Program Accreditation

Where Are We Now: Program Accreditation Standards

The National Coordinating Center released a report to Congress and the Secretary of Education on model program accreditation standards for inclusive higher education programs in September, 2020.  This webinar provided information to better understand how these standards will improve quality and accountability for college programs for students with ID and how the standards will have a positive impact on the field.

Topics Covered:

This research describes self-reported perspectives of recognized institutional and programmatic accrediting organizations in the United States on student learning outcomes, an issue central to their future credibility and effectiveness. The research was conducted for the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) by NORC at the University of Chicago in 2018.

Creative Approaches to Meaningful Credentials

During this webinar participants will learn about the development of Meaningful Credentials and how they are being established in a variety of colleges and university systems. Nationally students with intellectual disabilities are obtaining credentials when exiting college. This important capstone is essential to the following: bringing meaning to the course work completed in college, enhancing the personal and social growth of individuals with intellectual disabilities, and will result in greater value to employers.

The National Coordinating Center Accreditation Workgroup submitted this statutorily mandated report to the US Department of Education Secretary in December, 2016, summarizing the work of the Accreditation Work Group and outlining the Model Program Accreditation Standards that were developed. HEOA required the National Coordinating Center to convene a workgroup of experts to develop model standards and identify the key components of higher education programs for students with ID.

Project
National Coordinating Center