Accreditation with Conditions is granted by the Unit Accreditation Board (UAB) after a continuing accreditation visit when an institution does not meet one or two standards, but the problems are not so pervasive as to suggest probation. Accreditation with Provisions is granted by the UAB after a first accreditation visit when an institution does not meet one or two standards, but the problems are not so pervasive as to suggest denial of accreditation. Thus, the labels simply differentiate a continuing visit from a first visit. The requirements for documentation within six months or a focused visit do not differ.

The team for a focused visit will be comprised of two to three BOE members who will focus their review on the unmet standard(s) only. The size of the team will be determined by the size and comprehensiveness of the institution as outlined in the Handbook for Accreditation Visits.. State team members may join the BOE team if the state partnership requires a joint or concurrent visit by the state.

No. Focused visit usually begin on Sunday and finish on Tuesday. The exact length of the visit will be determined by the team chair after he/she receives the information about the standards that were not met.

NCATE’s transition plan requires that assessment systems be fully implemented by fall 2005 visits. Therefore, you will be expected to be implementing your assessment system at a different level than at your previous visit. You should be collecting, aggregating, and analyzing the data from the multiple assessments used to determine that candidates are performing at the levels expected to meet professional, state, and institutional standards.

No. A previsit for a focused visit is optional. Institutional representatives and the BOE team chair usually can plan the logistics for the focused visit via email or telephone.

An institutional report must be prepared for the focused visit, but it should address only the standard or standards that were not met. The report should respond to each element of the standard(s). It may directly address the areas for improvement that were cited on the last action report, but evidence should not be limited to the areas for improvement.

NCATE facilitates a session at the AACTE annual meeting for institutions that have been placed on probation or have conditions or provisions. Representatives from institutions that have removed probation, conditions, or provisions discuss how they addressed the negative perceptions of their stakeholders after the Unit Accreditation Board decision and the steps they took to ensure they would not lose their accreditation.

Some institutions choose to use consultants to assist them in preparing for the next visit. AACTE has a pool of consultants who work with institutions seeking accreditation for the first time. You may want to contact Mary Beth Nowinski at AACTE for recommendations.

You will have to check with your state consultant to determine whether state team members will be included on the on-site visit. Some states assign a few state team members to the team. Others assign a full state team, and others do not assign state members. The state’s decision may depend on the action of the state agency following the previous NCATE/state visit.

This information is provided in NCATE’s policy, "Representation of NCATE Accreditation to the Public". If assistance is needed in communicating accreditation information to candidates or to the public, please contact NCATE's communications department.

Annual reports and other NCATE data: Tech Support

BOE training, scheduling, and BOE team member contactc: Marva Atwater

BOE reports and general accreditation questions: Patty Garvin and Mary Anne Kirkland

Institutional orientations: conference@ncate.org

Program reports and review process, and recognition status of programs: Margie Crutchfield.

Standards and the accreditation process: Boyce Williams, Antoinette Mitchell, or Donna Gollnick

Units preparing written documentation should address the entire unmet standard(s), with particular attention to the areas for improvement cited in standards that were not met. The UAB will have access to the previous accreditation decision and the sections of the BOE report and rejoinder pertaining to the unmet standard(s). The unit should provide information about the unmet standard as a whole, rather than just the areas for improvement, to provide the UAB with the proper context to determine whether the standard is met. Standards that were met should not be addressed. For more specific details about what to include in the Conditional/Provisional report, see http://ncate.org/institutions/condProvdoc.asp?ch=44.

No, NCATE does not have a template for the document to submit to remove your condition/provision. However, http://ncate.org/institutions/condProvdoc.asp?ch=44, indicates the information that should be included in the documentation.

The action letter from NCATE after the last Unit Accreditation Board (UAB) meeting indicates the date on which the documentation is due at the NCATE office. It must be presented to the UAB at its next meeting in March/April or October.

If the documentation does not convince the UAB that the condition or provision has been removed, the institution will be required to host a focused visit within one year of the UAB decision. The institution’s accreditation status will remain accredited with a condition or provision.

Preparing documentation to remove conditions/provisions and BOE reports: Patty Garvin

Program reports and review process, recognition status of programs: Margie Crutchfield.

Standards and the Accreditation Process: Boyce Williams, Antoinette Mitchell, or Donna Gollnick