Mary Jane Harris, PT, MS Director, Accreditation Department, APTA

Outcome Assessment: One Part of the Quality Measurement Mix Mission GoalsStudentsFacultyCurriculumResources Policies & Procedures Outcomes

Relevant Evaluative Criteria P-3: program outcomes identified P-4: on-going assessment, to include achievement of expected program outcomes and expected student outcomes Expected PROGRAM Outcomes CP-2.2: statements of expected student outcomes CC-5: lengthy list of practice expectations CO-1, CO-2: graduates meet expected outcomes CO-3, CO-4: graduation, licensure, employment rates Expected STUDENT Outcomes

CAPTE Expects An on-going, formal, iterative process Measurable, quantitatively or qualitatively Reasonable number Reflective of program mission Reasonable student outcome expectations Asks the right questions Considers time needed to demonstrate Information collected/analyzed is related to the stated expectation(s)/mission Multiple data sources as appropriate When appropriate, targeted to specific issues Reasonable methods to obtain sufficient, usable data

CAPTE also expects Graduation rates consistent with mission. Licensure pass rates at least 80% over the past three years Employment rates Programs to meet the outcomes specified by USDE (as interpreted by CAPTE) Decisions should be data driven, or at least have a considered rationale. Determination to wait another cycle for confirmation of an issue MAY be the appropriate course of action. Programs to make considered judgments as to what changes might be needed No need to reinvent a wheel, especially if it will increase response rates. Program MUST, however, be able to access program specific data and data must be relevant to program needs. Program assessment processes to take advantage of institutional processes when possible

CAPTE does not… Clinical Performance Instrument Surveys: exit, graduates, employers Focus group interviews Have any preconceived notions about how a program should conduct its assessment of student outcomes. If have data about specific expectations, do expect it to be used Expect each/every practice expectation to be assessed routinely.

PT Program Performance Reported Outcomes (2011 AAR data): Graduation Rate:mean=90.07 SD=7.24 Licensure 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 eligibility Articulate/coordinate responsibilities of and improve communication among federal government, state government, and accreditors Address regulatory burden Consider changes in NACIQI role

Other Recommendations Encourage greater commonality across quality assurance/eligibility processes. Use the convening capacity of the federal government to promote greater consistency across states Reduce accreditors legal risk Consider different ways of organizing accreditation community (e.g., sector vs. geography)

Other Recommendations Increase accreditors opportunities for different types of reviews Substantial modification of current statutory and regulatory criteria Reconsider data used by accreditors, states, federal agencies Common definitions, data sets Possible need for independent auditing of data Improve IPEDS Make accreditation reports available to the public Increase numbers of public members on decision- making boards

The Bottom Line Dissonance between major recommendations and the more specific enabling recommendations Most 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