The Board and administration of Westgate Christian Academy seek the highest and best level of academic preparation for each student in attendance. In order to hold the leadership of the school to a high level of accountability and insure that parents, staff members, and students have a voice in directing continued improvement in our services, Westgate sought and was awarded accreditation through the North Central Association in March of 2007. Here is what this “accredited” status means to our parents.

Description of AdvanceED Accreditation

AdvancED is the world’s largest education community, serving more than 27,000 public and private schools and districts across the United States and in 69 countries that educate over 15 million students.
As the global leader in advancing education excellence through accreditation and school improvement, AdvancED brings together more than 100 years of experience and the expertise of the two largest US-based accreditation agencies — the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI).
The AdvancED Accreditation Process, a protocol embraced around the world, is a clear and comprehensive program of evaluation and external review, supported by research-based standards, and dedicated to helping schools, districts and education providers continuously improve.
AdvancED’s position as a thought leader in education continues to expand as we provide a national and international voice to inform and influence policy and practice on issues related to education quality.

Why Accreditation Matters

Accreditation is designed to help educational institutions boost their ongoing performance efforts for the benefit of their students.  AdvancED insists on a relentless pursuit of excellence – for itself and for the institutions it accredits. This ethic of excellence ensures that institutions will find rich benefits from accreditation and that parents can confidently make informed decisions about their children’s education, knowing their child’s school is accredited. Accreditation matters because our students deserve the highest level of educational excellence possible.

Benefits to Students and Parents

• Experience ease in transferring credits from one school to  another.
• Gain greater access to federal loans, scholarships,  postsecondary education and military programs that require  students attend an accredited institution.
• Benefit from their institution or educational system’s commitment to raising student performance and accountability.

Benefits to Schools

• Unite with a global network committed to standards of educational excellence.
• Earn the distinction of quality through the recognized seal of AdvancED accreditation.
• Experience a unified, clear, and powerful accreditation process with a scalable and sustainable evaluation of education  quality.
• Receive external and objective validation of the areas in which they’re doing well, and the areas for continuous improvement.
• Benefit from AdvancED research that shapes educational policy and improves learning practices.
• Experience a state-of-the-art web-based accreditation system that is continuously being upgraded and improved.
• Hear the best available ideas and thinking on education practices and trends through innovative products, educational  technologies, and the collective knowledge of peers.
• Benefit from shared expertise and powerful professional learning through local and global workshops, training,  conferences, and personalized service.

We were very pleased that AdvanceEd approves of our current level of services to students and families, and will assist us in continual evaluation of our program and guide us toward best practices in the field of education. Our goal at Westgate is to help our students attain the highest level of knowledge (academically) and wisdom (an understanding and love for God).