ACCREDITATION HIGHEST RATING

Accreditation

After official review, Castilleja receives the highest rating on every standard

FORMAL REVIEW Every seven years, Castilleja must be accredited through a formal review process to ensure the school is meeting the 16 defined standards of quality as set forth by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS). In June 2022, Castilleja’s accreditation was approved, and we received the highest possible rating on every standard.

SELF-STUDY The first step in the process was for the school to conduct a thorough self-study. Every employee had the opportunity to reflect and provide input on the Accreditation Standards:

Institutional Purpose and Core Values Teaching and Learning Financial Sustainability Operations Institutional Stewardship and Leadership Institutional Improvement and Sustainability

The majority of the report was compiled during the 2020–2021 academic year, a remarkable feat given the school’s shift to distance and then hybrid learning.

CAMPUS VISIT Following the report’s completion in December 2021, a committee of administrators from CAIS peer schools visited campus for three days in February 2022 to evaluate the study and meet with a variety of faculty, staff, parents and guardians, and Board members. In addition to determining the accreditation status, the committee offered a report containing a series of recommendations on areas upon which the school can improve.

RECOMMENDATIONS Supporting the Strategic Plan and Master Plan, these recommendations will inform the school’s focus over the next several years. As we move forward with our campus improvements and increase the enrollment in our Upper School, we will continue to refine our program. We will ensure our students engage in the experiences on and off campus that allow them to deepen their leadership and antiracism practices. We will also lean into discomfort as we work toward shedding the burdens of perfectionism that harm women’s wellbeing and serve as obstacles to their leadership.

FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

• Remain focused on implementing

Strategic Plan

• Remain focused on establishing school as an antiracist institution; continue commitment to Diversity, Equity,

Inclusion, and Justice work

• Streamline curricular competencies

• Support community through eventual rebuild of campus

• Reflect on implicit values of perfectionism