OUR COMMITTMENT
The Northwest Association of Accredited Schools is proud to be your accreditation agency. We commit our support for your school improvement efforts and increased student achievement.
MEMBERSHIP APPROVES RESTRUCTURING PLAN
MEMBERSHIP OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORTS THE PROPOSED PLAN
The membership along with the Commission on Schools has approved a plan offered by the Strategic Planning Committee to restructure the Commission of the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools. The plan will take effect beginning September 1, 2010. As previously reported the final plan was approved by the Strategic Planning Committee in November 2009 and presented to the full commission in December at the Annual Meeting.
Purposes of the reorganization are to:
- Redirect resources to state and division committees
- Increase services to member schools
- Enhance regional support for state committees
- Better align the decision-making authority within state/division committees
Highlights of the plan call for:
- A state director in each state and the division to manage all state operations
- State directors and three board of trustee members from each state and the division make up the commission
- Three at-large commissioners, Higher Education, independent schools, and one public member (a reduction of 3)
- One commission meeting each year (a reduction of one)
- Elimination of two standing committees with work being assigned to the board of state directors
The state advisory committees are meeting this spring and will be discussing the impact of the reorganization on current programs and operations. Results of those discussions will be provided to member schools from the state committees.
Thank you for your participation in the reorganization.
The Oregon State Advisory Committee met April 26, 2010 to review the status of school visitations, new school applications, and the reorganization.
TRADEMARK ISSUE
The association has been informed that our application to retain the use of our logo has been denied. We had applied to have our logo and acronym trademarked. We also have four alternate trademark options pending with the US Patent and Trademark Office. However the company known as the “National Academy of American Scholars” has asked for a delay of the decision for approval of our proposed logos stating they need additional time to review the logo for possible opposition by their company.
All member schools should remove the “NAAS” acronym and logo from publications, advertising and web sites. We will notify all member schools as soon as a decision is made about the use of a new logo, and we will also provide information how to download the logo as soon as it’s approved by the trademark office.
In the meantime, we encourage member schools to continue to realize that the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools is a legal corporation located in the state of Idaho and that being accredited by same is and always has been valid and acknowledged by the other five regional accreditation associations, and all of the commissions on colleges and universities. The Northwest Association of Accredited Schools has been acknowledged along with the other five commissions on schools since 1917, and we will continue to serve all of our member schools through our state committees and the division as we have done in the past.
We appreciate your understanding while this issue is being resolved.
JUNE COMMISSION MEETING
The Summer Meeting of the Commissioners will be held in Boise in June of 2010. The agenda is posted on the web site at http://northwestaccreditation.org/meetings/index.html. Included in the agenda will be a review and approval of changes in the policy and procedures, and the new “look” of the association as a result of the reorganization.
NORTHWEST ACCREDITATION MEMBERSHIP CONTINUES TO GROW
There is good news for the association as membership continues to grow. Overall membership is up in school categories of online schools, public high schools and K-12 schools, international schools, wilderness schools and postsecondary non-degree granting schools. The news is not all positive as there has been a slight decline in membership of residential schools, private schools and public elementary and middle schools. The trend follows the changes in the economy for schools requiring private funding while the decrease in public elementary and middle schools is a result of cost savings when accreditation is not required by states as it is in most states for high schools. Northwest continues to reach out to schools in these categories as accreditation is a quality assurance tool that helps improve student achievement.
Excited students from applicant school Brighton Elementary in Lynnwood, Washington
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE EDUCATION OF YOUNG CHILDREN (NAEYC) HAS RECEIVED COMMITTEE APPROVAL FOR THIRD PARTY ACCREDITAITON STATUS
Congratulations to NAEYC for being recommended by the Third Party and Research committee for third party accreditation status. The committee’s recommendation will be presented at the June commission meeting for approval. This action is the last major accomplishment for the committee which will no longer function as presently constituted because of the reorganization. Further work will be handled by the associate director working together with the board of state directors.
NAEYC is an association dedicated to the journey of program improvement for kindergarten, preschool, and child care centers.
The NAEYC web site describes the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) as “dedicated to improving the well-being of all young children, with particular focus on the quality of educational and developmental services for all children from birth through age eight. NAEYC is committed to becoming an increasingly high performing and inclusive organization.
Founded in 1926, NAEYC is the world's largest organization working on behalf of young children with nearly 90,000 members, a national network of over 300 local, state, and regional Affiliates, and a growing global alliance of like-minded organizations.”
Those programs in the NW region desiring Northwest accreditation along with NAEYC accreditation will have the opportunity if this partnership is approved by the commission. NAEYC would join with seven other agencies currently participating in the third party partnership with Northwest Accreditation.
The members of the Third Party and Research Committee watch the application presentation of NAECY from Washington D.C.
THE INTERNATIONAL AND TRANSREGIONAL DIVISION
The International and Transregional Division of the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools functions similarly to each of the seven state accreditation committees. The schools served represent a number of categories including residential, online, postsecondary non-degree granting, travel study programs and international schools. The fastest growing group is the international schools. The division has recently conducted a full school visit along with two initial accreditation visits in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The division currently accredits schools in the countries of Egypt, Kosova, Macedonia, Panama, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and United Arab Emirates. Membership from schools in the international group of the division has grown to over 60 schools. Total membership of the division is over 145 schools.
Abi Dahbi International School Student Council members Abi Dahbi, United Arab Emirates
INFORMATION FROM MEMBER SCHOOLS
The Northwest Association of Accredited Schools welcomes articles from member schools pertaining to accreditation, school improvement, and increasing student achievement. Please submit articles at any time to linda@nortwestaccreditation.org.
MEETINGS
A listing of all NAAS meetings, including State Advisory Committee meetings, is posted on our web site www.NorthwestAccreditation.org under calendar on the top menu.