Alaska Committee, Northwest Accreditation Commission
History and Mission of the Northwest Accreditation Commission

The Northwest Accreditation Commission was established in 1927. Alaska’s first school to be accredited, Juneau High
School, became a member that same year. The purpose of the Alaska Committee is to promote the improvement of all
Alaska schools, public and private, regardless of grades or school structure.

Mission Statement and Goals
The mission of the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools is to advance excellence in education through the
process of accreditation.
To fulfill this mission, the Commission on Schools has the following goals:

To ensure all schools are engaged in ongoing improvement toward quality education using a School Improvement
Plan.
To ensure all schools yearly demonstrate progress toward their school goals.
To require all accredited schools meet The NWAC established standard.

The Northwest Association of Accredited Schools accredits distance education, elementary, foreign nation, high, K-12,
middle, post secondary non degree granting, special purpose, supplementary education, travel education, and
trans-regional schools.

The geographic territory of the Association consists of the states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and
Washington, and other geographical areas designated from time to time by the Board of Trustees.

States in the Northwest Accreditation Commission