PRESIDENT UPDATE
As we reflect on the past year, I am proud to share that 2025 has been a period of renewed purpose and remarkable progress for the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC) Across more than 5,500 member schools worldwide, our collective efforts have continued to elevate educational quality and student success while reaffirming our shared commitment to excellence, equity, and continuous improvement
Guided by our Strategic Plan, we have strengthened every aspect of our work from streamlining accreditation processes to expanding professional learning opportunities for educators The introduction of asynchronous training modules has made professional development more flexible and accessible than ever We have also advanced our technology infrastructure and refined our accreditation standards to align with evolving expectations of colleges and universities
Our 2024–2025 survey results demonstrate that WASC’s dedication to quality and service is widely recognized by the schools we serve Advisors earned satisfaction ratings between 35 and 40 on a four-point scale an outcome that underscores the professionalism and commitment of our entire team These results are more than numbers; they represent trust, partnership, and shared belief in the transformative power of education
As we look ahead to 2026 and beyond, WASC remains steadfast in its mission: to foster excellence in learning through a culture of reflection, accountability, and improvement Thank you to our Commissioners, Staff, Advisors, and school leaders whose vision and dedication continue to make WASC a global standard of educational quality
Barry R. Groves, President
CHAIRPERSON UPDATE
It is with great pride and gratitude that I introduce the 2025 Annual Report for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges This report is not just a summary of our operational year; it is a testament to our shared belief that all students deserve the highest standards in education
The progress highlighted in this report is directly tied to the ambitious Strategic Plan we launched in 2023 This plan, with its four goals: Ensure Organizational Excellence, Champion High Accreditation Standards, Expand Membership, and Deliver Outstanding Customer Service, is fundamentally driven by our organizational values: student-focused, collaboration, excellence, and forward thinking These values ensure that we continue to create and nurture a forwardthinking, adaptive environment that serves the educational needs and goals of students and partners around the world with integrity and excellence
This past year has seen significant strides toward these goals, achieved only through the dedication of our staff, the tireless work of our volunteer peer reviewers, and, most importantly, the commitment of you, our valued partners, and member institutions
As you review the detailed contents of this report, you will find concrete examples of how we translated our vision into measurable results advancing quality, ensuring accountability, and supporting schools as they create equitable, rigorous, and relevant learning experiences
Thank you for your sustained partnership and for your unwavering commitment to educational excellence Together, we continue to uphold and advance the standards that shape the future for students around the world
Linda Norman, Chairperson
WASC COMMISSION
The purpose of the WASC Commission is to foster excellence in elementary, secondary, adult, microschools, postsecondary institutions, and supplementary education programs The Commission encourages school improvement through a process of continuing evaluation and recognizes institutions through granting accreditation to the schools that meet an acceptable level of quality in accordance with the established criteria.
2026 Commission Meetings
2026 Commission Meetings
Winter: January 26-27, 2026
Spring: April 27-28, 2026
Summer: June 29-30, 2026
WASC COMMISSIONERS
Officers
Linda Norman, EdD, Chairperson
Katherine Thorossian, Ed.D., Vice
Chairperson
Odie Douglas, EdD, Immediate Past Chair
Association of California School Administrators
Ward Andrus, Ed.D.
Moohay Choe, Ed.D.
Kevin Collins, EdD
Caroline Cota, EdD
Odie Douglas, EdD
Christine McCormick, EdD
Eric Mooney, Ed.D.
Association of Christian Schools
International
Matt Hannan
California Association of Independent Schools
Jeff Davis, Ed.D.
California Association of Private School Organizations
Toby Elmore, EdD
California Congress of Parents and Teachers, Inc. (PTA)
Candi Kern
California Department of Education
Monique McWayne
Alesha Moreno-Ramirez
California Federation of Teachers
Julie Cruz
California School Boards Association
Christopher (Kit) Oase, D.A.
California Teachers Association
Marty Fricke
Charter Schools
Jason Sample
Sherry Segura, Ph.D.
East Asia Regional Council of Schools
Jim Gerhard, EdD
Hawaii Association of Independent Schools
Jeanne Wilks
Hawaii Complex Area Superintendent
Stacey Bello
Hawaii Government Employees’ Association
Janice Blaber
Hawaii Private Teacher
Melissa Handy
Hawaii State Department of Education
Andrea Fukumoto
Hawaii State Teachers Association
Karin “Kalena” D Hansen del Rey
National Lutheran School Accreditation
Christy Wood, EdD
Pacific Islands
Vacancy
Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
James P Willis II
Postsecondary Education
Jennifer Owens
Public Members
Livingston (Jack) Wong
Katherine Thorossian, EdD
Western Catholic Educational Association
Gregory Dhuyvetter
Anna-Lisa George
Linda Norman, EdD
Teresa Schwabauer
STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE
The Strategic Plan continues to guide WASC’s commitment to excellence in accreditation and service to member institutions. The following provides an overview of the work accomplished across WASC the result of a truly collaborative effort by staff, commissioners, advisors, and our partner institutions These contributions reflect a shared dedication to continuous improvement and innovation
1. Ensure Organizational Excellence
We continue to strengthen our internal systems, processes, and culture Significant strides were made in optimizing AIMS functionality, improving data reliability, and enhancing workflows across departments These improvements have created more efficient communication channels, better visibility into projects, and stronger accountability organization-wide
2. Champion High Accreditation Standards
The review and refinement of WASC’s accreditation standards remain a top priority WASC has refined its standards and will pilot a new self-study process with 44 schools in Spring 2026 Insights from this pilot will inform the final adoption of universal standards These efforts ensure that WASC’s accreditation process remains rigorous, relevant, and aligned with global expectations for educational quality and continuous improvement
3. Expand Membership
WASC welcomed over 200 new institutions into its membership this past year a reflection of the organization’s continued reputation for quality, trust, and responsiveness Outreach initiatives, strategic partnerships, and streamlined application processes have extended WASC’s reach while maintaining the high standards expected of all member institutions
4. Deliver Outstanding Customer Service
WASC remains dedicated to continual improvement and innovation in serving its members A new Data Tool is available for California public and charter schools with enrolled high school students The tool consolidates school and student performance information from five public reporting sources into a single, organized Google spreadsheet It provides three years of longitudinal data for each institution, allowing schools to analyze trends Integrated with Google’s Gemini generative AI, the tool enables dynamic data exploration and insight generation empowering schools to engage in deeper reflection, planning, and decision-making
TRAINING UPDATE
As part of our Reimagining Process, WASC is developing a series of nine short, just-in-time training videos for domestic schools with self-study visits scheduled in the 2026-27 school year. These videos, all under ten minutes in length, cover essential aspects of the accreditation process, from continuous improvement and data analysis to action planning and peer review visits Each video description includes the runtime, allowing viewers to quickly determine whether they have time to watch immediately
The first three videos — Continuous Improvement: An Overview, Creating a Culture of Collaboration, and Introduction and Chapter 1 — are now complete and available to schools through the Training tab on the WASC School Portal. While the primary audience is WASC Coordinators at member schools, several videos have been designed for broader sharing with school staff For example, Creating a Culture of Collaboration provides valuable insights that can benefit entire school communities engaged in the accreditation process
This initiative reflects our commitment to providing accessible, practical training resources that fit into educators' busy schedules By delivering content in brief, focused segments, we are ensuring that schools have the support they need, when they need it, throughout their accreditation journey.
WASC PILOT PROGRAM: TRANSFORMING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
As part of WASC's ongoing commitment to innovation and continuous improvement, 44 pilot schools are participating in a reimagined accreditation process utilizing new universal standards, protocols, templates, and our groundbreaking Data Tool. Scheduled for Spring 2026, this pilot will inform the final adoption of universal standards and represents a significant evolution in how schools approach their self-study and continuous improvement.
Feedback from participating schools has been overwhelmingly positive. Schools appreciate the flexibility to leverage their existing collaborative structures — including Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), department meetings, standing committees, and all-staff meetings — rather than creating separate Focus Groups This approach honors the work schools are already doing while ensuring meaningful engagement across the entire school community.
Our Data Tool represents WASC's most significant innovation in member support. Available to California public and charter schools with enrolled high school students, the tool consolidates school and student performance information from five public reporting sources into a single, organized Google spreadsheet It provides three years of longitudinal data for each institution, enabling schools to analyze trends over time Integrated with Google's Gemini generative AI, the tool enables dynamic data exploration and insight generation — empowering schools to engage in deeper reflection, planning, and decision-making. Schools have praised the tool for making data analysis more accessible and actionable, transforming what was once a time-intensive process into an efficient, insight-driven experience
This initiative reflects WASC's commitment to honoring each school's unique context and empowering personalized approaches to continuous improvement.
EXCELLENCE ELEVATED: REIMAGINE AND RENEW
Nearly300educatorsandleadersgatheredinthebeautifulFarallon RoomatSkylineCollegeinSanBrunoonOctober1 overlookingthe Pacific forafulldayofinspiration,learning,andconnection.
Theconferencetheme,“ExcellenceElevated:ReimagineandRenew,” cametolifethroughinsightfulsessionson:
Streamliningaccreditationwithinnovationandpurpose Buildinginclusive,student-centeredpractices
Strengtheningleadershipandcollaborationacrossschools
Fromthought-provokingsessionstomeaningfulconversations,itis clearthatWASCschoolsandcommunitiesarereadytoinnovate, collaborate,andelevate.
MICROSCHOOLS AND SEPS: EXPANDING PATHWAYS TO ACCREDITATION
The educational landscape continues to evolve, with new models of learning emerging to meet the diverse needs of students and families Microschools and Supplementary Education Programs (SEPs) exemplify this innovation, offering personalized, flexible, and mission-driven approaches that extend learning beyond traditional classrooms
In response, WASC has adapted accreditation protocols tailored to these distinct educational environments For microschools, WASC’s framework recognizes their intentionally small scale, emphasis on individualized learning, and community-based design For SEPs, accreditation affirms the quality and impact of programs that enrich student learning through specialized instruction in areas such as language, arts, culture, and academic support In both cases, WASC’s accreditation upholds rigorous standards while providing a trusted structure for reflection, accountability, and continuous improvement.
WASC will continue to strengthen these pathways by engaging with education leaders and refining protocols and resources to ensure quality assurance remains both rigorous and responsive Through this work, WASC reaffirms its mission to advance educational excellence and innovation across all learning environments
More information regarding microschools and SEPs can be found on the WASC website
OUTSTANDING ADVISOR SATISFACTION
We are thrilled to share exceptional results from our 2024-2025 customer satisfaction survey of California self-study coordinators. The survey, which evaluated WASC advisors' performance, demonstrates our unwavering commitment to excellence in educational accreditation services.
WASCAdvisorSurveyTrends
TheWASCAdvisorrole,nowinitsthirdyearofdirect engagementwithschools,continuestodemonstrate asignificantandmeasurableimpactonmember institutions Feedbackfromschoolsreflectssteady improvementacrosseverycategoryofadvisor support.ThisisastrongreflectionofWASC’s commitmenttoprovidingpersonalizedsupportand consistentcommunicationthatenhancestheschool experience
Surveyresultsfrom2023to2025revealaclear upwardtrendinallkeyareas,withoverallsatisfaction levelsapproachingthehighestpossibleratings. Advisorswereratedespeciallyhighintheareasof respectfulinteractions(398),objectivityandfairness (396),andknowledgeandexpertise(395) Notably, schoolsreportedthemostsubstantialyear-over-year gainsinhelpfulnessofsupportandcommunication effectiveness bothareasthatsawsignificant increasefrom2024to2025.
TheseresultsaffirmthatWASCAdvisorsare strengtheningschoolengagement,improving qualityofcommunication,andsupporting continuousimprovementinmeaningfulways.The Advisorroleisenhancingschools’accreditation experiencewhileembodyingWASC’scorevaluesof beingstudent-focused,collaborative,excellent,and forward-thinking
WASCextendsitsgratitudetoallparticipatingself-study coordinatorsfortheirvaluablefeedbackandcontinued partnershipinadvancingeducationalexcellence
WASC Domestic Advisors gathered in August 2025 for a productive meeting, focusing on their shared commitment to excellence in education and accreditation
JoinusonThursday,October8,2026,inOrangeCounty,California,foran engaging,hands-oneventdevotedtomasteringthenewWASCframework Participantswillexplorehowtomakereflectionmoremeaningful,datamore actionable,andgrowthmoresustainable
LedbyWASCleadershipandexpertfacilitators,theconferencewillfeature guidedsessions,livedemonstrations,andcollaborativepracticetosupport schoolsateverystageofimplementation
