Accreditation with the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)

WIS Socials
4 days ago
2 min read

As you will know, WIS is accredited by NEASC. This accreditation ensures that WIS is on par with international standards in education and that we have the opportunity to keep reflecting and working on our craft as a community.

In the last week, we shared the NEASC survey with students, parents, teachers and the leadership team of WIS. This survey is intended to give us feedback from all stakeholders on things at school that we all value and that we all strive to perfect. If you have not yet done the survey, please complete it. HERE is the link to the parent survey. Students, teachers and leadership have done the survey with an above 80% participation rate. It would be very helpful, if we could have the same with the parent participation.

The next phase of our accreditation cycle is our Internal Reflection. In the coming 12 months, WIS teams will look at various aspects of our teaching and learning community. The results of the survey contribute to giving us feedback on what students, parents, teachers and the leadership values at our school, but also what we can work on. In the first term of the 2026-2027 academic year, we will have an External Review Visit. NEASC will then look at the report that WIS has submitted about 10 Learning Prinicpals and our Foundation Standards and determine areas of strength and areas for growth. And we are confident that we will then be re-accredited with suggestions to focus on in the next five year cycle.

Here is how the accreditation cycle works:

Self-Study and Peer Review: Schools engage in self-study to document their alignment with these standards and host visiting teams to review their findings.
Ongoing Improvement: The standards provide a framework for continuous improvement, helping schools identify strengths and areas for growth.
Annual Updates: Schools provide annual updates to demonstrate their ongoing adherence to the foundation standards.

The biggest benefit we have with being accredited by NEASC is that our WIS High School Diploma is internationally recognised at liberal arts colleges.

Below are the Learning Principles and the Foundation Standards that WIS is busy working on for our External Review Report and the visit in 2026:

Key Aspects of the Standards

Foundation for Accreditation: They are the first step in the NEASC accreditation process, ensuring a school's fundamental operations are sound.
Compliance-Oriented: The standards focus on the "must-haves" for a school to function effectively and safely, without which a learning community cannot thrive.
Focus Areas:
- Learning Structure: Clear statements on what high-quality learning looks like, a documented curriculum with defined outcomes, and effective assessment principles.
- Organizational Structure: A well-organized structure that supports the school's mission and the learning needs of students.
- Health, Safety, and Security: A proactive culture that permeates the school to ensure the well-being of all students and staff.
- Finance, Facilities, and Resources: Sufficient financial resources and appropriate facilities to support current and future operations.
- Ethical Practice: Adherence to ethical standards in all aspects of the school's operations.