What is NCASES...The National Commission for the Accreditation of Special
Education Services (NCASES) was established in response to a
need for private special education providers to have an
accreditation process that uniquely addresses their programs
and the populations they serve. NCASES will provide an accreditation process that effectively and systematically
evaluates private special education programs. It is an
accreditation process that welcomes diversity and recognizes
the importance of evaluating services based on their own
purpose, objectives, and ability to meet the needs of the
population they serve.
NCASES believes that a process which encourages diversity
of educational practice and innovation will assure that
students in private special education settings are provided
in environments that are healthy, safe, comfortable, and
conducive to learning. Once assurance is evident that such
goals have been attained, NCASES will help determine how
well a program, by meeting all standards, transcends
differences attributable to different States, regions, and
purposes, and provides a high quality of special education
programs appropriate to the needs of its students. Each
program is evaluated, and accreditation attained, based
solely on its ability to meet NCASES Standards.
Page Contents
NCASES Commissioners
Accredited Programs
Integrated
Accreditation
Standards
NCASES Accreditation Process
How_to_Prepare_for_NCASES_Accreditation
NCASES Standards
NCASES Application Form
For questions
contact
napsec@aol.com
or call 202-408-3338
NCASES Commissioners
Chair
Joe Leshko
Arrow Child & Family Ministries
Baltimore, MD
Past
Chair
Rosemarie Burton
Klingberg Family Centers
New Britain, CT
Commissioner
Rachel Tait
Eden Institute
Princeton, NJ
NAPSEC President
Dr. Dorothy Van Horn
Brookfield Schools
Cherry Hill, NJ
Chair, Standards
Committee
Dr. Steve Girelli
Klingberg Family Centers
New Britain, CT
Commissioner
Dr. Andrew Ross
Children's Guild
Baltimore, MD
Commissioner
Bill Bauer
The Day School at the Children's Institute
Pittsburgh, PA
Commissioner
Shawn Kurrlmeier-Lee
Read 20
Chattanooga, TN
Commissioner
Dr. Jade Carter
Horizons School
Birmingham, AL
Commissioner
Duncan Lester
Green Chimneys Children's
Services
Brewster, NY
Commissioner
Kathy Sullivan-Orton
ACCEL
Phoenix, AZ
Executive Director/CEO
Sherry L. Kolbe
NAPSEC
Washington, DC
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NCASES
Accredited
Programs
ACCEL
Phoenix, AZ
Board of Child Care - Strawbridge
School
Baltimore, MD
Boston Higashi
School
Randolph, MA
The
Children's Guild
Baltimore, MD
The
Children's Guild
Chillum, MD
The
Children's Guild
Annapolis, MD
The Day School at the Children's
Institute
Pittsburgh, PA
The
Eden Institute
Princeton, NJ
The Grandfather Academy
Banner Elk, NC
Heartspring
Wichita, KS
The Horizons School
Birmingham, AL
The Lighthouse
School
North Chelmsford, MA
New York
Institute
for Special Education
Bronx, NY
The Children's Institute
Verona, NJ
Timber Ridge School
Winchester, VA
Watson Institute
Sewickley, PA
Arrow Child & Family
Ministries
Baltimore, MD
Arrow Child & Family
Ministries - Fair
Meadows Campus
Bel Air, MD
Green Chimneys Children's
Services
Brewster, NY
NCASES/COA Accredited
Vista Vocational & Life
Skills Center
Westbrook, CT
St. Coletta of Greater
Washington
Washington, DC
Raymond Hill School of
Klingberg Family Centers
New Britain, CT
The Spurwink School
Lincoln, RI
Brookfield Schools
Cherry Hill, NJ
ScenicView Academy
Provo, UT
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Through NCASES partnership with the Council on
Accreditation (COA) an integrated accreditation process is offered for those
programs that are currently or want to be COA accredited. A program has the
choice to either have the teams (NCASES & COA) visit their program together
or they can come on separate visits. The process allows, through the
combination of NCASES and COA standards, to have the program be accredited
by both programs once the standards are complete. If this is of interest to
you, you will need to check this option on the NCASES Application Form
below.
COA/NCASES Integrated Accreditation
Standards Reviewed
Personnel
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Personnel Records
Staff Qualifications
Staff Development
Training of Service Professionals
Services
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Client/Student Records
Individualized Service Planning
Individualized Educational Plan
Instructional Planning
Curriculum
Instructional Methods
Behavioral and Affective Practices
Least Restrictiveness
Admission and Exit Procedures
Evaluation
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Goals and Objectives
Program Evaluation
Data Collection
Administrative Studies
Dissemination
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NCASES
Accreditation Process
Accreditation Application Requirements
F
Have been in operation for two years;
F Provide at least one of the Special Education services covered
by NCASES;
F Provide services within clearly defined and identifiable
programs; and
F Directly employ and pay staff to provide service(s).
Eligible Services
F Day Special Education Programs
F Educational Residential Programs
Accreditation Process
Letter to NCASES office requesting application information
Submission of
the initial application information and fee
Submit
completed self evaluation study of your agency
Visit by Site
Team to your agency
Site Team
report submitted to NCASES Commission
Official
determination by NCASES Commission regarding agency accreditation
Agency is
accredited for a period of four years or denied accreditation
Accreditation Services
A. Application fee - non-refundable: $250
B. Special
Education in Residential Settings: $4,000
C. Special
Education not in Residential Settings: $2,500
In addition,
applicant agency is responsible for paying all expenses incurred by the
Site Team during the site visit of the agency.
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Standards for Accreditation
Areas Examined
Organization
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Mission
Legal Sanction
Regulatory Compliance
Governing Body
Ethical Conduct
Administration
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Administrative Authority
Accountability
Policies and Procedures
Personnel
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Personnel Practices
Personnel Records
Staff Qualifications
Diversity & Non-Discrimination
Staff Development
Training of Service Professionals
Services
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Definition of People Served
Nondiscrimination
Confidentiality
Client/Student Records
Research
Complaints and Appeals
Individualized Service Planning
Individualized Educational Plan
Instructional Planning
Curriculum
Instructional Methods
Behavioral and Affective Practices
Least Restrictiveness
Admission and Exit Procedures
Community
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Community Identification
Community Education
Community Planning
Health and Safety
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regulations
Procedures
Physical Plant Safety
Staff Facilities
Financial Management
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Financial Resources
Budget
Management of Funds
Control and Audit
Cost Allocations
Insurance Coverage
Evaluation
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Goals and Objectives
Program Evaluation
Data Collection
Administrative Studies
Dissemination
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How
to Prepare for NCASES Accreditation
OVERVIEW
From the outset, NCASES copes with the difficulties emanating from
Standards which are to be applied nationally, in different states, in
different regions, in programs under different auspices, serving
different types of individuals and with different organizational
purposes.
Neither the Standards nor the accreditation process attempt to dictate a
programs purpose or rationale for existence. We believe that to be the
function of the state in which the agency exists and the community it
serves. Nevertheless, the Standards require that an agency is meeting a
community need and the Site Review Team will look for verifying
evidence.
An agency, duly licensed or approved by the government and then electing
to stand for accreditation responds to a desire for a broader review and
to be held to a higher standard than licensing or government approval
generally represents.
It is our hope that the Standards and the accreditation process,
consciously eschewing specific types of educational models will assure
that individuals in special education agencies and services are provided
first, and without question, environments that are healthy, safe,
comfortable, attractive, and conducive to learning.
Once assurance is evident that such goals have been attained, the
accreditation process will help determine how well an agency, by meeting
all Standards, transcends differences attributable to different States,
regions, auspices and purposes and provides a high quality of special
education programs and services appropriate to the needs of its clients.
Philosophy
The philosophy of NCASES is that the Self Study process associated
with accreditation leads to more efficient and effective services for
individuals with disabilities and their families.
Mission Statement
NCASES ensures that a set of Standards exists which allows
special-purpose educational agencies to voluntarily validate their
purpose relative to the best current practices available in Special
Education. Best current practices will be derived from the prevailing
body of knowledge and will evaluate how the agency seeking accreditation
applies such practices and professional techniques.
In addition, NCASES promotes agency self assessment relative to others,
innovation, growth, quality assurance, inter- and intra-agency
partnerships, networking and collaboration through accreditation to
promote the highest possible success for all individuals receiving
services.
The Need for Accreditation
Private Special Education agencies have increased greatly in number
in the last two decades. This growth has been in response to gaps in
public services and to the desire of parents to provide something
different and/or more appropriate. As a consequence of this impetus,
independent Special Education has developed into a major service sector
for people with disabilities and their families.
Parallel to this trend of private service development, the national
concern with accountability to consumers and the rights of individuals
with disabilities has risen to major proportions. Public and private
education alike have become aware of, and part of, the emphasis in these
areas and have been greatly affected by the translation of concern into
implementation.
NCASES was established out of concern that quality control be maintained
within private Special Education programs and services. The member
agencies of the National Association of Private Special Education
Centers (NAPSEC) established an independent, private accrediting agency
open to all Special Education agencies. NCASES provides a set of
standards and a process by which an agency can be evaluated by these
criteria.
The character of American accreditation has been private and voluntary.
NCASES follows in this tradition by also relying heavily upon
self-evaluation and peer review within the accreditation process. The
system is intended to maintain and improve quality, while preserving and
encouraging innovation and diversity.
Accreditation by NCASES
1. Assures the community that the agency has met best current
practices;
2. Identifies for private and public consumers agencies worthy of
financial support;
3. Assists prospective clients, families, and public agencies in
choosing a service provider; and
4. Assists in the development of agency improvement goals.
The Standards for Accreditation
The key to success of NCASES meeting its objectives is the
appropriateness and comprehensiveness of its Standards and their ability
to discriminate between superior quality and mere adequacy. The
Standards were developed with input from private and public sector-human
service professionals, parents, funders, and higher education. The
Standards will be systematically reviewed and revised based on
continuing input from the special education field.
In order for an agency to be eligible for NCASES accreditation it must
comply with 100% of the Core Standards, which appear in bold type in the
Standard and Self Study sections of the NCASES Manual, and comply with
80% of the remaining Standards for Accreditation listed in the manual.
To comply with Day Special Education standards the agency must complete
the Standards for Accreditation. To comply with other service areas the
agency must complete the Standards under each specific service area for
which it applied - Special Education within Residential Settings,
Educational Support Services and Educational Diagnostic
Services/Evaluation Services.
Applicant Status
Once the agency formally submits the letter of intent, completes the
NCASES application, and submits the required application fee, it
achieves "applicant status." Applicant status expires one year following
receipt of the above materials. NCASES reviews the preliminary
application information and, upon preliminary approval, provides the
necessary accreditation materials to begin the Self Study. The agency
submits half of the accreditation fee when the accreditation materials
arrive with the invoice and the remaining amount is collected before the
Site Review Team arrives on site.
The Self Study
Preparing for the Self Study and carrying it through constitutes one
of the most valuable outcomes of the total accrediting process. It not
only provides information used in the evaluation of the agency, but is
an opportunity for the agency to involve its entire staff and governing
board in the process of agency examination of structure, policy, and
procedures.
Unless these preparations are given ample time and involve widespread
participation of the staff, board, and others, the benefit to the
candidate agency is reduced and Site Review Team work will be hampered.
NCASES recommends broad-based participation in the Self Study process,
including key staff, board members, families and others, as appropriate.
In preparing for the Self Study the agency should appoint one staff
member to be responsible for an individual section of the standards.
This will allow agencies to assign different areas to staff based on
their expertise, which will enhance the process when the staff meets as
a team to organize the entire accreditation package. The sections are:
Organization
Administration
Personnel
Services
Community
Health and Safety
Financial Management
Evaluation
Day Special Education Programs
Special Education within Residential Settings*
*depending on application
Each staff member should have a separate file for each standard in
his/her section. The file will hold the proof that the standard has been
met. This can be done by simply including the policy required, the
agency’s Mission Statement or depending on the Standard in question, it
may require proof in practice that the standard has been met. Refer to
the italicized information following each Standard for further
instruction.
Standard 1. is a Core Standard – it is written in bold print. Standard
36. is not a Core Standard – it is not written in bold print.
EXAMPLE…
ORGANIZATION
The organization is structured and governed for the purpose of
providing educational and related services to individuals with special
needs.
Mission
____1. The organization defines its mission and purpose and establishes
a program of educational and related services for its attainment. (In
bold type – a Core Standard).
Review copy of Board authorized mission statement and minutes of Board
meeting at which the mission statement was authorized.
Accountability
____36. Procedures are available for staff and clients/students to alert
the organization's administration and governing body to changing
community conditions or other matters of concern to the organization.
(Not a Core Standard – not in bold).
Review written procedures, interview staff and client/students. Review
staff meeting notes.
A copy of the written policy documentation that shows compliance with
each standard, and three examples of how the standard is met in practice
(for those Standards where examples are needed) written out for the Team
to review.
Standard 1. would not need three examples, this standard can be proven
by placing a copy of the mission statement with a copy of the Board
minutes where the mission statement was approved in the file.
Standard 36. is an example of a Standard that requires three examples to
show it is also met in practice. This folder would contain a copy of the
policy or a page stating the name of the manual, the section of the
manual and/or the page number where the policy is located.
Your examples could be a copy of the staff manual or the name of the
manual with the section and/or page number in the manual where the
policy is located, a copy of a policy stating that all staff has
received a copy of the manual and have signed a document stating the
manual has been received and the policy has been read (this signed
document would also be in each employees personnel file). The agency
could use a suggestion box, or hold meetings where the agenda or the
minutes clearly state this type of information is exchanged. These are
all examples of how the policy is also met in practice at an agency.
Having the information in order, in folders labeled by section and
Standard number will help the process go smoothly for both the agency
and the site team. Leaving no surprises for the agency and the Team once
they are on site.
In areas where the agency finds it is lacking proof of compliance in
policy or practice or both, now is the time to address these areas by
developing and implementing new policies and procedures to ensure the
agency will be in compliance when the Site Team is on site. This is one
of the biggest benefits of NCASES Accreditation - making needed
improvements as you go through the Self Study process that will further
advance your agency’s mission and goals.
Once staff feels that it has completed the self study, you should gather
the entire working group together to review all the standards and
revisit any standards that may not be in full compliance. At this point,
any problem areas should be identified and policies developed, if
needed.
Once you feel that self study is successfully completed and proof exists
to meet all the standards. Fill out the “Self Study - Final Analysis”
that is located at the end of the Self Study Section in your manual, and
fax it to the NCASES office at 202-408-3340.
The Self Study should be returned to the NCASES office at a minimum of
six weeks prior to the Site Review Team visit to allow NCASES to examine
the material prior to setting up the site visit.
The agency should include three dates that it would like for NCASES to
schedule a site visit for its Self Study. The dates should be listed in
order of the agency’s preference – 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. The Dates should
be for a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The Site Team will arrive on
Sunday evening to prepare for the weeks activities.
The Site Review Team Visit
NCASES will review all documents as described previously and select
members for the Site Review Team and schedule dates with the agency for
the site visit.
The Site Review Team
The Site Review Team will be comprised of experienced professionals
from Special Education programs and services, similar to the one being
reviewed, and other relevant persons. All team members will have
experience with program review and be specially trained for their
assignment.
The names of the site reviewers will be sent to the agency prior to the
actual visit. If the agency believes that a proposed site reviewer,
because of prior association of activities with the agency or its staff,
would be unable to render an objective review, the agency has the option
of rejecting the site reviewer(s) and requesting a different
reviewer(s). Confidentiality of this process will be strictly observed.
Function of the Site Review Team
The Site Review Team will review the agency against the NCASES
Standards. They will verify information supplied in the Self Study,
gather additional data on agency operation and performance, and assess
the agency's level of compliance on the provisions. The Team will not
provide consultation to the agency. Board and staff of the agency should
not expect the Team to consult on problems found in the course of the
accreditation site visit. They are not authorized to state whether an
agency will or will not be accredited. This decision lies solely with
the NCASES Commission.
Cost of Site Review
The cost of the Site Review includes the accreditation fee, travel
expenses, lodging and meals associated with the site visit. The agency
is responsible for selecting a hotel and making reservations for the
team in advance. The agency needs to inform the hotel that it should be
billed for the Site Team’s stay and meal expenses – individual Team
members do not pay for hotel expenses or those meals that were charged
to their hotel room during the site visit. When the Team returns from
the site visit, they will submit their remaining expenses to the NCASES
office and once the entire team has submitted their expense forms,
NCASES will invoice the agency for the Team’s expenses.
Schedule of On-Site Activities
It is the responsibility of the agency Director/Chief Executive
Officer to arrange a tentative schedule for the on-site review based on
the NCASES’s Accreditation Process Handbook and discussion with the Team
Leader. This schedule should be received by the Team Leader prior to the
Teams arrival at the agency. The handbook explains the usual activities
conducted on-site and suggested length of time for each. The Team Leader
will contact the agency in advance to discuss these issues with the
designated agency contact.
These activities most often include: an Orientation Conference with the
agency executive and chair or designee; tour of the agency; interview
with clients and staff members at all levels of responsibility and
governing and/or advisory board members; a sampling of case records,
personnel files, financial records, and minutes of board and committee
meetings; and observation of activities not specially scheduled for the
reviewers. The Team Leader, on the basis of the analysis of the Self
Study, may request time be allotted for additional activities not
necessarily covered in the handbook. Site visits require a maximum of
two and half days. If, based on unusual circumstances, additional time
is required this would be worked out in advance of the site team’s
arrival.
The Report
At the completion of the site visit the Team Leader, with assistance
from the team members, will complete the Site Review Team report. In
this report, the reviewers will provide detailed information regarding
the agency's level of compliance with NCASES Standards.
The report will be submitted to the Executive Director & CEO of NCASES
who will then send it to the agency Director for review. The agency will
have the opportunity to respond in writing to the factual statements and
evaluation in the report before its submission to the NCASES Commission.
The Accreditation Decision
The report of the Site Review Team will be sent to the NCASES
Commission for action. Final authority to award, extend, defer or revoke
accreditation rests with this body. In anything less than a unanimous
decision, the NCASES Commission will fully review and decide on what
action to take. For more detailed information on these processes consult
the NCASES Accreditation Handbook.
Confidential Information
The NCASES Commission will hold in confidence all information about
agencies learned during the review for accreditation. The NCASES
Commission has the right to make known the decision regarding an
agency's accreditation. The NCASES Commission will not release any other
information gathered during the accreditation without the written
permission of the agency. Information gathered during the accreditation
or reaccreditation process includes documents, reports, narratives and
evaluations submitted with the application and agency Self Study,
observations, reports and work notes of the Site Review Team and the
deliberations of the NCASES Commission.
Litigation Acknowledgment
It is required of all applicant agencies to fully disclose all
pending legal matters in which they are involved. Upon review of such
matters, a decision will be rendered by the NCASES Commission regarding
whether or not the applicant agency is allowed to continue the
accreditation process. Decisions by the Commission will be final and
determined based upon the following principles:
Litigation pending against an agency may be a deterrent to continuing
the accreditation process, they are:
* Abuse or neglect
* Fiscal mismanagement or fraud
* Criminal activities not otherwise
specified
Litigation pending against an agency due to non-criminal acts of a civil
nature may not be construed as a deterrent to continuing the
accreditation process.
Please note...
Concluded litigation actions within the previous seven years must be
disclosed to the NCASES Commission by the agency with a synopsis of any
actions taken by the agency to comply with court orders and/or deter
future litigation of a similar nature. Please ensure that this
information is provided to the Site Team while on site.
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NAPSEC
Private early intervention services, schools, residential
therapeutic centers, and
adult living programs serving individuals with disabilities and their
families since 1971.
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