WASC UPDATE

January 26, 2023

Dear Parents of NLIS,

The WASC accreditation journey for New Life International School is going well. We have candidacy for grades K through 9, and after a WASC team visits again next year, we will have full accreditation for grades K through 12. This means that if a child graduates from New Life International School by 2025, he or she will have an accredited degree that is approved by the Japanese government, and the student would be eligible to take the Japanese college entrance exam.

Mr. Rasson and I have completed the required WASC visitation training, and now we are both qualified to visit other schools to help evaluate their level of readiness for candidacy, accreditation, or renewal of accreditation. It is a requirement of all accredited schools to do visitations. I will visit a school in Thailand from April 22 through April 29. The school is going through a 6-year evaluation. The visit will be a four-and-½ day study. The school in Thailand has to pay for all of my expenses, but there is no salary or financial benefit for me. I have been warned that there will be no time for shopping or sightseeing. I will be at school or in a hotel working. As a part of the four-member visiting team, I have to study reports from the school in preparation for the visit and be very familiar with the criteria and policies of WASC accreditation. I am studying now. During the visit, the team will observe the school in operation, review student testing data and student work; observe students engaged in classes, and have meetings with administrators, teachers, students, and other stakeholders. It will be just like NLIS experienced last fall. After carefully doing all the above, we will then prepare a report outlining the team’s findings for the school and WASC Commission. I believe this will be very good for NLIS. I get to see a school that has years of accreditation practices, and I will know even better what the criteria are for WASC accreditation.

The teachers are busy at this time preparing for the June deadline for our school’s ACS WASC CANDIDATE REPORT. (See below for an outline of what we have to include in the report.) The report often mentions the School-wide Action Plan. I will post a copy of the NLIS school-wide action plan soon so that all of the NLIS parents can fully understand the goals of the teachers and staff at NLIS. The action plan is something that we continue to update as we meet our goals and further grow. If you have any suggestions or comments about the action plan, please see me or any teacher or staff member. NLIS is a better school when everyone is involved!

Thank you for your support.

Warm regards,

Suzy Brown

Principal, New Life International School