Despite being an academically high-performing school, Saratoga still has to pass the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation every six years as required by the state.
The next visit from the organization will be in the spring of next year; however, assistant principal Kevin Mount and math teacher Audrey Warmuth, the school’s two WASC coordinators, are already thinking about improvements for the school.
WASC is a third-party organization that works with California to accredit schools.
Warmuth said that without a certification from WASC, a diploma from Saratoga would be meaningless.
“Without being accredited, anyone could set up a high school, and give out a diploma,” Warmuth said. “It is a self-study involving everyone from the staff and other administrative parties to parents and even a student committee.”
According to Mount, Saratoga doesn’t have trouble getting accredited, but going through the process can lead to significant improvements in the school. The last visit was in the spring of 2008.
During every visit, the school performs a self-study, which is the most important part of the process, according to Mount.
“We say where our strengths are, and where we can do better,” Mount said. “It’s an opportunity to self-assess, and we involve parents, students and the entire community to set new goals.”
Warmuth said that they are currently reviewing the action plans they made in 2008.
According to Warmuth, the school focused on the health and well-being of students and instruction in the classroom during the last WASC.
According to both Warmuth and Mount, the school is focusing on the non-academic aspect of student life rather than anticipating difficulty with academic performance.
“Our students score well. We are a great school if you look at the test scores and colleges our students go to,” Mount said. “We tend to focus on softer issues like making the school a kinder place for kids.”
