“…this year in honors English I learned how to write an essay much better and more efficiently with the help of Mr. Viskanta. All the paragraph outline worksheets helped me a lot. I used to not really know in what order to put my sentences; sometimes I didn’t even know how or what to write what I wanted to say. The outlines helped me to guide me in the right direction to a better essay and/or paragraph.”1
WASC Self-Study
Writing WASC Self-Study Report: Committee Chair
The Accrediting Commission for Schools Western Association of Schools and Colleges, better known as WASC, is the body that is responsible for overseeing the formal accreditation process for schools in a group of western states.
As Chair of Daniel Pearl Magnet High Schools’ WASC Committee, Mr. Viskanta shepherded the writing of the report in preparation for the first full accreditation visit during the 2012-2013 school year at the newly formed independent school. The extensive and detailed report is an example of group technical document authorship, where a wide range of text required collating and integration so as to be authored with a single narrative voice. This required supporting the staff in organizing information from different departments and overseeing the preparation of text in a style and format required by the organization. The self-study process enables “institutions to engage in a rigorous and relevant self-evaluation and peer review process that focuses on student learning” (Accrediting Commission for Schools Western Association of Schools and Colleges, n.d.). As the report was the first such document for the school, drafting the document required collaborative foundational decisions about how to organize what is a narrative about the educational institution told through data, statistics, and community experience.
The WASC Committee, which visited the school in February of 2013, granted Daniel Pearl Magnet full six-year accredited status in their follow-up report with a standard midterm review, successfully cementing the difficult work of a passionate and committed small school staff.
Accrediting Commission for Schools Western Association of Schools and Colleges. (n.d.). ACS WASC Overview. https://www.acswasc.org/about/acs-wasc-overview/
Downloads
This draft of the Daniel Pearl Magnet WASC Report in preparation for the visit in February of 2013 is a copy of the final document before its final packaging process (cover page, hard copies placed in binders). After this final stage of preparation it was then sent to committee members for their review before their official visit to the school.
Testimonials
“I have learned that what we learn in English happens in every day life. During the time we were reading 1984, the conspiracy of Edward Snowden was happening and even a couple weeks ago, with the injustice of Donald Sterling while reading To Kill a Mockingbird. Many things have influenced the way we learn English.”1
RA 2014
“…I’ve really tried to make my writing more than just the assignment. I enhanced it with variations of sentence structure and word choice. I think the Kreuger Park paper was a turning point for me this year. … This assignment helped me to create realistic descriptions and setting. … I know there is still room for me to improve in my writing, but I feel that I made major strides this school year. … Overall, this class helped me to acquire skills in English that I didn’t learn earlier on in school. I feel better prepared to take AP Literature next year. Thank you.”1
GI 2016
“My experience in English class this year has been unforgettable. I will always remember the novel “Tortilla Curtain” for I enjoyed reading it the most out of all the books this year. Also, I had a pleasure being involved in our classroom discussions and contributing different ideas on the board especially for “Life of Pi.” Overall, I enjoyed Honors English and I am looking forward to AP Literature next year.”1
SJ 2014
“Writing different prompts, at least once a week, has helped me improve my writing skills and also made me a better writer. Reading the book “Tortilla Curtain”* by T.C Boyle; helped me with the concept and the use of compare and contrast which benefitted me to have a better understanding of the book.”1
ES 2014
“My honors English class has taught me to flourish immensely as a writer. … I gained confidence in the way I was writing. I learned how to successfully analyze a book as well as a short story to great depths. Writing and analyzing a piece of work weather it is a poem or an article has become second nature to me. I was taught that a story may not only have one main idea or purpose, but in fact have several.”1
MK 2014
“…I’m most proud of learning how to use details and sensory language in my writing. The prompts I wrote in class every Monday allowed me to expand my imagination and include the detail my writing needed in order to improve. … I used to keep everything nice and simple but from this class I have learned that detail is very important in writing. … This year has been very fun and I’m looking forward for your AP Literature class next year.”1