Education Commons^™

Dordt Gets High Marks In Accreditation, Lydia Marcus

The Voice

No abstract provided.

Developing Whole People, Erik Hoekstra

The Voice

No abstract provided.

Navigating The Adoption Of Interprofessional Education As A Performance Standard In Dietetics Education, Paige Whitney, Mary Ann Kluge

Journal of Dietetic Education

Abstract: The purpose of this collective case study was to explore the diffusion of interprofessional education (IPE) in response to specific Future Education Model (FEM) Graduate Program accreditation standards and performance indicators. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 12 FEM program directors from geographically diverse US states. Website and document review were triangulated with the interview data, and Roger’s Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) was used as a theoretical framework to add dimension to the study. Three themes emerged from analysis: 1) Accreditation standards are not the driving force of IPE; 2) Program Directors can serve …

“Quasi-Governmental Power”: Examining Litigation Between The Southern Association Of Colleges And Schools Commission On Colleges And Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Rachel E. Smith

The William & Mary Educational Review

In the United States, higher education accreditation is the process through with regional and specialized accreditors extend seals of approval to institutions and programs that meet specific standards for education quality and institutional stability. Regional accreditors, such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), exercise significant authority over the institutions they accredit. This authority has been termed “quasi-governmental power” because accreditors work on behalf of the government to ensure education quality and determine access to federal aid. Accrediting organizations are also the final authority for accreditation decisions. If an institution disagrees with an accreditation outcome …

The Spirit Empowering Counselors To Be Culturally Competent In A Racially And Ethnically Changing Society, Sandra K. Richardson, Yasmine A. Godinez, Lemuel J. Godinez

Salubritas: International Journal of Spirit-Empowered Counseling

Significant change in the counseling field begins in counselor education programs. Concerns of biased, incompetent, and ineffective counseling services for culturally diverse clients plague the mental health profession (ACA, 2021; Sue & Sue, 2016). Rapid shifts in the racial and ethnic demographic composition of American society and the overt expression of hate and violence on the lives of People of Color place a greater demand on mental health professionals to pursue and acquire multicultural competencies (Brown, 2020; Embrick, 2015). Cultural awareness, knowledge, and skills are needed to establish meaningful therapeutic relationships, to provide effective treatment, and to effectively advocate for …

Specialized Accreditation In Collegiate Aviation: A Case Study On Evaluative Inquiry Practices Required By The Aviation Accreditation Board International, Jordan G. Lyons

Essays in Education

Market changes within the aviation industry have increased the demand for aviation professionals worldwide (Christensen, 2013). The Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI) represents the only specialized accrediting organization in the world for non-engineering collegiate aviation programs (Council for Higher Education Accreditation [CHEA], 2020), and their mission is to advance quality aviation education in partnership with industry (AABI, 2019b). In 2019, AABI expanded its continuous assessment criteria despite issuing citations previously to accredited collegiate aviation programs for non-compliance predominately with continuous assessment and improvement requirements (AABI, 2020). Program accreditation through AABI has demonstrated value to students (Bjerke et al., 2016; Christensen, …

Factors Affecting Successful Quality Assurance Implementation In Vietnamese Higher Education: A Qualitative Study, Loc Thi My Nguyen, Trung Tran, Thuan Van Pham, Tien-Trung Nguyen, Hien Thi Thu Le, Thao Thi Phuong Trinh, Thanh Thi Nghiem

The Qualitative Report

Quality assurance and accreditation was officially introduced into the higher education system in Vietnam over ten years ago. It is evident that quality assurance has resulted in positive impacts on university management, teaching, learning and research activities. This paper aims to explore factors that aid the successful implementation of higher education quality assurance and accreditation in Vietnam. Through semi-structured interviews with 32 participants, this study identified a number of factors that contributed to quality assurance processes, including awareness of the importance of quality assurance, better institutional manager leadership, support of university lecturers, staff, and students, and the vital responsibility of …

Practitioner Experiences In Teacher Education Partnerships: Examining Practice In An Accredited Professional Development School, Jennifer J. Roth, Derek Decker, Donna D. Cooner

Journal of Practitioner Research

In this qualitative study, practitioner researchers used focus group methodology to collect clinical partnership stakeholders’ descriptions of their understanding of rich practitioner practice and the benefits of clinical partnerships as defined by CAEP Standard 2. These descriptions provided the data that was analyzed through a deductive and inductive coding process. It was found that stakeholders described clinical experiences as crucial to teacher candidates’ development of knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions, and identified clinical experiences as the space where theory and practice intersect. Findings also showed that stakeholders identified collaboration, mutually beneficial, sustaining and generative, shared accountability, and positive impact as …

The Long Journey For Afghan Teacher Training Colleges: Accreditation And Quality Assurance, Tim Goddard, Mohammad A. Bakhshi, Jim Frideres

Comparative and International Education / Éducation Comparée et Internationale

The authors, having spent five years working in Afghanistan provide a first-hand description of the processes that evolved over that time in the development of an accreditation and quality assurance policy and program for Teacher Training Colleges. The paper provides a brief historical sketch of the educational system in Afghanistan and the steps taken by the Technical Advisors in helping the Ministry of Education formalize a policy for accreditation and quality assurance. The second part of the paper focuses on the structure and content of the accreditation process that was successfully piloted on three Teacher Training Colleges. The Ministry of …

Karen Symms Gallagher: Caep Chair Shares Insight Into Teacher Preparation, Accreditation, Lori Goodson

Educational Considerations

At the heart of teacher preparation, changes are taking place—a push for continued high standards and an effort to determine the impact various programs are having on P-12 student learning. Leading the way is the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), which emerged in 2010 from education leaders’ desire for a next generation of accreditation model to improve the preparation of teachers for America’s schools.

In this challenging environment, Karen Symms Gallagher, the Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean of the University of Southern California (USC) Rossier School of Education shares her insight as the recently selected …

Consumerism And Higher Education: Pressures And Faculty Conformity, Amanda Armstrong, Madeline Smith, Jaymi Thomas, Amanda Johnson

The William & Mary Educational Review

This article examines, through the lens of social influence theory, the impact of consumerism on faculty behavior. Rathus (2005) defines social influence as “the ways in which people alter the thoughts, feelings, and emotions of others” (p. 607). Demands such as student-teacher evaluations and high graduation rates can lead professors to lower their standards in order to conform to the expectations of students as consumers of higher education. Further, the institutions which employ faculty members also contribute to such conformity through the perpetuation of this business-oriented mindset. The authors explore consumerism in higher education through the following three elements of …

Moving Beyond Cacrep Standards: Training Counselors To Work Competently With Lgbt Clients, Omar Troutman, Catherine Packer-Williams

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This article suggests specific training standards are needed to challenge the silence around lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues in Counselor Education and to disrupt heterosexist practices in counseling training. The manner in which the CACREP Standards addresses the LGBT population is called into question, as the 2009 and the second draft of the 2016 standards continue to be vague concerning this population. The challenge of utilizing the historically exclusive and presently inclusive term “multicultural” in counseling when considering the LGBT population is examined. Recommendations for Counselor Education programs to go beyond the minimal CACREP Standards for preparing students …

Share Your Voice: Online Community Building During Reaffirmation Of Accreditation, Brenda Kruse, Kimberlee Bethany Bonura, Suzanne G. James, Shelley Potler

Higher Learning Research Communications

Generic University recently underwent a successful reaffirmation of accreditation process with The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. As part of the 3-year process, a committee, named the Education and Communication working group, was formed to inform and engage with the entire Generic community. The aim of this report is to describe the process and strategies this working group employed to achieve those goals in a distance learning environment. The primary charges of the Education and Communication working group were to (1) educate stakeholders about the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the importance of accreditation, …

Quality Assurance In Higher Education: A Review Of Literature, Tricia Ryan

Higher Learning Research Communications

The aim of this paper is to present a general view and a brief literature review of the main aspects related to quality assurance in global higher education. It provides an overview of accreditation as a mechanism to ensure quality in higher education, examines models of QA, and explores the concept of quality. In addition, this paper provides a review of research on the effectiveness of quality assurance practices, with a particular focus on student involvement with quality assurance. In reviewing the concept of quality assurance itself, the author noted there is a need for a common framework for a …

Editorial, The Editor

Higher Learning Research Communications

In this edition of Higher Learning Research Communications (HLRC), our authors present research on quality in the context of higher education, using e-portfolios to encourage responsible feedback, and student gender bias in teaching evaluations.Authors Laura Schindler, Sarah Puls-Elvidge, Heather Welzant, and Linda Crawford present their literature review findings concerning quality and higher education. The authors focus on the difficulties of defining quality, revealing there seem to be four broad manners to conceptualize quality: purposeful, exceptional, transformative, and accountable. They also identified four distinct categories regarding quality indicators in higher education: administrative, student support, instructional, and student performance. One of the …

Toward A Transnational Framework: Aligning Internal And External Quality Assurance Processes, William Plater

Higher Learning Research Communications

This article explores the tensions between internal and external quality assurance processes, making a case for the preeminence of internal actions to ensure the capacity of institutions to respond quickly and effectively to the rapidly evolving global conditions affecting all of higher education. As the forms and means of formal and informal learning evolve more rapidly than quality assurance and accrediting bodies can adapt, institutions themselves will have to take the steps necessary to ensure that students are actually learning at levels represented by a new array of credentials and to offer credible evidence to employers and others that the …

The European Higher Education Area: An Interesting Opportunity To Contribute To Global Advancement, Agueda Benito

Higher Learning Research Communications

Universidad Europea de Madrid, along with other universities and the support of the Agency for Quality Assurance, Accreditation and Prospects for the Community of Madrid (ACAP– Agencia de Calidad, Acreditación y Prospectiva de las Universidades de Madrid), developed a tool to measure progress in the construction of the European Higher Education Area. In addition to being able to determine the level of adoption of the Bologna principles, it became an essential tool for the improvement of quality throughout the University.-------El Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior: Una interesante oportunidad de contribución al progreso globalResumenLa Universidad Europea de Madrid, junto con algunas …

Notes On The Emerging Accreditation Regimes In Australia And New Zealand, Kristian Boehringer, Fionna Scott, Sue Blyth

Higher Learning Research Communications

In recent years, new higher education regulatory regimes have emerged in both New Zealand and Australia. In Australia, the new Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) employs a risk management approach while New Zealand Quality Agency (NZQA) has adopted an evaluative approach. In practice, these varying approaches create real differences in the ways in which the regulatory regimes are applied. This paper considers one discreet but critical element of these new regulatory regimes, academic staff qualifications, as an example of the difference between the risk management and evaluative regulatory approaches. Unsurprisingly, the application of academic staff qualifications requirements is …

The European Credit Transfer And Accumulation System: The Udla Case In Chile, Pilar Armanet

Higher Learning Research Communications

Universidad de Las Américas - UDLA, is a Chilean University with 30.000 students located on 6 campuses. One third of students are working adults. A university like UDLA requires a flexible educational model to fulfill the learning requirements of different kinds of students and of the ever-changing conditions of the labor market that its graduates face. Following the ETCS, Credit System of Universidad de las Américas (SCUDLA) is a student-centered system based on transparency of outcomes and learning processes, which facilitates the planning of teaching, the evaluation of learning, and the recognition and validation of qualifications. SCUDLA is a tool …

Accreditation Processes In Mexico: Origins And Relevant Changes, Cesar Morales Hernandez

Higher Learning Research Communications

The author discusses the origins and relevant changes that have occurred in Mexican higher education, regarding institutional and academic programs assessment and evaluation.-------Los Procesos de Acreditación en México: Origen y Cambios RelevantesResumenEl autor discute el origen y cambios relevantes que se han dado en la educación superior en México, en cuanto a evaluación y acreditación de programas e instituciones.DOI: 10.18870/hlrc.v2i3.73PDF document contains both the original in Spanish and an English translation.

American Accreditation: Why Do It?, Deborah Prince

Higher Learning Research Communications

A review of the history and purpose of accreditation followed by a brief case study of how a small specialist institution outside of the USA went through the process of becoming accredited. The changes needed inside the curriculum and inside the organization in order to make this significant organizational development are reviewed and discussed.The paper concludes with some discussion as to why a non-US based institution might decide to become accredited by an outside agency.DOI: 10.18870/hlrc.v2i3.71

Accreditation Discrimination In The Contexts Of Business Schools And Colleges: Concerns And Challenges For Administrators And Scholars, Donovan Mcfarlane

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

Academia is losing both its appeal and prestige as declining morale among current and future or prospective academics is being further eroded by several factors. One of these factors is accreditation, which was originally designed and developed to facilitate reputation building through the implementation and application of quality assurance principles and standards across institutions. In any society, the type of political order and social system which exist will certainly affect education as a process and institutional agent. American capitalism as such, has had both desirable and undesirable effects on educational institutions, especially at the level of the university and college …

K-12 Virtual Schools, Accreditation, And Leadership: What Are The Issues?, Trudy A. Salsberry

Educational Considerations

When I was young, I attended my neighborhood school. It was a square brick building with three floors and was situated on a corner just five blocks from my home. That building was torn down not long ago, and I asked my family to save a brick from that building to remind me of all the experiences I had there learning to read, use math, discover other countries, understand basic scientific principles, and communicate.

Seeking Ncate Accreditation: Leadership Perspectives And Tips, Michael Ledoux

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

Accreditation by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) signifies that a variety of licensure programs demonstrate a high level of quality in programs, candidates, faculty and operations. NCATE accreditation depends in part upon national recognition of individual licensure programs by Specialized Professional Associations (SPAs), and on program approval by state departments of education. In order to demonstrate that programs meet benchmarks of NCATE Professional Standard 1 Knowledge, Skills and Dispositions, the unit must provide evidence of candidate proficiencies based on assessments, rubrics and candidate data that are aligned with professional standards (Retrieved October 22, 2009 from …

Differing Administrator, Faculty, And Staff Perceptions Of Organizational Culture As Related To External Accreditation, Claire Procopio

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

There is an inherent tension in the U.S. system of accreditation. Historically, the system has been one of self-regulation (Brittingham, 2009). As access to higher education has grown, however, and the concomitant flow of federal money to colleges and universities has increased, the federal government and the taxpayers it represents have called for more and more external reporting of measures of college quality. Critics of the current system would like more external oversight to create what they have termed variously a “culture of quality” or a “culture of evidence” (Bardo, 2009; Crow, 2009; Kelderman, 2009; Understanding, 2001). The most dissatisfied …

Accreditation Discrimination: Impact On School Choice, Costs, And Professional Prospects In Academia, Donovan Mcfarlane

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

Universities and colleges in the 21st century have taken on extreme forms of business orientation and corporate success models, taking their strategies and cues from successful business corporations and business leaders. This stems from several factors including competition in the overall economy, increased demand for training and qualifications; hence an increased demand for degrees and certifications (not necessarily an increased demand for “education” in the strict classical sense of the word, since many individuals are graduating from colleges and universities nowadays with degrees and low levels of literacy or marginally educated), contraction of economies and industries, economic saturation and increased …

Are Administrators Disconnected? A Comparison Case Study Of Important Teacher Dispositions In Elementary Science, Bethany Stewart, Charles Eick

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

The identification of dispositions as a gauge for teacher effectiveness has become a part of many school systems and teacher education programs. Accrediting agencies, such as the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC), have been instrumental in emphasizing teacher dispositions’ presence in higher education institutions and local schools. NCATE defines dispositions as: “Values, commitments, and professional ethics that influence behaviors toward students, families, colleagues, and communities and affect student learning, motivation, and development as well as the educator’s own professional growth” (2006, p. 53). NCATE and INTASC strongly …

School Accreditation: An Opportunity For Administrator Professional Development, Trudy Salsberry, Annie Diederich

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

School accreditation is generally viewed as a means of assuring quality in terms of programs, personnel, services, and operations. Accreditation in P-12 schools is generally conducted by state agencies and/or non-profit organizations. One prominent non-profit organization, Advanced, is now “involved with 23,000 public and private schools and districts in 30 states and 65 countries and serving nearly 15 million students. This organization is generally considered one of the world’s largest educational communities and the recent creation of Advanced is the beginning of a new journey in the century-long histories of the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement …

Creating An Electronic Document Center For Ncate Accreditation, Odin Jurkowski

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

This paper will discuss the development of the electronic document center (EDC) at the University of Central Missouri. It will highlight the initial assumptions and planning, discoveries made along the way, and thoughts and ideas as we reflect back on the process. It is hoped that sharing this insight will help those who will be preparing for their own site visits.

Accreditation And Assessment In Distance Learning, Janice M. Karlen

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

All accredited institutions in the United States that are involved in distance learning initiatives need to be concerned about how their programs and courses will be viewed by accreditation organizations. A review of the policies of several major accreditation associations and professional groups, national, regional and specialized, yields similar results when issues of distance learning are concerned. These requirements are reviewed. Virtually all accreditors require evidence of regular assessment processes. Alternative methods for conducting these assessments are proposed.