NSBECS
The National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary & Secondary Schools (NSBECS) will serve as the foundation of the WCEA accreditation process.
The NSBECS "...describe how the most mission-driven, program effective, well managed, and responsibly governed Catholic schools operate. They are offered as school effectiveness standards …”
The 13 standards are articulated across 4 domains: Mission and Catholic Identity, Governance and Leadership, Academic Excellence, and Operational Vitality. They describe the policies, programs, structures, and processes that should be present in a mission-driven and effective Catholic school.
Serving as the foundation for the Standards, the 9 Defining Characteristics express the deep Catholic identity of Catholic schools and are based on The Holy See’s teaching on Catholic schools, statements by Pope Benedict XVI and the American bishops.
To aid in the implementation of the standards, the 70 Benchmarks provide observable and measurable descriptors and are formulated precisely to describe what we expect to find in place in an effective Catholic school.
Implementation Modules
Implementation modules should be reviewed at the site level.
Resources to Support the Shift to the NSBECS
Domain 1: Mission & Catholic Identity
Domain 3: Academic Excellence
Domain 2: Governance & Leadership
Domain 4: Operational Vitality