Beginning this fall, Gunn will begin the accreditation process by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The procedure will continue through the spring of 2009, involving effort from parents, teachers and students. Accreditation is a validation of a school’s classes and institutions by a third party, in addition to a method of improving the school. “We take a look at what we’ve been doing and how well we’ve been doing it,” Principal Noreen Likins said.

A school must be accredited for credits to transfer when a student moves, or to show a college that a student’s transcript is valid. The process begins by publishing a self-study to send to WASC. The study is based on surveys of students, parents, teachers and community members, and the findings of six focus groups formed to deal with issues such as student stress or nutrition.

“We discuss what’s going on and review the school,” Junior Class President and WASC committee member Ahmad Fayad said. Student surveys will be done in classes in the spring, the parent survey will be online and the teacher survey will be administered near the end of February. Gunn will form a list of issues and suggested improvements from these results.

After the self-study, in the spring of 2009, Gunn will be assessed by a visiting committee of parents, teachers, administrators and students from other schools. “They look at how what we have written ties in with the reality,” Likins said. If the committee approves of the school, a term is set until the next accreditation is due. Six years is the maximum, meaning that the school is doing a good job, and one year is the minimum term. Gunn was granted a six-year accreditation term after the last process, in 2003.

Gunn bases the annual plans on the accreditation results. Last time, Gunn set goals to reduce stress, encourage career exploration and work on inclusion. The goals are not always met, however. “We’ve had meetings for years about equity and student stress, but it keeps getting worse,” social studies teacher Phil Lyons said. “We talk, but did we solve the problem?”

Past outcomes have included the formation of the Stressed Out Students committee and the introduction of an open campus policy. “It’s a good way to improve our school—it can change rules,” Fayad said. Not all agree that the process is effective. “They need broad, sweeping change,” Lyons said. “But people have their habits, and radical change is frightening.”