When are program reports due?
All program reports should be submitted at least one year prior to the institution’s scheduled on-site accreditation visit. Reports are due on September 15 for fall visits and March 15 for spring visits.
What is the process for submitting reports?
Program reports are submitted online at an NCATE website that is accessible with an institution ID and password. NCATE will prepare the submission site up to one year prior to the time you plan to submit. One to two months prior to the submission deadline, institutions submit to NCATE a list of programs to be submitted so that the URL, institution log in ID and password can be issued to them.
See also: Process for Creating Program Report Shells in AIMS
Who will review and make a decision on my program report?
Each program report is assigned to a team of two to three reviewers who have been trained in the standards by their professional associations and do not have a conflict of interest with the institution being reviewed. A lead reviewer will compile a team report, including a recognition decision representing the consensus of the team. The reports are reviewed by an audit committee of the professional association, which determines national recognition.
Upon what criteria will the recognition decision on our program be based?
Program reports are evaluated on how well assessments and data derived from assessments provide evidence that candidates meet the program standards of specialty professional associations (SPAs). National recognition decisions, therefore, are based on the success of program candidates as measured on credible assessments.
For programs with very small enrollments, how can a SPA make judgments based on data?
For very small programs, data derived from assessments are not, by themselves, a reliable indicator of program quality. However, if candidates (all two of them!) perform poorly on assessments, it will be important for the report preparer to reflect on why that poor performance occurred and how or whether the (assessment?) program should be changed as a consequence. No matter if the program is large or small, candidates are still expected to meet program standards. Moreover, in Spring 2010 and Fall 2010, NCATE will defer review of low-enrollment programs, defined as programs with ≤ 5 completers in the last three years (in total). During this year, NCATE staff will work with states, institutions, and SPAs to develop a new strategy for review of these programs that will provide quality assurance but may not lead to SPA recognition. If you have further questions, please contact Monique Lynch (mlynch@ncate.org) or Elizabeth Vilky (elizabeth@ncate.org).
What if our latest Title II data does not reflect an 80 percent pass rate in all program areas. What are our options?
NCATE policy requires a program to have an 80 percent pass rate on the state licensure exam in the content area in order to qualify for program recognition. The data must be derived from the most recent annual reporting period, as reflected by a state or testing agency report, or the institution’s own records (which would provide the opportunity to present a more current set of data). This requirement is waived for programs that (1) do not have a required state licensure test, (2) have not been in existence long enough to have produced an annual cohort (I thought we don’t use the term cohort?) of completers, and/or (3) have not produced a total of ten completers in the last three years.
A program report that does not reflect an 80 percent pass rate under Assessment #1 on licensure tests cannot receive or retain full national recognition; however, the program could be nationally recognized with conditions and would then be required to submit new test data within 18 months to show that the program is achieving an 80 percent pass rate.