Section 2: Academic Quality

The following standards apply to all entry-level and doctoral-level programs for which accreditation is being sought unless otherwise specified.
Counselor education programs must be committed to attaining the highest quality in their preparation of students and must demonstrate the process, tools, and thresholds used to measure quality. Academic quality is determined by evaluation of program mission and objectives and assessment of students’ knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions.
The purpose of student evaluation is for counselor education program faculty to continuously monitor student demonstration of key knowledge, skills, and dispositions to prepare them for practice as a counselor. The purpose of program evaluation is for counselor education program faculty to comprehensively evaluate overall program effectiveness across specific dimensions and to use findings to inform program modifications.

PROGRAM MISSION AND OBJECTIVES

A. PROGRAM MISSION
The counselor education program has a mission statement that:

defines and outlines the fundamental purpose of the program;
reflects input from persons involved in the conduct of the program: counselor education program faculty, current and former students, and community partners;
reflects counseling practice in a diverse, multicultural, and global society with marginalized populations; and
is on the program website in a location accessible to the public.

B. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
The program objectives:

reflect current knowledge and projected needs concerning counseling practice in a diverse, multicultural, and global society with marginalized populations;
reflect input from persons involved in the conduct of the program: counselor education program faculty, current and former students, and community partners;
are written in measurable terms so they can be evaluated; and
are on the program website in a location accessible to the public.

INDIVIDUAL STUDENT ASSESSMENT

C. Counselor education program faculty continuously and systematically assess how students individually demonstrate progress toward and mastery of the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions as required for program graduates.

The counselor education program faculty systematically assess each student’s progress throughout the program by examining student acquisition of both knowledge and skills. The assessment process includes the following:
a) key performance indicators in each of the eight foundational curricular areas and each CACREP specialized practice area (for doctoral programs, each of the five doctoral curriculum areas);
b) minimum performance expectations for each of the key performance indicators;
c) measurement of each key performance indicator must be conducted (1) using multiple measures and (2) across multiple points in time;
d) for a minimum of one KPI, one measurement must be taken during fieldwork; and
e) review or analysis of individual student data for the purpose of retention, remediation, and dismissal.

The counselor education program faculty systematically assess each student’s professional dispositions throughout the program. The assessment process includes the following:
a) identify and define professional dispositions to be assessed;
b) measurement of student professional dispositions over multiple points in time; and
c) review or analysis of individual student data for the purpose of retention, remediation, and dismissal.
The counselor education program has a systematic process in place for communicating feedback to students on their individual assessments of knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions.

PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS

D. CONTINUOUS AND SYSTEMATIC IMPROVEMENT OF THE PROGRAM
The counselor education program has a written comprehensive evaluation plan for systematically evaluating, monitoring, and reporting achievement of program objectives on an annual basis. The plan includes:

academic quality indicators aligned with program objectives;
minimum thresholds for academic quality indicators, as determined by counselor education program faculty;
the data that will be collected;
a procedure for how and when data will be collected;
a method for how and when data will be reviewed or analyzed;
a process for addressing unmet minimum thresholds;
a procedure for identifying and analyzing trends in the data across multiple years; and
an explanation for how data will be used for curriculum and program improvement.

E. ACADEMIC QUALITY INDICATORS
At minimum, programs must collect and analyze the following data annually as part of their comprehensive evaluation process:

Aggregate Assessment of Student Success:
The program provides trend analysis of student learning outcome data and reports in aggregate the achievement of minimum thresholds across multiple points in time for:
a) all key performance indicators for entry-level programs for which data were collected that year,
b) (if applicable) all key performance indicators for doctoral programs for which data were collected that year,
c) professional dispositions for entry-level students, and
d) (if applicable) professional dispositions for doctoral students.
Graduate Outcomes:
The program analyzes graduate outcomes and reports in aggregate, by program delivery type and CACREP specialized practice area, the achievement of minimum thresholds determined by the program for each of the following:
a) pass rates on credentialing examinations,
b) degree completion rates, and
c) employment and doctoral admission rates.
CACREP is temporarily suspending this standard. You will not be required to report on this standard and no compliance citations will be issued for this standard. Diverse Learning Community:
As part of identifying underrepresented populations and the continuous and systematic efforts to recruit, enroll, and retain a diverse group of students and faculty, the counselor education program analyzes, by program delivery type and CACREP specialized practice area, demographic data with regard to:
a) Students:
1) applicants,
2) enrolled students, and
3) degree completion rates.
b) Full-Time Faculty:
1) (if applicable) applicants for open faculty positions,
2) employed faculty, and
3) retention rates.
Fieldwork:
The program reports in aggregate the achievement of minimum thresholds for student placement rates at practicum and internship sites.

F. COMMUNITY PARTNER ENGAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY
The purpose of community partner engagement is to solicit and use feedback from parties outside of the counselor education program faculty who are knowledgeable about the counseling profession and the communities the program serves.

The program collects and analyzes systematic follow-up studies to analyze the extent to which the program is achieving its program objectives by collecting data from community partners that include:
a) graduates,
b) fieldwork site supervisors, and
c) employers of program graduates.
The counselor education program solicits feedback from a designated advisory committee regarding proposed curriculum modification and program improvement. The advisory committee comprises representatives from the program and community partners with diverse identities and perspectives.
Counselor education program faculty create an annual report for entry and doctoral (if applicable) levels that includes:
a) a summary of the program evaluation results, including achievement of academic quality indicators;
b) subsequent curriculum modifications and program improvement informed by program evaluation; and
c) any other significant program changes.
The annual report is published on the program website in a location accessible to the public.

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