Accreditation
SelfDesign High is a Class One*, Independent, Distributed (online) Learning High School fully accredited by the B.C. Ministry of Education through its Office of the Inspector of Independent Schools. As such, SelfDesign High courses meet the learning outcomes established by the Ministry.
The school's mentors (teachers) are certified through the Office of the Superintendent of Independent Schools or the B.C. College of Teachers. For more information on B.C.'s independent schools, visit the Ministry Web Site.
* Class 1 schools receive 50% of their local school district's per student operating grant on a per FTE student basis. They employ BC certified teachers, have educational programs consistent with ministerial orders, provide a program that meets the learning outcomes of the British Columbia curriculum, meet various administrative requirements, maintain adequate educational facilities, and comply with municipal and regional district codes.
SelfDesign is an accredited institution by AdvancED and the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI).
AdvancED is the parent organization of the NCA CASI and is the world’s largest education community, serving more than 27,000 public and private schools and districts across the U.S. and in 69 countries that educate over 15 million students.
Our accreditation this summer followed a visit and inspection from an AdvancED Quality Assurance Team last June. See SelfDesign’s AdvancED listing and download our Executive Summary (PDF, 10 pp) from the link at the bottom of the page.
What Is the significance of AdvancED Accreditation?
As AdvancED explains on its website, “Accreditation is a voluntary method of quality assurance developed more than 100 years ago by American universities and secondary schools, and designed primarily to distinguish schools adhering to a set of educational standards. The accreditation process is also known in terms of its ability to effectively drive student performance and continuous improvement in education.”
Further, per AdvancED, this means that “An AdvancED accredited institution or educational system adheres to the highest quality standards.These standards are the product of careful research and years of testing and fine-tuning the successful practices in education.”
Why Is This Important?
1. Peace of Mind: Parents can take comfort in the knowledge that an accredited school has submitted to external review and its quality has been validated both through self-study and on-site evaluation by education professionals.
2. Solid Foundation: An accredited school follows accepted educational practices and has an ongoing process of continual improvement. This provides a solid foundation for each student’s success.
3. Ease of Transfer: As a practical matter, it is far simpler to transfer high school credits from an accredited school than from a non-accredited one. SelfDesign will not be able to guarantee our credits will be universally accepted; it is common practice, however, for one accredited high school to accept credits which have been earned at any other accredited high school.
4. Preparing for the Next Step: Accreditation can be even more important when seeking college admission. Universities and colleges will more readily accept credits earned from an accredited high school than from a non-accredited one. This is because they are aware of the standards of the accrediting agency and recognize the value of the work accomplished by students of the accredited school.
Sincerely,
SelfDesign Council
