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32-662: Helix High School is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and is a California Distinguished School in 2001 and 2009. Helix Charter High School opened as the second high school in the Grossmont Union High School District in September 1951, to relieve record enrollment of 3000 at Grossmont High School . Its first principal was Benton Hart. In November 1950, East County voters overwhelmingly approved

64-415: A "visiting" team to the site to "validate" the college's account of itself. Participants on the visiting team are volunteers drawn from other ACCJC member colleges. The visiting team examines evidence, conducts interviews, and attends meetings of college committees and councils . When the team is done with its work, it delivers a preliminary oral exit report to the college. Subsequently, the team composes

96-651: A change to the California Code of Regulations that would remove the ACCJC as the sole accrediting commission for California community colleges. On November 16, 2015, the California community college system Board of Governors voted 14-0, with one abstention, to direct Chancellor Harris to create a plan to replace ACCJC as the accreditor for the system. In 2017, the ACCJC reaffirmed CCSF's accreditation for seven years. By California regulation as of October 1, 2021,

128-418: A lack of accountability. In July 2013, the ACCJC elected to take action to terminate the college's accreditation, subject to a one-year review and appeal period. The decision was based on a variety of deficiencies in standards. A Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team report was expected to be released by the end of July 2013. San Francisco city attorney Dennis Herrera filed two legal challenges to stop

160-487: A local bond issue for $ 1.9 million that financed "the University Avenue high school." Helix's first year of studies were held at Grossmont while the new campus was being built. The two schools operated on double sessions that year. Helix, receiving half of Grossmont High School's students, attended class in the afternoon. Grossmont's 1500 students attended in the morning. Because of rapid population growth in

192-583: A new administration building, a new science building, a new performing arts center, and remodeling of all standard classrooms. The remodeling of the campus has already started, and has been completed for buildings 10, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 1100, 1140, 1200 the new science building (1800), the performing arts center (900) and the lecture hall (1300), which officially opened in January 2014. The remaining buildings to be remodeled include 1000 (Gym), and 1600 (cafeteria). Building 800 has been demolished, and

224-546: A rate vastly higher than the other accrediting bodies in the United States. At a forum on the City College of San Francisco campus, California state senator James Beall and Assemblyman Tom Ammiano described legislation which would undo the monopoly the ACCJC holds on accreditation of California Community Colleges . The accreditation process is premised on the idea that ACCJC and the colleges together shape

256-507: Is an accrediting organization in the United States. It accredits private and public colleges that provide students two-year education programs and confer the associate degree . Formerly one of the nation's seven regional accreditors, the commission accredits colleges in California, Hawaii, and American territories and protectorates in the Pacific Ocean. ACCJC was formed in 1962 when several accrediting agencies joined to create

288-774: The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), and the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). The Accrediting Commission for Schools (ACS WASC) accredits schools below the college level. Included are elementary, junior high, middle, high and adult schools, whether public, private, or church-related. ACS WASC also accredits not-for-profit, non-degree granting postsecondary institutions. The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) evaluates and accredits public and private postsecondary institutions that offer two-year education programs and award

320-427: The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). In 2012 and 2013, the three commissions of WASC separated into independent organizations. ACCJC is not a governmental entity but an independent organization of educators and others representing the public interest. In concept, colleges apply to become members of the ACCJC and volunteer to participate in the accreditation process. ACCJC has sanctioned colleges at

352-576: The associate degree . The ACCJC's mission is to help member institutions "to advance educational quality and student learning and achievement. This collaboration fosters institutional excellence and continuous improvement through innovation, self-analysis, peer review, and application of standards." The WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) is an institutional accrediting agency for colleges and universities that award bachelor's degrees or more advanced degrees. It originally and still primarily accredits institutions in California, Hawaii, and

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384-578: The ACCJC from revoking City College of San Francisco's accreditation alleging conflicts of interest, a faulty evaluation process, and a politically motivated decision-making process. The California Federation of Teachers (CFT), the union representing CCSF faculty, also submitted a complaint to the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). On August 13, 2013, the DOE sided with the union in four of its complaints, finding ACCJC in violation of federal regulations concerning its accreditation process. In January 2015, with

416-547: The ACCJC gave the City College of San Francisco (CCSF) eight months to prove it should remain accredited and ordered it to "make preparations for closure". As summarized by the San Francisco Chronicle in 2015, "the commission has never found wrongdoing or substandard instruction, but has said the college should lose accreditation because of tangled governance structures, poor fiscal controls and insufficient self-evaluation and reporting." In September 2012,

448-560: The ACCJC will also require follow-up site visits. Very rarely does ACCJC terminate a college's accreditation. ACCJC generated 89% of all sanctions issued nationwide between 2003 and 2008. From June 2011 to June 2012, ACCJC issued 64% of the seventy-five sanctions issued nationwide. A grant for $ 450,000 from the Lumina Foundation to "explore the usefulness of the Degree Qualifications Profile (DQP)"

480-596: The Accrediting Commission." There are four areas of standards: "Institutional Mission and Effectiveness," "Student Learning Programs and Services," "Resources," and "Leadership and Guidance." The standards state the practices of an "effective institution." The ACCJC considers an institution effective when it "ensures that its resources and processes support student learning, continually assesses that learning, and pursues institutional excellence and improvement." ACCJC emphasizes that this self-study must have

512-674: The Helix Highlander Band in parades, football games, and sometimes field competitions. Additionally, they march the varsity football team out onto the field before home games. During the rest of the year, the pipe band frequently performs at paid as well as volunteer gigs, and competes at various Scottish Highland Games in Southern California. The bagpipe band is funded by the Helix Instrumental Music Association. Every year since

544-465: The Pacific, as well as a limited number of institutions outside the U.S. WSCUC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as certifying institutional eligibility for federal funding in a number of programs, including student access to federal financial aid. Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges ( ACCJC )

576-408: The area, Helix soon grew overcrowded itself. This resulted in plans to build and open El Cajon Valley High School four years after the opening of Helix. Since the opening of the school, much of the campus and technology has deteriorated or become outdated. With voter approval of Proposition H in 2004 and Proposition U in 2008, Helix High School will undergo remodeling projects. These projects include

608-518: The college's accreditation status and any subsequent steps the college must take to better this status. The self-study is an extensive research project by which the college examines itself and makes plans for improvement in the context of ACCJC's policies, eligibility requirements, and standards. ACCJC maintains dozens of policies, including "Review of Commission Actions." There are twenty-one eligibility requirements, ranging from ""Authority (to Operate as an Educational Institution )" to "Relations with

640-409: The college's evaluation of itself and ACCJC's evaluation of the college. These evaluations determine the extent to which the college is meeting ACCJC's policies, requirements, and standards, and their purpose is to help the school improve itself. However, while ACCJC and its representatives are considered peers of the college they are evaluating, ultimately it is ACCJC, not the college, that will decide

672-471: The college. The sanctions are of three kinds: Warning , Probation , and Show Cause . If sanctioned, the college maintains its accreditation, but ACCJC withholds reaffirmation until the college addresses the matters that led to sanction. ACCJC will also require the sanctioned college to provide one or more follow-up reports to confirm that it is in fact fulfilling the Commission's recommendations. Often

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704-400: The legal conflict still ongoing, the ACCJC said that CCSF remained out of compliance with standards in 32 areas but granted the college a two-year extension for resolving these issues and avoiding a shutdown. In August 2015, a task force convened by the state chancellor issued a report declaring that its system and colleges "have lost confidence in the ACCJC." Chancellor Brice Harris proposed

736-404: The new Administration/Student Services Office is located in its old location. In addition to the renovation efforts of the campus buildings, all of the landscaping on the school grounds will be rehabilitated. Helix Charter's pipe band includes several pipers and a drum corps consisting of several snare drummers, tenor drummers, and one bass drummer. During autumn, the bagpipe band accompanies

768-410: The nineteen-member Commission determines the accreditation status of the college. It announces this status to the college in an action letter and to the public through ACCJC announcements. This action letter also lists the Commission's "official" recommendations. For a college seeking reaffirmation, there are in general two possibilities. ACCJC can reaffirm the college's accreditation, or it can sanction

800-426: The report is the college's discussion of its adherence to the standards. Here the college must provide a summary of current processes and products, an analysis of the extent to which the college meets the standards, and evidence to support the summary and analysis. When pertinent, the college also adds "planning agendas" to guide its self-improvement . It then submits this report to ACCJC in preparation for ACCJC sending

832-768: The school's opening in 1952, Helix and Grossmont High School have competed against each other for this musket, given to the winner of the Grossmont vs. Helix varsity football game. Typically, this football game is one of the most attended of the season. This is just one of several weapon-themed rivalry games that Helix holds with the surrounding high schools. Western Association of Schools and Colleges The Western Association of Schools and Colleges ( WASC ( / w ɒ s k / WOSK )) provided accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in California and Hawaii ,

864-459: The state chancellor's office warned that a special trustee would be appointed to oversee the institution's finances if the college did not voluntarily invite one; the board of trustees voted to invite a special trustee, despite student protests and objection. A report issued by California's Fiscal Crisis & Management Assistance team in September 2012 found the institution to be in a "perilous financial position" caused largely by "poor decisions and

896-619: The territories of Guam , American Samoa and Northern Marianas Islands , in addition to the Marshall Islands , Federated States of Micronesia , Palau , the Pacific Rim , Peru , Czech Republic , Armenia , and East Asia . Until 2012, WASC was a single organization with three units. In 2012, it separated into three organizations that share the WASC acronym as part of their name: the Accrediting Commission for Schools (ACS WASC),

928-416: The values and best practices of the educational community into the policies, requirements, and standards by which colleges are evaluated. The commission's intent is that ACCJC and its member institutions share this right and responsibility. ACCJC requires member colleges to carry out a self-study , compose a report, and undergo peer review every six years. In short, ACCJC process consists of two elements:

960-419: The widespread involvement of faculty, staff, administration, students, and trustees to ensure that its conclusions are accurate and authoritative, reflecting the college as it is and projecting the college it wants to become. The college composes and organizes the self-study report, which typically runs several hundred pages or more, along the lines of ACCJC's policies, requirements, and standards. The bulk of

992-492: The written team report, which it delivers in draft form both to ACCJC and to the college. This draft includes the visiting team's commendations and recommendations for addressing deficiencies. The college has the opportunity to correct factual errors in this report before it is considered a final draft. On the basis of the college's self-study report, the site team's visit, the site team's report, documents from previous evaluations, and evidence of student learning and achievement,

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1024-452: Was received by ACCJC. In between these comprehensive self-studies, which occur every six years, the college provides ACCJC a midterm report, in which the college describes and analyzes its progress on each of the commission's recommendations, its self-identified planning agendas, and any proposed "substantive changes." Colleges also submit to ACCJC annual reports on student learning and achievement and on fiscal matters. On July 2, 2012,

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