For students, the school year getting into full swing generally means large workloads and endless nights of cramming for tests. However, what many of them may not know is that their teachers are preparing for a test of their own. This year, in order to be accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, teachers and Diamond Bar High School will be evaluated for effectiveness.

Over 4,600 schools, from kindergartens to high schools, worldwide participate in WASC accreditation as a way to evaluate their progress and make improvements in the overall school system. Through the accreditation, students are given assurance that their school programs are reviewed for quality, and schools learn how to constantly continue improving.

“We can be getting great scores, we can be getting all kinds of recognition in national magazines, and high rankings, but nevertheless that doesn’t mean we can’t improve. [The] commitment to continuous improvement is crucial and that’s what this WASC report will improve,” Interim Principal Denis R. Paul said.

The overall process repeats every six years for DBHS. For the first five years, schools focus on updating their profiles, monitoring their progress, and refining the school’s mission. This year, DBHS is in its sixth year of the cycle. This final year consists of an initial visit, a self-study visit, and a follow-up.

The initial visit is performed by a two-member committee that strives to develop a firm understanding of the school and the programs it offers. They also have the duty of deciding whether or not the school complies with WASC regulations.

The self-study visit is the longest and most significant process of the three and involves all teachers on campus as well as a visiting committee. Teachers are randomly assigned to observe other teachers on their teaching techniques and on how they work together with the students. With these teacher-created reports, the school is expected to create a plan that focuses on improving areas that are not up to standards.

“When the visiting committee comes they’ll look at all our programs. That visiting committee will take a look at our action plan and review it with us and discuss the feasibility of it, [if] we will be able to achieve certain goals based on what we did in the past,” English teacher and WASC co-writer Denise Mesdijan said. Mesdijan and Marco Leal are leading the WASC team.

To further help the accreditation process, DBHS has provided surveys for parents and students to complete. This survey asks questions regarding the student’s general opinion of their teachers, the condition of the school, and the difficulty of the curriculum.

“[In] an accreditation year we want to hear from everyone, not just teachers, but parents, students, and members of the community. We need everyone’s input so that we know what’s working and what’s not working,” Mesdjian said.
During the final step, everything, such as the report or future action plan, is finalized. The progress reports are released to the school so that they can begin to undergo changes for the better. These reports are also available for viewing on the DBHS website.

DBHS currently holds the highest accreditation status, which can be seen through the WASC website; meaning that it has met all the criteria of the visiting committee. These standards usually include high achieving students, a staff that actively searches for new ways to improve the school, and compliance with expectations of governing authority.

To conclude the WASC process, a visiting committee will be on campus for three days starting March 7 next year.