WCEA Accredited Catholic Schools

WCEA is a private educational accrediting agency. The mission of WCEA is to promote quality Catholic education for students in our member elementary and secondary schools through an accrediting process that assures the primacy of faith formation and educational excellence. The major purpose of this agency is to coordinate the accreditation process by assisting schools in their self-evaluative programs, to establish general standards for excellence, to grant WCEA Accreditation, and to cooperate formally with regional accrediting organizations as determined by the WCEA Board of Directors.

A Visiting Committee led by a chairperson from a diocese outside of New Mexico (NM) spent three days with the school community. During the three-day visit, the Committee visited classrooms, investigated the written evidence of responses to the WCEA criteria, held interviews with the members of the school community, and prepared a written report on its findings. This report and recommendation were given to the WCEA Commissioner for additional recommendations and a vote for an Accreditation Status for each school. 

Areas assessed in the accreditation process included: involvement of shareholders, assessment of the school’s Catholic identity, defining the school’s purpose, data analysis and use, acceptable progress by all students, curriculum and instruction, support for student spiritual and academic growth, resource management and development, and the capacity to implement and monitor an action plan.

The Archdiocese of Santa Fe Catholic schools believe that continuing evaluation and improvement of the curriculum is essential to the development of an effective educational program that promotes a faith-filled environment, fostering the uniqueness of each student and preparing our future leaders. The accreditation process is more than a stamp of approval or quality assurance. It is a collaborative results-oriented school improvement process that serves as the foundation of an effective school.

All of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe Catholic schools are accredited through WCEA, and over the next three years all schools will complete the process of a full self study.