Accreditation
 |
 |
 |
How many times have you bought a book because it has some kind of award connected with it—
maybe the Newberry or a less-famous accolade - only to discover that you were not as pleased
with it as you had been with a book no one had really heard of? Perhaps the Newberry committee
that year had several people on it who were more interested in message than in style. Thus you
got a prize-winning book that told an interesting story but did not fulfill all of your literary standards.
Yes this article is about accreditation of elementary and secondary schools not literary prizes. But
the analogy raises questions that apply in both realms: Who chooses what is approved? Where
does the authority for the decision rest?
In a sense, school-accrediting associations are like literary-prize committees. They are
composed of professionals in the field (usually these people are nominated from member
institutions and then selected for assignments based on background and experience).
Accrediting associations also have certain published standards that they judge by.
Like literary committees, accrediting associations are private, nongovernmental groups. Their
authority exists in the agreement of all the members (and of all who submit to them for approval)
that their approval has value. Membership in accrediting associations is entirely voluntarily, as is
applications for approval.
The government, on both state and federal levels, does sometimes use accrediting association’s
approval as a gatekeeper. No accreditation from a recognized agency? No eligibility, then, to apply
for a certain program or grant. But a lack of approval from an accrediting association cannot close
down a school or force it to change its policies.
Accreditation associations do not accredit textbook companies. There are no accrediting texts
that have the nod from adopting agencies, but there is no such thing as an “accredited
curriculum.”
Schools may not be accredited or several reasons. Of course, a school may not meet those
standards of the associations doing the evaluation. Or it may be a new school - too new to be
evaluated effectively. Or it may be that for doctrinal or philosophical reasons, the school does not
ask for accreditation.
Thus not being accredited - that is, not evaluation and approved by a private association - does not
necessarily mean that the school is below standard. And being accredited does not mean that a
school is better than a well-run unaccredited one. It means that a school, or a certain period of
time, is deemed by an association to have met the academic standards set by that association.
And so we are back to the analogy. Any evaluating agency - whether literary or academic - is as
good as its predetermined standards and its consultants’ ability to interpret and uphold those
standards.
The goal of accrediting associations is to hold to account schools and administration. They hope
to raise the bar for all their members. To do that, they use a blend of formalized peer pressure
and the classroom grading scale. And no one doubt that standards help keep schools honest.
For approval in an association, a school must abide by the rules of the association. And while
Christian accrediting associations are far more trustworthy and qualified than non-Christian ones
for judging Christian schools, some administrations still prefer not to apply for accreditation and
thus keep their option of deciding in all details how their schools will operate.
Accreditation is not failsafe. Less than stellar schools may pass here and there and very good
schools may not apply for approval. And while associations may uphold generally agreed-upon
standards, really strong parent-teacher associations might just have more influence than an
accrediting association on how well a school is run.
So parents looking at schools for their children (and teachers considering where to work and
administrators thinking about applying for school accreditation) have the option of the shorthand
that accreditation offers. And they may want to do their own evaluation of the school accredited or
unaccredited.
The Newberry committee can give its opinion of the best book of any given year. But it is, finally, up
to the reader to decide for himself what he thinks of the work.
(Written by Dawn Watkins, Manager of Corporate Communications at BJU Press and Author of several
textbooks and Journey Books)
maybe the Newberry or a less-famous accolade - only to discover that you were not as pleased
with it as you had been with a book no one had really heard of? Perhaps the Newberry committee
that year had several people on it who were more interested in message than in style. Thus you
got a prize-winning book that told an interesting story but did not fulfill all of your literary standards.
Yes this article is about accreditation of elementary and secondary schools not literary prizes. But
the analogy raises questions that apply in both realms: Who chooses what is approved? Where
does the authority for the decision rest?
In a sense, school-accrediting associations are like literary-prize committees. They are
composed of professionals in the field (usually these people are nominated from member
institutions and then selected for assignments based on background and experience).
Accrediting associations also have certain published standards that they judge by.
Like literary committees, accrediting associations are private, nongovernmental groups. Their
authority exists in the agreement of all the members (and of all who submit to them for approval)
that their approval has value. Membership in accrediting associations is entirely voluntarily, as is
applications for approval.
The government, on both state and federal levels, does sometimes use accrediting association’s
approval as a gatekeeper. No accreditation from a recognized agency? No eligibility, then, to apply
for a certain program or grant. But a lack of approval from an accrediting association cannot close
down a school or force it to change its policies.
Accreditation associations do not accredit textbook companies. There are no accrediting texts
that have the nod from adopting agencies, but there is no such thing as an “accredited
curriculum.”
Schools may not be accredited or several reasons. Of course, a school may not meet those
standards of the associations doing the evaluation. Or it may be a new school - too new to be
evaluated effectively. Or it may be that for doctrinal or philosophical reasons, the school does not
ask for accreditation.
Thus not being accredited - that is, not evaluation and approved by a private association - does not
necessarily mean that the school is below standard. And being accredited does not mean that a
school is better than a well-run unaccredited one. It means that a school, or a certain period of
time, is deemed by an association to have met the academic standards set by that association.
And so we are back to the analogy. Any evaluating agency - whether literary or academic - is as
good as its predetermined standards and its consultants’ ability to interpret and uphold those
standards.
The goal of accrediting associations is to hold to account schools and administration. They hope
to raise the bar for all their members. To do that, they use a blend of formalized peer pressure
and the classroom grading scale. And no one doubt that standards help keep schools honest.
For approval in an association, a school must abide by the rules of the association. And while
Christian accrediting associations are far more trustworthy and qualified than non-Christian ones
for judging Christian schools, some administrations still prefer not to apply for accreditation and
thus keep their option of deciding in all details how their schools will operate.
Accreditation is not failsafe. Less than stellar schools may pass here and there and very good
schools may not apply for approval. And while associations may uphold generally agreed-upon
standards, really strong parent-teacher associations might just have more influence than an
accrediting association on how well a school is run.
So parents looking at schools for their children (and teachers considering where to work and
administrators thinking about applying for school accreditation) have the option of the shorthand
that accreditation offers. And they may want to do their own evaluation of the school accredited or
unaccredited.
The Newberry committee can give its opinion of the best book of any given year. But it is, finally, up
to the reader to decide for himself what he thinks of the work.
(Written by Dawn Watkins, Manager of Corporate Communications at BJU Press and Author of several
textbooks and Journey Books)
| Defining Accreditation |
Southern Bible Institute and Seminary holds full accreditation with the Association of
Academic Accreditation (AAA), and is a recognized member of the Association of Christian
School International (ACSI).
Accreditation is primarily designed for accountability to:
1. Certify that an institution has met the established standards of excellence.
2. Assist prospective students in identifying reputable instructions, which offer degree
programs that will meet their needs and goals.
3. Allow instructions to evaluate the acceptability of transfer credits into their own
curricular programs.
Southern Bible Institute and Seminary degrees are of an ecclesiastical nature and, whether
granted or conferred, are in the restricted area of religion with the special purpose of
preparing persons to work in the area of religion-whether Educational, Ministerial, or
Counseling- and are NOT necessarily designed to be used in general academic circles.
Southern Bible Institute and Seminary, while rooted in the doctrinal beliefs of the Southern
Baptist churches, has enjoyed a wide acceptance of credits across denominational
boundaries.
Southern Bible Institute and Seminary graduates may be found serving as authors,
administrators, counselors, evangelists, pastors, principals, mental health workers, hospital
chaplains, and private school teachers.
Transferability of credits earned at Southern Bible Institute and Seminary and transferred to
another institution is at the discretion of the receiving institution.
Credits and/or degrees earned from colleges in the State of Georgia, which are licensed by
the State Board of Independent Colleges and Universities do not automatically qualify the
holder for teaching certification nor do they qualify them to participate in professional
licensing examinations or practices. Any person interested in obtaining a teaching
certificate or practicing a regulate profession should contact the appropriate agency in
his/her field of interest.
| ACCREDITATION |
