The Catholic education community of the Diocese of Oakland is the 32nd largest Diocese in the United States and the 4th largest in California. We have 45 elementary schools and 9 high schools, and more than 19,990 students in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. We are a culturally diverse community of Catholics livin g in the Northern California counties of Alameda and Contra Costa, under the spiritual leadership of the Most Reverend Salvatore Joseph Cordileone . The focus of the Department of Catholic Schools is to provide leadership and service to all of those involved in the ministry of Catholic education. ACCREDITATION All schools in the Diocese of Oakland are accredited by the Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA) is a private educational agency established under the auspices of the Bishops of the California dioceses for the purpose of school improvement and certification. Operation of the agency is delegated by the Bishops to the Conference of California Catholic School Superintendents, which functions as the WCEA Board of Directors. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) is a regional association, which provides institutional accreditation of public and private elementary, secondary, and post-secondary schools. WASC is one of six regional non-governmental groups that the United States Office of Education recognizes as an accrediting agency for schools. WCEA formally cooperates with WASC in the joint accrediting of Catholic schools. Each diocese has a WCEA
Accreditation provides important advantages. It identifies a school: • As meeting in an acceptable manner formally approved criteria for the operation of a quality school • It provides a form of recognition by an external agency, which assures a school and its community that they are associated with an educational institution committed to quality and on-going school improvement based on self-assessment and planning. To qualify for certification/accreditation, a school must provide evidence of adequately meeting the criteria and must provide evidence of an ongoing process for improving its educational program. |
About Us |
Commissioner who facilitates the program of accreditation for his/her respective diocese. The WCEA Commission participates in the review and recommendation process and grants WCEA accreditation to schools participating in the program. WCEA has three representatives who serve as Commissioners on the Accrediting Commission for Schools of WASC. Purposes of Certification/Accreditation.