Accreditation

Mount Madonna School is fully accredited by the premier independent school accrediting bodies: California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) and Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The accreditation process reviews all aspects of the school's programs and operations on an ongoing basis.

Why Accreditation?

• Certification to the public that the school is a trustworthy institution of learning
  
• Validates the integrity of a school’s program and student transcripts
  
• Fosters improvement of the school’s programs and operations to support student learning
  
• Assures a school community that the school’s purposes are appropriate and being accomplished through a viable educational program
  
• A way to manage change through regular assessment, planning, implementing, monitoring and reassessment
  
• Assists a school/district in establishing its priority areas for improvement as a result of the perpetual accreditation cycle that includes
  
  • School self-assessment of the current educational program for students
    
  • Insight and perspective from the visiting committee
    
  • Regular school staff assessment of progress through the intervening years between full self-studies.
    

Below are additional examples with respect to accreditation:

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 WASC or at least be an initial WASC candidate. Those that currently have approval but are not accredited with WASC must comply by June 2006.

Accreditation is required with respect to the Cal Grants.

The WASC/CDE (California Department of Education) process serves as the basis for the Single Plan for Student Achievement.

Colleges and universities examine transcripts to determine if the students have attended accredited institutions.

Teachers will not receive credit for the years during which they taught at a non-accredited school by many schools/districts nationwide. WASC receive calls from school personnel who are recruiting applicants for teaching positions with respect to their prior schools of employment.

The military recruiters expect the applicants to be from accredited schools.

Many districts have policies to accept credits only from WASC accredited schools or schools accredited by other regionals with whom WASC has reciprocal agreements.

This information quoted directly from WASC