August 28, 2023
The CAATE Board of Commissioners approved changes to sections of the CAATE Professional Program Standards during the August 2023 Board meeting. The changes resulted from the Board’s charge to the Standards Committee after vacating Standard 6 (2020 Standards) and Standard 11 (2012 Standards) during the February 2022 meeting.
The Standards Committee reviewed the language of other specialty accreditors. It proposed a series of changes reviewed by the Professional Accreditation Council and Board of Commissioners before being released for public comment in February and March 2023. The Standards Committee reviewed the public comments and revised language where appropriate. The Professional Accreditation Council reviewed the revisions, and the Board of Commissioners discussed and approved the newly revised standards at the August 2023 Board meeting.
Timeline:
- August 8, 2023 – Board Approval & changes to Standard 7 goes into effect
- July 1, 2024 – New Outcome Standards go into effect. Programs must incorporate elements of the Standards and collect data to demonstrate evidence of compliance.
- June 30, 2025 – Programs completing self-studies will be required to demonstrate evidence of compliance with the new Outcome Standards
- October 2025 – Programs completing annual reports for the 2024-2025 academic year will be required to report on the new Outcome Standards and demonstrate evidence of compliance.
View the August 24, 2023, Town Hall recording that includes a presentation from Dr. Luzita Vela, Professional Accreditation Council Chair and Dr. Bart Anderson, Standards Committee Chair.
Changes:
2020 Professional Program Standards
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 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.
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
*Annotation: changed goals to program goals. Approved by Commission on August 8, 2023.
The program engages in continuous quality improvement to address identified deficiencies and to strive towards 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 specific and measurable and have a clear rationale 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 the program’s rationale for the 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 program outcome did or did not meet the program’s established benchmark. For each program outcome in which the program did not meet its established benchmark, describe the quality improvement processes used to address the identified deficiencies.
- Describe changes that were made to the program assessment plan based on the results of the quality improvement process (e.g., new outcome measures, updated benchmark levels, assessment tools).
Uploads
- The program mission
- The program’s assessment plan results that were 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: Revised from “The results of the program’s assessment plan are used for continued program improvement.” Approved by Commission on August 8, 2023
*Annotation: Revised from “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, a listing of resources needed, a timeframe, and a strategy to modify the plan as needed.” Approved by Commission on August 8, 2023.
*How to Address This Standard: Revised from” Describe the process used to analyze outcome data and indicators used to determine the extent to which outcomes are met. Include a list and description of assessment tools used. Describe a minimum of three examples of how assessment results have been used for program quality improvement.” Approved by Commission on August 8, 2023
*Uploads: Revised from” The program 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.” Approved by Commission on August 8, 2023.
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: Deleted Standard 5. Approved by Commission on August 8, 2023
Programs that have a three-year aggregate BOC examination overall pass rate below 70% must provide an analysis of deficiencies and develop and implement an action plan for correction of BOC-examination pass-rate deficiencies.
Annotation
Action plans for correction of BOC-examination pass-rate deficiency will be required of programs through June 30, 2024, at which time this standard will sunset
*Standard: Changed first-time pass rate to overall pass rate. Approved by Commission on August 8, 2023
*Annotation: Added an annotation to create a sunset date. Approved by Commission on August 8, 2023.
The program posts data detailing its student achievement measures.
Annotation
The program must include a hyperlink to the program’s “CAATE Program Information and Outcomes” web page on the home page of the athletic training program.
*Annotation: Deleted “The Program Information and Outcomes pages include the following student achievement measures: Program graduation rate, Program retention rate, Graduate placement, First-time pass rate on the Board of Certification examination.” Approved by Commission on August 8, 2023
Assessment plan: A description of the process used to evaluate the extent to which the program is meeting its stated educational mission, goals, and outcomes. The assessment plan involves the collection of information from a variety of sources and must incorporate assessment of the quality of instruction (didactic and clinical), quality of clinical education, student learning, student readiness for independent practice, and overall program effectiveness. The formal assessment plan must also include the required student achievement measures identified in Standard 4. The assessment plan is part of the framework.
*Added student readiness for independent practices and changed Standard 5 to Standard 4. Approved by Commission on August 8, 2023.
Benchmark: A standard, set by the program, that indicates the level of achievement of an outcome. For Overall pass rate on the BOC certification exam, Graduate placement rate, and Program graduation rate, the CAATE has determined a minimum level that program benchmarks must be set at or above.
*Added definition of Benchmark. Approved by Commission on August 8, 2023.
Faculty: See Core Faculty; Program Faculty
*Deleted adjunct faculty and associated Faculty. Added Program Faculty. Approved by Commission on August 8, 2023.
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 from the program’s homepage to the “CAATE Program Information and Outcomes” web page.
*Deleted Programs must post the following data for the past three years on their website: 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. Added Programs must include a link from the program’s homepage to the “CAATE Program Information and Outcomes” web page. Approved by Commission on August 8, 2023.
Innovation: A strategic and intentional process used for identifying, implementing, and measuring new or enhanced initiatives that advance program quality and/or learner achievement.
*Added definition of Innovation. Approved by Commission on August 8, 2023.
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 from the program’s homepage to the “CAATE Program Information and Outcomes” web page.
*Added definition of Overall pass rate on the Board of Certification examination. Approved by Commission on August 8, 2023.
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 “normal time” for completing the program in which they are enrolled. Programs must include a link from the program’s homepage to the “CAATE Program Information and Outcomes” web page.
*Deleted Programs must post the following data for the past three years on their website: the number of students admitted to the program, the number of students graduated, and the percentage of students who graduated. Added Programs must include a link from the program’s homepage to the “CAATE Program Information and Outcomes” web page. Approved by Commission on August 8, 2023.
Quality Assurance: A planned and systematic process for ensuring acceptable levels of quality are maintained.
*Revised definition from “Systematic process of assessment to ensure that a service is meeting a desired level.” Approved by Commission on August 8, 2023.
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 towards established benchmarks. Successful quality improvement efforts are a continual process that leads to measurable improvement over time.
*Revised the definition from “Systematic and continuous actions that result in measurable improvements in health care services and in the health status of targeted patient groups.15 Quality improvement includes identifying errors and hazards in care; understanding and implementing basic safety design principles such as standardization and simplification; continually understanding and measuring the quality of care in terms of structure, process, and outcomes in relation to patient and community needs; and designing and testing interventions to change processes and systems of care, with the objective of improving quality.16” Approved by Commission on August 8, 2023.
Student readiness for independent practice: Having the knowledge, skills, and judgment required to successfully perform their roles as an athletic trainer. Measures of student readiness for independent practice are selected by the program.
*Added definition of Student readiness for independent practice. Approved by Commission on August 8, 2023.