(Newswire.net — September 15, 2014) Singapore, Singapore — Singapore American School (SAS), a private international school in Singapore with world-class facilities and innovative programs, is pleased to announce that it has once again received the fullest term of accreditation possible under the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
SAS has been accredited by the Western Association of Schools and College (WASC) for more than 50 years. Being accredited is important for a school because many post-secondary schools will only accept graduates from accredited high schools.
Dr. Chip Kimball, SAS Superintendent, said about the accreditation, “We are very pleased to receive their approval with our focus on learning as well as our current and future programs. Our WASC leadership team did a great job preparing for and sharing with the WASC accreditation team our philosophy, values, and strengths, and our faculty and staff work tirelessly to deliver a phenomenal educational experience for our students.”
In April of 2014, a visiting committee comprised of twelve educators from other international schools in Asia as well as California visited SAS. Based on their findings, SAS was granted another six-year term, which will expire in 2020. Findings from the self-study and visit have been incorporated into the strategic plan that will guide the work of SAS for the next six years.
“We were very satisfied to see all of our hard work come to fruition,” shared Jennifer Sparrow, SAS Executive Director of Teaching & Learning. “Our WASC leadership team had worked on our strategy and planning for many months.”
SAS received permission from WASC to conduct a focused process on SAS learning by focusing the self-study on five of the desired student learning outcomes: character, communication, collaboration, creativity, innovation, and critical thinking. Professional learning communities acted as home groups, completing a deep dive into the learning outcomes to identify where each one is currently explicitly taught and assessed. Divisions acted as focus groups and met to analyze the results and identify areas of strength and areas for growth. The entire process was guided by a WASC leadership team that was represented by faculty, classified staff, parents, administrators, and board members.
WASC is one of six regional associations that accredit public and private schools, colleges, and universities in the United States. Through its review processes, WASC confirms that an institution has substantially met the Commission’s Core Commitments and Standards of Accreditation and associated Criteria for Review and, thus, possesses the resources, policies, and practices to achieve its educational goals and has provided evidence of the quality of its educational programs. Accredited institutions are also subject to the conditions established by the Commission, including its policies.
Established in 1956, the school primarily serves the American and international expatriate communities of Singapore. SAS is registered with the Singapore Council for Private Education, affiliated with the Office of Overseas Schools through the U.S. Department of State, and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
For more information about Singapore American School visit www.sas.edu.sg.
Dr Chip Kimball Jennifer Sparrow