Through the 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 when applying for NCASES Accreditation.
Personnel
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Personnel Records
Staff Qualifications
Staff Development
Training of Service
Professionals
Services
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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
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Goals and Objectives
Program Evaluation
Data Collection
Administrative Studies
Dissemination
Guidelines for NCASES/COA Integrated Accreditation
Overview
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.
Organizations pursuing integrated
accreditation will receive a 15% discount on COA
accreditation fees. Please note that agencies that are
members of one of COA's ten Sponsoring Organizations,
and as a result receive a 25% discount on their
reaccreditation fee, will not qualify for an additional
10% discount.
Process Steps
1. COA and NCASES will offer organizations
the option to undergo an integrated COA- NCASES survey
leading to dual accreditation. Organizations will notify
NCASES and COA in writing of their intent to pursue dual
accreditation.
2. Organizations pursuing joint
accreditation will provide NCASES with their COA
accreditation plan listing the dates for the site visit.
3. In those instances where an organization
has elected to seek dual accreditation, COA and NCASES
will make reasonable efforts to schedule the integrated
survey for the same date. When this is impossible or at
the organization’s request, sequential surveys will be
offered. Under this arrangement dual accreditation will
be available so long as the COA survey and NCASES survey
occur within 90 calendar days of each other.
Organizations completing the integrated
site visit will share the COA’s peer notification letter
with the NCASES team.
4. The team leaders for NCASES and COA
will be responsible for making contact in advance of
the site team visit to discuss the site visit
logistics. Including; joint entrance and exit
meeting, sharing a meeting space to review on-site
materials, and scheduling any joint on-site
interviews.
5. In an integrated accreditation survey,
COA will survey all of its standards, and NCASES will
survey only those organizational standards not covered
by COA (to be listed separately) and education-specific
standards.
NCASES will accept the COA findings with
regard to those standards that are addressed through the
COA assessment.
6. If the agency is not accredited by COA,
the agency must provide a copy of the COA report to
NCASES to review the areas of noncompliance before
NCASES accreditation approval can be provided.
7. successful completion of integrated
survey, the agency will receive separate accreditations
from COA and NCASES. Organizations will provide NCASES with their
notification of (re)accreditation from COA and the
NCASES (re)accreditation notification to COA.
 
Below is the 2017 Standards for NCASES/COA Integrated Accreditation Manual. Please click the cover icon to view our dynamic manual version or if you choose, you can also download the whole handbook as a PDF below as well. Please make sure you have the newest version of Flash player so that you can have the best experience. If you do not have the newest version of the Adobe Flash player, please click here. Enjoy.
NOTE: Text in italicized type provides guidance to the Site Reviewers regarding possible sources of evidence for the organization’s compliance with the standard(s) preceding it. It does not list compliance requirements. Other evidence of compliance may be offered by the organization.
Where the term “state” is used to describe a jurisdiction, other terms (e.g., province) may be applicable.
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