Mary Jane Harris, PT, MSDirector, Accreditation Department, APTA

Outcome Assessment: One Part of the Quality Measurement Mix

Relevant Evaluative Criteria

CAPTE Expects

CAPTE also expects

CAPTE does not…

PT Program PerformanceReported Outcomes (2011 AAR data):

Graduation Rate: mean=90.07 SD=7.24Licensure Pass Rate: mean=97.35 SD=4.13 Employment Rate: mean=99.53 SD=2.10

Programs meet expectations (n=126 decisions)Statements of expected outcomes: 97.6%Graduates meet 80% licensure pass rate:96.0%Graduates meet graduation/employment:91.3%Graduates meet CAPTE outcomes: 89.7%Graduates meet expected outcomes: 86.5%

through the eyes of NACIQI,darkly

Major Recommendations Maintain linkage between accreditation &

Title IV eligibilityArticulate/coordinate responsibilities of and

improve communication among federal government, state government, and accreditors

Address regulatory burdenConsider changes in NACIQI role

Other RecommendationsEncourage greater commonality across quality

assurance/eligibility processes.Use the “convening capacity” of the federal

government to promote greater consistency across states

Reduce accreditors’ legal riskConsider different ways of organizing

accreditation community (e.g., sector vs. geography)

Other RecommendationsIncrease accreditors opportunities for different

types of reviewsSubstantial modification of current statutory and

regulatory criteriaReconsider data used by accreditors, states,

federal agenciesCommon definitions, data setsPossible need for independent auditing of dataImprove IPEDS

Make accreditation reports available to the publicIncrease numbers of public members on decision-

making boards

The Bottom LineDissonance between major recommendations and

the more specific “enabling” recommendationsMost of the recommendations are directed at

institutional accreditation; little, if any, attention to implications for programmatic accreditation

Taken together, these recommended changes, if enacted, would likely increase the federal intrusion into higher education through the accreditation process.

Reauthorization of HEA will be a political process