By: Paul Henderson, Head of Curriculum & Assessment

From November 17-20, 2024, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the International Baccalaureate (IB) organization visited M’KIS for an accreditation visit. 

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) is our accrediting organization from the United States of America. They ensure that we are compliant with US education standards and can award an internationally recognized US High School Diploma. 

Meanwhile, the IB organization certifies our IB World School status and offerings of the IB Primary Years Program, IB Middle Years Program, and IB Diploma Program.

This visit also enables M’KIS to continue its focus on learning, teaching, and continuous improvement. Accreditation also serves many other purposes, which include but are not limited to:

• Assuring a school community that the school’s purposes are appropriate and accomplished through a viable education program  — a trustworthy institution for student learning.

• Validating the integrity of the school’s program and transcripts.
• Facilitating transfer of credits to other English-speaking schools — critical for college/university acceptance worldwide.

• Providing a process for regularly examining programs, processes, and data around school goals and student learning through data analysis, reflection, inquiry, and dialogue.

• Building a professional culture to support the schoolwide action plan.

• Fostering the continuous improvement of the school’s programs and operations to support student learning.

In order to prepare for the visit, last school year, the faculty met in Focus Groups to study ourselves via the criteria. Parent and student representatives joined these groups as well. We reflected and identified strengths and areas for improvement, and in the end, we developed a report that includes plans to sustain our strengths and address the areas for improvements.

During the visit, the WASC and IB accreditors reviewed our report. They also met with our focus groups, conducted select interviews with community members, and observed classrooms. Head of School Robert Cody commented, “It was a thorough and validating process, confirming our hard work and successes.”

The WASC and IB visitors complimented M’KIS, citing clear evidence of student learning across the campus and the strength of the community!

Thank you to all the M’KIS faculty, staff, our parents and students. Thank you to the school Leadership Team and the Board for all their support. It was a fantastic week, both confirming and energizing. M’KIS has always been a top school, and we have a bright future ahead!