(October 22, 2002) -- Clark faculty met Oct. 11 to discuss the next step the school is undergoing for the accreditation process this year. From a series of six tasks, Clark has completed the first five and is working on task six.

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) procedure is an ongoing process of self-evaluating, WASC accreditation requires schools to monitor their progress in aiding students to achieve certain goals set by the school. Teachers were separated into focus groups Oct. 11 with representatives from each academic department present in each group.

Teachers met on the first day of school this year in “home groups” made up of those in similar departments. Home groups looked over data such as Academic Performance Index and standardized test results and brainstormed how they could improve scores.   The Expected Schoolwide Learning Results (ESLRs) require Clark students to be effective communicators, creative thinkers, self-directed learners, informed and responsible citizens, and cooperative team members. From the ESLRs developed last school year by the Leadership Team, the two that were selected to be an area of focus were literacy skills as well as problem solving activities. A poster including all the ESLRs is to be posted in each class this week.

Sophomore English teacher Kristine Danielson said, “I would like be able to adjust any teaching that I do to meet the needs and standards we’re supposed to be incorporating into our lessons.”

Two years ago when WASC representatives first visited Clark, the school received a temporary accreditation, as Clark was a new school. Clark counselor Linda Doll  said that the accreditation depend, “upon the quality of the instruction and the way it’s organized.”