Thursday, February 23, 2023
The CAATE Board of Commissioners approved, for open comment, changes to Standards 2, 4, 5, and 7 along with revised glossary definitions pertaining to those Standards for the 2020 CAATE Professional Program Standards, during the February 2023 Board meeting. The CAATE Professional Standards Committee and Professional Accreditation Council proposed the changes as charged by the Board of Commissions following the changes to the bright-line standards at the February 2022 meeting. The CAATE Professional Standards Committee will evaluate and incorporate the feedback before returning it to the Professional Accreditation Council and the CAATE Board of Commissioners for final approval.
Changes:
- 2020 Professional Program Standards
- Standard 2 - Updated Annotation
- Standard 4 - Updated Standard, Annotation, How to Address, and Uploads
- Standard 5 - Deleted
- Standard 7 - Deleted
- Glossary definitions added and updated
Changes to the 2020 Professional Standards
Standard 2
Current Language
The program has developed, implemented, and evaluated a framework that describes how the program is designed to achieve its mission and that guides program design, delivery, and assessment.
Annotation
This written framework describes essential program elements and how they’re connected; these elements include core principles, strategic planning, goals and expected outcomes, curricular design (for example, teaching and learning methods), curricular planning and sequencing, and the assessment plan. The framework is evaluated and refined on an ongoing basis.
The framework includes program-specific outcomes defined by the program; these outcomes include measures of student learning, quality of instruction, quality of clinical education, and overall program effectiveness. Programs must minimally incorporate the student achievement measures identified in Standard 5 as outcomes. Improvement plans must include targeted goals and specific action plans for the communication and implementation of the program.
How to Address this Standard
- Describe the development of the program’s framework designed to meet its mission, including a description of the essential program elements (see Annotation) and how they are connected.
- Describe how the program has implemented the framework.
- Describe how the program has evaluated and refined the framework on an ongoing basis. Provide a specific example of how the program used this process to improve the program.
Uploads
Standard 2
Proposed Language
The program has developed, implemented, and evaluated a framework that describes how the program is designed to achieve its mission and that guides program design, delivery, and assessment.
Annotation
This written framework describes essential program elements and how they’re connected; these elements include core principles, strategic planning, program goals, expected outcomes, curricular design (for example, teaching and learning methods), curricular planning and sequencing, and the assessment plan. The framework is evaluated and refined on an ongoing basis.
How to Address This Standard
- Describe the development of the program’s framework designed to meet its mission, including a description of the essential program elements (see Annotation) and how they are connected.
- Describe how the program has implemented the framework.
- Describe how the program has evaluated and refined the framework on an ongoing basis. Provide a specific example of how the program used this process to improve the program.
Uploads
Standard 4
Current Language
The results of the program’s assessment plan are used for continued program improvement.
Annotation
The program analyzes the extent to which it meets its program-specific outcomes and creates an action plan for program improvement and identified deficiencies. The action plan minimally includes identification of responsible person or persons, listing of resources needed, a timeframe, and a strategy to modify the plan as needed..
How to Address This Standard
- Describe the process used to analyze outcome data and the indicators used to determine the extent to which outcomes are met. Include a list and description of the assessment tools used.
- Describe a minimum of three examples of how assessment results have been used for program quality improvement.
Uploads
- The program's mission
- The goals and related outcomes (including those identified in Standard 5)
- Examples (blank) of assessment tools that measure student learning, quality of instruction, quality of clinical education, and overall program effectiveness
Standard 4
Proposed Language
The program engages in continuous quality improvement to address identified deficiencies and to achieve aspirational goals.
Annotation
The program’s assessment plan provides the basis to engage in continuous quality improvement and includes program-specific outcomes and benchmarks that are defined by the program. For each program-specific outcome, programs must identify a benchmark for expected achievement, based on the program’s existing resources and needs. Benchmarks must be data-driven and provide justification for the selected benchmark level. Program-specific outcomes must include measures of program effectiveness for:
- Student learning,
- Quality of instruction,
- Quality of clinical education,
- Student readiness for independent practice
Additionally, the following student achievement measures must be collected annually as part of the program’s assessment plan. Program-established benchmarks for these measures must be set at or above the following minimums:
- Program graduation rate: Programs must establish benchmarks set at or above a 75% 3-year aggregate
- Graduate placement rate: Programs must establish benchmarks set at or above a 70% 3-year aggregate
- Overall pass rate on the Board of Certification examination: Programs must establish benchmarks set at or above a 70% overall pass rate 3 year-aggregate
How to Address this Standard
- Describe the process used to establish and measure program-specific outcomes and benchmarks, including a justification for the program’s established benchmark levels. Include a list and description of the assessment tools used for each program-specific outcome.
- Describe the results of the program’s assessment plan and the extent to which each outcome did or did not meet the program’s established benchmark.
- For each program outcome that did not meet its established benchmark, describe the quality improvement process used to address the identified deficiencies.
- For each program outcome that met or exceeded its established benchmark, describe any quality improvement processes used to achieve aspirational program goals.
Uploads
- The program's mission
- The program’s completed assessment plan, including data used to determine if benchmarks for program-specific outcomes were met.
- Blank copies of assessment tools used to measure overall program effectiveness for student learning, quality of instruction, quality of clinical education, and student readiness for independent practice.
Standard 5
The program collects student achievement measures on an annual basis.
Annotation
The following student achievement measures must be collected as part of the program’s assessment plan:
Program graduation rate
Program retention rate
Graduate placement rate
First time Overall pass rate on the Board of Certification examination
How to Address This Standard
Ensure all information related to achievement measures is updated in eAccreditation.
Standard 7
Programs that have a three-year aggregate BOC examination first-time pass rate below 70% must provide an analysis of deficiencies and develop and implement an action plan for correction of BOC-examination pass-rate deficiency.
Updated Glossary Terms
Overall pass rate on the Board of Certification examination: The percentage of students who take the Board of Certification examination and pass it, regardless of the number of attempts. Programs must include a link to the “CAATE Program Information and Outcomes” web page where the following information is provided: the number of students graduating from the program who took the examination; the overall number and percentage of students who passed the examination, regardless of the number of attempts.
Graduate placement rate: Percentage of students within six months of graduation who have obtained positions in the following categories: employed as an athletic trainer, employed as other, and not employed. Programs must include a link to the “CAATE Program Information and Outcomes” web page where the following information is provided: the number of students who graduated from the program, the number and percentage of students employed as an athletic trainer, the number and percentage of students employed as other, and the number and percentage of students not employed.
Program graduation rate: Measures the progress of students who began their studies as full-time degree-seeking students by showing the percentage of these students who complete their degree within 150% of the “normal time” for completing the program in which they are enrolled. Programs must include a link to the “CAATE Program Information and Outcomes” web page where the following information is provided: the number of students admitted to the program, the number of students who graduated, and the percentage of students who graduated.
Student readiness for independent practice: Having the knowledge, skills, and clinical decision-making abilities required to successfully perform their roles as an athletic trainer. The program selects measures of student readiness for independent practice. These measures are utilized in evaluating program effectiveness.
Benchmark: A standard, set by the program, that indicates the level of achievement of an outcome.
Quality Assurance: A planned and systematic process for ensuring acceptable levels of quality are maintained.
Quality Improvement: A structured, data-driven process to evaluate systems and outcomes that include identification of areas for improvement, selection, and implementation of measurable changes, and analysis of changes to ensure progression toward established
benchmarks. Successful quality improvement efforts are a continual process that leads to measurable improvement over time.
Innovation: A strategic and intentional process used for identifying, implementing, and measuring new or enhanced initiatives that advance program quality and/or learner achievement.
Open Comment
The CAATE Board of Commissioners invites open comment on the proposed changes to the 2020 CAATE Professional Program Standards. The open comment period opens on March 1, 2023, and will close on March 31, 2023. Open comments can be submitted using the button below.
Submit Open Comment