WASHINGTON ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
Categories of Accreditation
Washington state SBE recognizes the Association of Christian Schools International, American Montessori Society, Association of Waldorf Schools of North America, Christian Schools International, National Lutheran School Accreditation, Northwest Accreditation Commission, Northwest Association of Independent Schools, Seventh Day Adventist or the Western Catholic Education Association.
Accreditation Process
Washington schools must be approved annually by the state before they can seek accreditation. The approval process is to ensure that all schools meet the state requirements. Washington state requirements include health and safety concerns, total instructional hours, certified teachers, 180 day school year, and instruction to meet minimum state graduation rate. Private schools that have been approved may seek accreditation.
Accreditation Status Criteria
There are a variety of requirements that must be met in order to be approved as a Washington state private school. The minimum school year must be no less that 180 school days or the equivalent of a school-wide annual average total instructional hour offering of 1000 hours for students enrolled in grades one through 12 and at least 450 hours for students enrolled in kindergarten. Each day students must have the opportunity to be engaged in an educational activity planned by and under the direction of the staff. All classroom teachers must hold the appropriate Washington State certification or meet the definition of a non-Washington State certified teacher in WAC 180-90-112 (5)(a-d). All permanent records must be safeguarded against loss or damage. The physical facilities of the school must be adequate to meet the requirements of the program offered. Additionally, the school facilities must be in compliance with health and safety standards, and substantiated by current inspection reports.The school’s curriculum must include instruction in occupational education, science, mathematics, language, social studies, history, health, reading, writing, spelling, and the development of appreciation of art and music to meet the Washington State Board of Education graduation requirements. The school must maintain up to date policy statements on administration and operations. The school must not engage in any acts of racial segregation or discrimination.The attendance of any student must be conditioned on the presentation of immunization records. Each of these requirements must be met and maintained in order to be considered and accepted as a Washington State private school.