August 2006 Call For Comment

Proposed new Placement rate formula

Where:
G=same as G in the completion rate formula;
GG = All students who graduated in the calendar year of the report, no matter when they were scheduled to graduate.
J=number from G GG who had jobs in the field for which trained; and

Formula:
U=Exceptions1
J÷G=placement rate
J÷(GG-U) = placment rate

1 Acceptable exceptions are:

• Deceased
• Disabled
• Called for Military Service
• Continuing in higher education
• Studied under a student visa

Proposed Wording:

PART 5--ANNUAL REPORTS AND SPECIAL REPORTS

Section 5.0 Annual Report...

(a) - No change

(b) ...

The information each NACCAS-accredited institution provides on the annual report submitted to NACCAS is used to calculate outcome rates for the institution. The formulas used to calculate rates are shown in subclause (d) below the annual report worksheet on NACCAS' Web Site.

(c) - No change

(d) The formulas that will be used to calculate completion, placement, and licensure rates, are as follows:

Completion rate formula: Where S=students scheduled to graduate during the report year;2

G = students from Group S who did graduate; and Formula: G ÷ S = Completion rate

Licensure rate formula

Where T = graduates, no matter what year they graduated, who sat for the first time, during the report year, for the final portion of the examination by the end of the report year

Formula: L ÷ T = Licensure Rate.

Placement rate formula

Where:
G = All students who graduated in the calendar year of the report, no matter when they were scheduled to graduate.
J = number from G who had jobs in the field for which trained; and

Formula: J ÷ G = Placement Rate.

(e)(d) If the Plan for Improvement is inadequate, the Executive Director and/or Commission may order additional information or actions by the institution, including a special onsite visit to provide technical assistance for institutions preparing and/or implementing a plan for improvement or to evaluate the effectiveness of a plan and its implementation.

[The rest of this Part remains unchanged.]

2 For short programs that are not eligible for Federal student financial assistance, an institution need not include in the cohort of "students scheduled to graduate" students who are merely auditing the program (for personal enrichment).

Proposed Wording:

PART 5--ANNUAL REPORTS AND SPECIAL REPORTS

Section 5.0 Annual Report

(a) Every year, each school holding accreditation status, or status as an applicant for initial accreditation3 shall submit an Annual Report on forms and in the manner required by the Commission. The report and required documents must be received in the NACCAS office no later than the due date. Failure to submit a complete Annual Report by the date may result in the withdrawal of the school's accreditation and in late fees as determined in Appendix #2 of these Rules.

(b) NACCAS shall verify information provided on the annual reports using various methods which shall include, but not be limited to,

(1) Verification during on-site evaluations,

(2) Verification of institutions which are being monitored for low outcomes a
random sample of at least 10% of the reports each year, and

(3) Direct contact with students, employers and licensing agencies.

The information each NACCAS-accredited institution provides on the annual report submitted to NACCAS is used to calculate outcome rate for the institution.

(c) Institutions with one or more outcomes (completion, placement, licensure) below NACCAS' minimum threshold, based on the annual reports due most recently, shall be required to comply with one of two options: The "low outcomes directive" (see sub-section (d) or monitoring (see sub-section (e)).

(d) Low Outcomes Directive: The Executive Director of NACCAS shall order any accredited institution with a completion, licensure or certification, or placement rate below NACCAS' minimum Standard that it

(1) Attend an Accreditation Workshop and Outcomes Work Group within six months of availability,

(2) Prepare, submit, and implement a plan for improvement within (4) weeks after attending the workshop, and

(3) Demonstrate compliance with the Standard within the timelines established in Section 8.18 of the Rules of Practice and Procedure.

(e) Monitoring4:

(1) The school owner or designated representative must complete a workshop made available following the date the annual report on which a low outcomes was based, was due;

(2) The institution must submit a plan to improve the low outcome(s);

(3) the institution must submit monitoring reports, on forms provided by NACCAS. The monitoring reports shall cover the outcomes cohorts for the year following the year on which the low outcomes was based5; and

(4) The institution must participate in a study to verify the accuracy of its annual reporting in the following year6.

(5) An institution may not be on monitoring for a low rate in the same area for two consecutive years.

(f) If the Plan for Improvement is inadequate, the Executive Director and/or Commission may order additional information or actions by the institution, including a special onsite visit to provide technical assistance for institutions preparing and/or implementing a plan for improvement or to evaluate the effectiveness of a plan and its implementation.

[The remainder of this Part is unchanged.]

3 Applicants for initial accreditation must submit their first annual report to NACCAS in the year in which they apply for initial accreditation. The report shall be for the previous year.

4 This option will be available to schools starting with the 2005-2006 annual report which is due November 30, 2006,

5 Example: If an institution has a low placement rate based on the 2005 cohort, the monitoring report will be for the 2006 cohort.

6 Example: If as school had a low licensure rate based on the 2005-2006 annual report and chose the monitoring option, it would have to be in the 2006-2007 annual report verification study.

Proposed Wording :

5.1(a)...(9) Any final determination, in accordance with requirements of the United States Department of Education, that the institution is not meeting the Department's requirements; [Note: The Commission will monitor schools under section 6.6.]

Change section 6.6(b) by eliminating the last sentence, as follows:

Section 6.6(b) Information received from the U.S. Department of Education or other government agencies indicating a school's failure to comply with its Title IV responsibilities shall follow the complaint procedure, but will be classified as a government action in any notifications to the school and government agencies. NACCAS no longer is required to acknowledge receipt of this information or report to the Department when a process has been initiated based on the information.

Proposed Wording:

Section 2.2 Grant of Candidate Status

(a) Candidate status shall be granted by the Commission Executive Director of NACCAS if the application is complete and demonstrates the applicant meets institutional eligibility requirements, and the required sustaining fee has been paid.

(b) A denial of candidate status is appealable to the full Commission pursuant to Part 9 of these Rules.

Proposed Wording for this Amendment to the By-Laws:

Article VIII - DUTIES OF COMMITTEES

New Section IV: The Commission shall have a standing Committee on Re-Recognition including at least two former Commissioners, if available who, while members of the NACCAS Board of Commissioners, served on a Committee on Re-Recognition, to make recommendations to the full Commission on issues related to recognition by the Secretary of Education.

Current Section IV would become Section V.