Report Proposes Alternate Form of Accreditation

The Center for American Progress today released a report that proposes a "complementary competitor" to the current system of accreditation.

The report describes three primary components for an outcomes-focused, alternative system, which, like current accreditors, would serve as a gatekeeper to federal financial aid.

• High standards for student outcomes and financial health;
• Standards set by private third parties;
• Data definition, collection and verification, as well as enforcement of standards by the federal government.

"If implemented, this new system would provide a pathway to address America’s completion and quality challenges through desperately needed innovation," the report said. "And it would do so while establishing strong requirements to ensure that students and taxpayers get their money’s worth."