ACCREDITATION

 It is a concept of self-regulation which focuses on self-study and evaluation and in the continuing
improvement of educational quality. It is both a process and a result. As a process, it is a form of
peer review in which association of schools and colleges establishes sets of criteria and
procedures to encourage high standards of quality education aming its affiliate memebers. As a
result l, it is a form of certification granted by a recognized and authorized accrediting agency to
an educational program or where applicable, to an educational institution as a possessing certain
standards of quality which are over and above those prescribed as minimum requirements for
goverment recognition based upon an analysis of the merits of its educational operations, in
terms of ots philosophy and objectives.

SOME FUNCTIONS OF ACCREDITATION

1. Verifying that an institution or program meets establishments standards.

2. Assisting prospective students in identifying acceptable institutions.

3. Assisting institutions on determining the acceptability of transfer credits.

4. Helping to identify institutions and programs for the investments of public and private funds.

5. Protecting an institution against harmful internal and external pressure.

6. Creating goals for self-improvement of weaker programs and stimulatinf a general raising of standards
among educational intitutions.

7. Involving the facultyband staff comprehensively in institutional and for upgrading courses offering
such preparation.

8. Establishing criteria for professional certification and licensure and for upgrading courses offering such
preparation.

9. Providing one of several considerations used as a basis for determinng eligibility for federal assistance.

THE ACCREDITING PROCEDURE

1. STANDARDS: The accrediting agency in collaboration with educational institutions establishes

standard.

2. SELF-STUDY: Accreditations prepares an in-depth self evaluation that measures its performance
against the standard.

3. ON SITE EVALUATION: A team selected by the accrediting agency visits the Insitution or program to
determine firsthand if the applicant meets the established standards.
4. PUBLICATION: Upon being satisfied that the applicant meet its standards, the accrediting agency
grants accreditation or preaccreditation status.

5. MONITORING: The accrediting agency monitors each accredited institutions or program throughout
the period of accreditation granted to verify that it continues to meet the agency's standards.

6. RE-EVALUATION: The accrediting agency periodically re-evaluates each institutions or program that it
lists to as certain whether continuation of its accredited oe preaccredited status is warranted.

TYPES OF ACRREDITATION

There are two types of accreditation: One identified as "INSTITUTIONAL" and one reffered to as
"SPECIALIZED" or "programmatic"

 Institutional accreditation normally applies to an entire institution, each of an institution's parts

is contributing to the achievement of the institution's objectives. An institutional accrediting bidy
considers the characteristics of whole institutions. Accrediting body gives attention not only to
the educational offerings of the institutions it accredits., But also to other such institutional
characteristics as the studebt personel services, financial conditions and administrative strength.
The criteria of an insitutional accrediting is to provide encouragement to institutions to try
innovative curricula and procedures, and to adopt them when they prove successful.
 Specialized or programmatic accreditation normally applies to programs, departments, or
schools that are parts of an institution. Most of specialized or programmatic accrediting agencies
review units within an institution of higher education that is accredited by one of the regional
accrediting commissions. However, certain accrediting agencies also accredit professional
aschools and other specialized or vocational institutions of higher education that are
freestanding in their operations. A "specialiazed" or programmatic accrediting agency may also
function in the capacity of an "institutional" accrediting agency. Specialized accreditation
encourages program improvement by application of specific accreditation requirements to
measure characteristics of a program and by making judgements about the overall quality of the
program.

Both Institutional and Specialized accrediting bodies conduct the accreditation process using a common
pattern. The pattern requires integral self-study of the institutiin or program, followed by an on-site visit
by an evaluation team, and a subsequent review and decision by a central governing group.

TWO CATEGORIES OF INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITATION IN THE U.S.

  This includes evalutaion of governance and administration, financial stability, student services,
resources ( libraries and computer labs), academic achievement of the student body , the
institution overall effectiveness in accomplishing their mission, and their relationships with
constituencies outside their institution.

Institutional accreditation in the Unitef States falls into two categories:

REGIONAL and NATIONAL.

 Regional accreditation
Is granted through six regional bodies or agencies. These bodies are named after the
geographic region which they serve. Some institutions are evaluated by more than regiobal
agency if their locations cross regional boundaries.
Schools at any level can gain regional accreditation: 2 year programs (community or junior
colleges) , 4-year bachelor programs (colleges), and those which also have graduate level
programs (colleges and universities)
 National accreditation
Accreditation assures the student that the school is a legitimate institutions, has a
curriculum or training plan and holds classes as national accrediting bodies also perform
institutional evaluations.

ACCREDITATION IN THE PHILIPPINES

Realizing that education is essential to our life as a nation a truism that is acknowledged by the
provisions on education in the Constitution- the Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM)

The Commision on Higher Education (CHED) was accordingly established by virtue of Republic Act No.
7722 otherwise known as the Higher Education Act of 1994. This was signed inti law by President Fidel V.
Ramos on May 17, 1994.

Program thrust no. 21 of CHED pertains to "policy review and strengthening of the systen af
accreditation"

THE CONCEPT OF ACCREDITATION

Accreditation is the voluntary submission of the school to an agency of accreditors for assessing
whether the school has complied strictly with the required standards being enforced by the goverment.

Article 14 of the 1987 Constitution provides that the State must provide quality education to its
citizenry. To achieve this task, the goverment established CHED and TESDA, which together with the
already existibg DECS, are mandated to supervise and regulatebthe thousands of public and private
schools whether elementary, secondary, and tertiary, throughout tge country.
THE RATIONALE

The system of accreditation was introduced in the mainstream of the educational system primarily to
achieve the following:

1. Ensure compliance by institutions of learning concerned with the edtablished rules and regulations of
the government;

2. Stengthen the foundatin of the Philippune Education system;

3. Achieve excellence and quality education as mandated by the Fundamental Law;

4. Assist schools, colleges, and universities to become strong, visable, and competitive; and

5. Prepare the Philippine educational system fie globalization.

THE PROCESS

The accreditation process is a vert taxing job both on the side of the school and on the part of the
accreditors. As a matter of fact, it takes one or two years to prepare for the said activity. What follows is
the step-by-step procedure on how the process of accreditation un undertaken.

Step 1. The subject school prepares the necessary documents, papers, materials, equipment, facilities,
etc which are subject to evaluation.

Step 2. The scholl will write the accredeting agency for a survey visit.

Step 3. Tge accrediting agency responds to the letter invitation for the survey visit and sets the date of
the visit.

Step 4. The survey team composed of more or less three persons to visit the school and to assess the
preparation and readiness of the school for the actual visit.

Step 5. The survey team will give the school one month or two (or more) to prepare for the actual visit.

Step 6. Actual visit takes place. They work and perform their tasks, assessing and evaluating the
documents prepared by the school, for three days.

Step 7. The members of the team of accreditors will hand down their respective recommendations,
stating, among others, the strengths and weaknesses of the school.

Step 8. The accreditation team will come back after 1 year, 2 years or even 5 years to find out whether
the school has achieved what accreditors have recommended.
COCOPEA

VISION- As the unifying voice of private education in the philippines the COCOPEA will play a dynamic
role in the process of social transformation, moral regeneration, envirinmental cinservation and
attainment of sustainable national development.

MISSION - COCOPEA seeks to promote, advance and safeguard private education.

OBJECTIVES

 Provide leadership and direction for private education

 Conduct policy research and studies to strethen and improve the quality of and access to private
education.
 Offer programs and seminars to upgrade private school administrators, teachers and non-
teaching personnel.

TRANING PROGRAM - COCOPEA implements projects abmbd conducts training programs for school
administrators, faculty and other school personnel.

PACU, PACUCOA and the Quest for Quality

The Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities Commision on Accreditation (PACUCOA) traces
its beginnings as an accrediting arm of PACU IN 1950. Consequently, the publication of the first PACU
Handbook of Rules and Standards of Approval and Accreditation of Private Schools and Universities
followed, with end in view of guiding member schools of PACU in achieving excellence through self-
evaluation of their educational programs in light of their philosophy and objectives.

In 1967, the organization's focus on accreditation intensified as manifested in the appointment of the
first committee on accreditation and tge adoption of the first manual.

From a membership of six schools with nine accredited programs in 1997, PACUCOA membership
today lists 42 schools with 149 programs.

PACUCOA, in collaboration with the other accrediting agencies, developed survey instruments for
the liberak arts, education, and commerce programs in 1983.

The 1970 Presedential Comission to Survey Philippine Education conceived the plan of establishing a
federation odmf accredeting agencies. However, it was only in 1976 during a COCOPEA conference when
the Federatin aof Accredeting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP) was born. During this conference, a
consensus was reached to establish a federation of accrediting agencies which would a national,
voluntary, non-profit, and non-governmental agency. Its creation was in response to the need to harness
private, voluntary accreditation into a more effective force for raising educational standards in the
Philippines.