Dear Living Wisdom High School Community,

We would like to thank the accreditation visiting committee for their insights and support throughout the visit and the ongoing self-reflection process. The visiting committee who worked with us this fall noted many areas of strength exhibited within our school community.

Some of these highlights include:

·  LWHS has a strong sense of community and unique structure of organized mentorship among faculty, staff, and students.
·  LWHS has an extensive network of advisors and off-campus partners which leads to a wealth of opportunities for Living Wisdom students.
·  LWHS students are empowered to take ownership of their learning and have a strong voice in the development of their personalized learning plans. 
·  LWHS is a member of the Mastery Transcript Consortium and is moving towards greater incorporation of mastery learning and the use of portfolio-based mastery transcripts. 
·  LWHS creates a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary culture with an ability to approach problems from different perspectives and with a wide array of resources. 
·  The Living Wisdom School Board of Directors is deeply dedicated to our philosophy of learning which goes above and beyond the school’s mission and vision. 

The Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), a world-renowned accrediting association and one of the six regional accrediting agencies in the United States, works closely with the Office of Overseas Schools under the U.S. Department of State. WASC provides assistance to schools worldwide, especially in California, Hawaii, Guam, Asia, the Pacific Region, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.  Accreditation is a collaborative self-reflection and evaluation of all aspects of the school’s program and its impact on student learning and well-being based on the WASC research-based criteria. Furthermore, accreditation is a certification to the public that the school is a trustworthy institution of learning and well-being that is committed to continuous improvement. 

WASC accreditation demonstrates:

·  the school is substantially accomplishing its stated purposes and functions identified as appropriate for an institution of its type, and

Through the ongoing WASC accreditation cycle, our high school conducts an in-depth self-study, normally every five or six years; hosts an accreditation visit by fellow educators; and engages all community members in a follow-up process of implementing, monitoring, and refining the resulting school-wide action plan. The visiting committee’s report and recommendations are submitted to the WASC Commission for review and action on accreditation.

What is particularly of note about our partnership with WASC is their commitment to support each school in manifesting its unique vision and mission. As such, we are able to hold the principles of Education for Life in the central light of this educational partnership!