Wyoming’s K-12 districts are accredited by the Wyoming State Board of Education annually in accordance with W.S.21-2-304(a)(ii). The schools governed by each district are accredited through the district. Accreditation includes annual requirements as well as an on-site peer review once every five years.
Accreditation Criteria
Twenty-four accreditation criteria are considered in the annual review. The first fourteen criteria are the primary focus of the on-site peer review.
The purpose of accreditation is to verify statutory adherence and promote continuous improvement of district processes, as outlined in Chapter 6 Rules. Annual requirements emphasize statutory compliance, while external reviews focus on evidence-based practices.
Assurances
While the annual accreditation requirements are more reliant on artifacts than Yes/No assurances, assurances may be collected for some statutory requirements.
Artifact Approval
Districts are required to provide links to artifacts by November 1 annually, to verify adherence to Chapter 6 Rules and Regulations. A list of required artifacts is provided to districts.
School Improvement Plans
School improvement plans are reviewed by the accreditation team to verify that they meet statutory requirements.
District Assessment Systems
District assessment system plans are included in the annual artifacts, with an on-site review conducted every five years.
Internal Verification of Compliance
The accreditation section conducts an annual survey of all Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) program managers to identify any unresolved compliance issues across the agency, such as data reporting issues or unresolved corrective action plans.
Staffing
Staffing data is reviewed annually to verify staff certification and ensure that certifications align with areas of assignment.
External Review
Districts have the option to select between the WDE Peer Review team or other approved providers for the on-site external review. Regardless of the chosen option, all districts have an agency-led, on-site review of the District Assessment System at least once every five years.
WDE Peer Review
The WDE peer review is integrated with the annual requirements and consists of a two-day, on-site visit. District processes are reviewed on a five-year cycle using the Peer Review Workbook. Peer review teams comprise 5-7 statewide peers, 2-3 WDE staff, and an external team lead hired by the WDE. The components of the WDE Peer Review include:
- District leaders present district processes for the first 14 accreditation criteria, providing evidence of effective practices as defined in the Peer Review Workbook.
- Districts provide documents and artifacts to demonstrate implemented processes. Annual artifacts are generally sufficient for the peer review, with minor additions.
- District Assessment System: The team leader and WDE staff ensure that the District Assessment System meets the requirements of Wyoming statute and Chapter 31 Rules.
- Classrooms are observed using the rubric in the Peer Review Workbook to determine ratings for Criterion #10. Only team member ratings based on observations are collected as data.
