WASC Accreditation
DUARTE HIGH SCHOOL RECEIVES SIX YEAR WASC ACCREDITATION STATUS
A visiting team from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) conducted a mid-term visit of Duarte High School on March 15, 2017, that resulted in the school’s return to the highest possible six year accreditation cycle.
WASC is an accrediting commission for high schools and colleges, and the accreditation process assures the educational community, the general public, and other agencies that a school has clearly defined objectives and is on track to implement improvements.
Members of the Visiting Committee to DHS this time were the same that also participated in the WASC visit in 2014 when the school was placed under a one year probationary review. However, this time, after evaluating student achievement data and conducting focus group sessions with students, teachers, parents, and administrators, they stated they were amazed and impressed with the changes that have been put in place in such a short time.
The WASC three-day visit to DHS provided a chance for administrators from other districts to learn about the school, probe the things it is doing right, ask questions about past concerns, and look at the school’s plan for the future.
“The chairman of the WASC team said it was a tremendous visit,” said Principal Mark Sims of Duarte High School. “She said the school has changed considerably since the last visit two years ago. She also said to keep doing what we’re doing, and to keep pushing (for improvement).”
WASC visits result in a school’s accreditation for future years, and this can range from as little as one year to as long as six years, which is the goal of all schools. Any accreditation term shorter than that suggests improvements that must be made.
Dr. Allan Mucerino, Superintendent of Schools for Duarte USD, said, “Accreditation is integral to a school’s perpetual cycle of assessment, planning, implementation, and monitoring, based upon student achievement. At the conclusion of the three-day visit, the WASC team synthesized their findings in an oral report to the staff and members of the community.
“The WASC team was effusive in their praise of Duarte High School. They reported that the school demonstrated the capacity commitment, and competence to support high-quality learning and ongoing student improvement.”
Principal Sims said the positive oral report from the WASC team was “great news for the staff, and gratifying to everyone at the school. It’s one of the most important steps in our efforts to change the perceptions of Duarte High School.”
Sims added that preparing for WASC was a school-wide project, and “required a lot of effort from a lot of individuals to make things work. I’d like to salute the entire team for their efforts with WASC.”
Among the areas of special mention by the WASC team was the significant progress and meaningful staff development they had detected, especially in the areas of technology, Writing Across the Communities, Rigorous Curriculum Design, and engaging instructional strategies they noted had served to promote student learning.
“The Visiting Committee’s commendations validate the heightened focus on academic rigor the DHS administrators and staff have worked diligently to set in place so that our students are prepared for college, career and life as our district mission states,” said School Board President, Reyna Diaz.
The Visiting Committee also applauded all members of the school for creating a welcoming and safe campus with student feedback reflecting a “family” atmosphere. They acknowledged the school for creating a comprehensive plan for aligning content to Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and literacy standards.
School Board Member Ken Bell shared, “As I sat there listening to the WASC committee members give their summation comments of their latest evaluations of the DHS staff, I was very proud. They were very complementary about what they observed. There was significant progress, especially in the peer tutoring and the overall campus atmosphere. They made a statement about the family atmosphere that was very evident.
“I could not help but think how important the high school is to DUSD. This is our flag ship institution for our school district. It is the facility that demonstrates the culmination of all we do for our students to prepare them for the world and the work force for tomorrow. I could not but reflect how proud I am to have had 5 children to have been educated in this school district. My children have been well prepared for the journey of life and the working world. Congratulations to Dr Mark Sims and his fantastic staff for the outstanding job they have done.”
The Duarte High staff received the final written report in June 2017, at which time the school was able to formally celebrate their six-year accreditation status.