to benefit school systems, schools and ultimately students through our shared commitment to education quality. I look forward to sharing more with you over the course of the school year. You are part of a powerful network dedicated to support your continuous improvement and accreditation efforts. We have a wealth of resources to offer you in support of your continuous improvement journey. These include professional development, technical assistance, and online resources. We look forward to this school year and continuing our work together. If you have questions about the new accreditation process or the transition, please contact our office at 702.521.5182 or psalazar@advanc-ed.org.
Sincerely,
Pam Salazar,
Director
AdvancED Nevada
| | Accreditation Tools and Resources |
AdvancED recently launched the new AdvancED Accreditation Protocol and new components for the AdvancED Adaptive System of School Improvement Support Tools (ASSIST). These tools and protocols, coupled with the AdvancED Accreditation Standards launched last fall, mark a new generation of accreditation and school improvement. The new AdvancED Protocol creates a stronger alignment between internal and external diagnostic review, stakeholder feedback, and student performance results. The result is a performance-based accreditation process that provides each institution with a comprehensive analysis to drive continuous improvement.
ASSIST provides tools to guide your next internal and external review for accreditation, including Surveys, Student Performance Diagnostic and Stakeholder Feedback Diagnostic tools. If you will be hosting an External Review in 2012-13, you are required to use ASSIST to submit a Self-Assessment, Executive Summary, and Assurances. As in the past, you will continue to be required to submit a school improvement plan. ASSIST offers a high quality school improvement planner, or you may submit an existing plan by attaching it in the Assurances section of ASSIST.
Even if you don’t have an External Review scheduled in the coming year, you can begin exploring and using the new offerings. AdvancED has created Accreditation Resources and Tools to assist schools and school systems with the accreditation and school improvement process. Now in a single, convenient location, these resources only are available to institutions involved in AdvancED Accreditation. You can learn more about these new tools and resources here. Because these resources have been placed in a repository created only for schools and school systems involved in the accreditation process, your principal, head of school, or superintendent will have details on locating these resources and tools. If you have questions, please feel free to contact our office.
Also, please watch for further information about workshops, which will highlight these changes and the way they will affect schools. Even if you don’t have an External Review year, you’ll want to learn about what is new and useful at any point on the accreditation pathway. |
AdvancED Nevada State Council Meeting |
This year's AdvancED Nevada State Council Meetings will be held in November 2012 and June 2013. |
We rely on our fellow educators to help staff the External Review teams that visit our schools during the accreditation process. We are keenly aware how difficult it can be to step away from your school, but the benefits are considerable. Our schools need the very best educators first, to understand what another school is working to accomplish and second to help them see themselves objectively. A team external to the school has the unique opportunity to provide professional service to colleagues and students while enhancing their own professional growth at the same time. External Review Team members invariably state that they gain new ideas, perspectives and approaches that they take away with them from the experience. Please consider nominating yourself or other qualified individuals in your organization to be a part of an External Review Team. Simply send an e-mail to Pam Salazar at psalazar@advanc-ed.org. Be sure to include a brief description of your background and areas of expertise. |
The Nevada State Office congratulates the following schools that completed their External Review this past year:
- Bishop Gorman High School
- Carson High School
- Cimarron-Memorial High School
- Damonte Ranch High School
- Dayton High School
- Eureka High School
- Fernley High School
- Lincoln County High School
- McQueen High School
- Shadow Ridge High School
- Silver Stage High School
- Southwest Career and Technical Academy
- Virgin Valley High School
- Yerington High School
We are extremely grateful to the quality educators across the state who volunteered their time to chair and serve on these review teams. This experience connects us as a powerful learning community. Schools and school systems benefit from the collective experience and wisdom of the External Review team members in the feedback they offer in the form of the Commendations and Recommendations found in the Final Report. The team members learn from the school and system community and take the new found knowledge back to their respective schools and systems. Students are the ultimate beneficiaries of this process. There is nothing else in our state that provides this opportunity.
The state office remains connected and committed to our schools and systems in their quest for continuous improvement and are readily available to assist you with your accreditation and continuous improvement efforts. Please continue to take advantage of workshops and webinars focused on assisting schools preparing to host External Reviews. If you have questions about the accreditation process or school improvement, please contact our office at 702.521.5182 or psalazar@advanc-ed.org. |
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AdvancED, the home of NCA CASI, NWAC, and SACS CASI, is dedicated to
advancing excellence in education worldwide. |
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