Public Testimony by Larry Keough:
In Response to Florida Senate Interim Project on Private School Accreditation

January 25, 2005, before the Senate Education Committee. . .
 

I. Introduction

Good morning Madam Chair and Committee Members. I appreciate the opportunity to respond to the Senate’s interim project on private school accreditation and voucher accountability in general. Before I delve into comments about private school accreditation, I’d like to thank Sen. King for sponsoring legislation about scholarship accountability and look forward to working with him, this committee and the overall Senate body.

As the associate for education at the Florida Catholic Conference, I am speaking on behalf of the 224 Florida Catholic Schools, 160 of which are participating in one of the three statewide scholarship programs. Each of you may know that although we have lobbed for these programs, we have in recent years proposed academic accountability requirements, including accreditation, for participating private schools.


II. Interim Project

We were pleased that the Senate authorized an interim project on private school accreditation. At that point, the dialogue about accreditation as a voucher accountability provision had been limited to brief interaction during the McKay Task Force and some commentary in this committee in response to voucher accountability for schools that participate in the McKay Program or the Corporate Tax Scholarship Program.

Although the interim project provided a lay of the land so to speak for private school accreditation in this state, we were disappointed that the Senate stopped short of recommending accreditation as a requirement for schools participating in the McKay Program and CTSP. Also troubling was the recommendation that singled out accredited private schools to disclose their accreditation status, whether they are in violation of accrediting standards and the names of their accrediting associations. However, non-accredited schools would be exempt from reporting whether they meet any such standards.

That not only would be punitive against accredited private schools, but tantamount to a double standard.

While the Interim Project provides information as to the accrediting associations that accredit private schools in Florida, the project neither addressed the plethora of misconceptions that we heard last year about accreditation, nor did it provide rationale why this body has supported accreditation as an accountability requirement in so many other educational programs such as:

--the Florida Resident Access Grant;
--the Access to Better Learning Education Grants;
--Florida Private Student Assistant Grant (check with Nick).

And in the recently enacted Universal Pre-K legislation, accreditation and/or licensure is required for private-sector providers.

Also consider that students can’t receive Title IV Pell grants unless they are attending an accredited college or university. Moreover, law school graduates can’t participate in the Florida Bar exam unless they graduated from an ABA accredited law schools.

One of the reasons medical schools are accredited is to provide medical students with the necessary knowledge and expertise before taking their board exams and practicing medicine.

Accreditation not only is a widely accepted accountability requirement within the educational arena, but outside the scope of education as well. Florida is a leader nationally in requiring accreditation for our prison system to ensure, among other things a safe, humane and secure environment.

In addition, the Florida Legislature has passed a statute encouraging the Florida Police Chiefs to create an independent law enforcement accreditation program.

Our point simply is this. If accreditation is utilized to ensure minimal standards for our prisons, for law enforcement, for colleges, law schools, medical schools and even early childhood programs, why wouldn’t we apply this same logic for private schools participating in scholarship programs?

After all, vouchers in Florida were founded on the premise that children in life who have not received a good start in life educationally within the public sector, ought to have the right for a better opportunity in the private sector.

It follows that the state, by legislating the three statewide scholarship programs, has a responsibility to ensure that the participating private schools minimally are providing a safe, secure and quality education for voucher students.

Accreditation would provide that assurance.


III. Addressing Misconceptions

When accreditation was discussed last year before the Senate Education Committee, I believe there either was some confusion or misconceptions about private school accreditation.

--Probably the most often repeated misconception is accreditation will drive non-accredited schools from the school-choice movement. (We are recommending a reasonable time line of three years from the date of obtaining candidate status to the initial accreditation visit. The school would then receive a two year grace period if needed following the initial accreditation visit to correct any standard violations.

One of the other objections is accreditation is too costly. For Florida Catholic K-8 schools, the cost $3,000 to $4,000 over a 7-year cycle, which averages about $430-$570 a year.

Another criticism is accreditation is only about inputs, not outcomes. Many public schools and private schools are participating in a fairly new accreditation approach called the School Improvement Model, which is designed to help schools better teach students so they can improve academically on their nationally norm referenced tests.

Others have indicated that schools for special needs students can’t be accredited. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and other accrediting associations have specific standards for special purpose schools, which are schools for special needs students.


IV. No conflicts of Interest

For accreditation to be legitimate, the accreditation association has to be separate and a part from the school. There can be no conflict of interest. That’s why we recommend that a third party entity, organizations such as the Florida Association of Academic Nonpublic Schools, the National Council Private School Association or the Commission of the International and Trans-Regional Accreditation, serve as a check and balance to determine whether an accrediting association and its standards are reputable.

These checks and balances would provide oversight on the accrediting body. The third party oversight would ensure that the accrediting organization is enforcing standards and actually visiting the schools it credits on a periodic basis.


V. Conclusion

Accreditation is not a silver bullet to remedy all problems associated with operating a school. There is probably no one single accountability measure that is
the panacea. But accreditation, if framed appropriately, would provide assurance that all participating schools are meeting at least minimal standards for children.

I believe this is the least we can do for Florida’s children who are receiving statewide scholarships.

At this time I would welcome any questions.



For more information, please contact Larry Keough at 850-222-3803, or at lkeough@flacathconf.org.
 

Florida Catholic Conference
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Phone (850) 222-3803 * Fax (850) 681-9548