Physical Education Accreditation Process

CCUPEKA Accreditation Council

Accreditation for Physical Education: Teacher Preparation Programs 2012

Introduction
General Education Outcomes and Minimum Disciplinary Accreditation Standards
Accreditation Procedure and Structure
Responsibilities of Accreditation Council
Accreditation Process

Introduction

The CCUPEKA Accreditation Council is the accrediting agency for undergraduate pre-educational and undergraduate integrated Physical Education/ Teacher Preparation programs in Canada.

To be accredited, a unit must satisfy the minimal standards set forth in the accreditation document. Accreditation is open only to the Canadian Council of University Physical Education and Kinesiology Administrators (CCUPEKA) member institutions.

The main purpose of accreditation is to evaluate whether reviewed programs meet the minimum standards of education and training for graduates. However, by applying minimum standard criteria, we will not interfere with innovation and diversity of individual programs.

While the achievement of minimum standards will guarantee the basic quality of programs, it may also serve as an incentive for further improvement and creative growth.

The Minimum Disciplinary Accreditation Standards (MDAS) offer a framework for the development and organization of disciplinary knowledge and practical skills for graduates; these standards form a basis for the academic unit’s curriculum design and should be reflected in the unit’s mission statement.

The CCUPEKA Accreditation System serves the following functions:

Identifies General Education Outcomes necessary for the continued study of Physical Education and teaching practice.
Sets Minimum Disciplinary Accreditation Standards for Physical Education programs and ensures that programs meet the standards and expectations of the national and international disciplinary, professional, and educational communities.
Positively affects the maintenance of specialized, permanent faculty positions.
Helps students identify appropriate university programs in Canada.
Facilitates student transfer between programs.

Encourages increased credibility and acceptance of physical education/ teacher preparation programs.
Provides a basis for self-evaluation and comparison with programs of a similar nature.
May serve as a rationale for requests for more resources in the changing disciplinary and professional environment.
Facilitates the transferability of courses.
Facilitates admission to the B.Ed. programs in Faculties of Education and enhances recognition of qualifications for teaching certification.

In order to establish minimum standards for university Physical Education/ Teacher Preparation programs it is necessary to identify the “needs” of the teaching profession in terms of competencies. This entails what a physical education teacher should be able to do, understand, and value.

General Educational Outcomes (GEO’s) of teacher preparation must reflect the competencies required by professional practice.

GEO’s are affected by three main forces:

educational experiences;
research and;
professional practice

Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE Canada) and CCUPEKA should cooperate to continuously redefine the General Educational Outcomes for graduates of Physical Education/ Teacher Preparation programs in order to meet the practical demands of the provincial education systems.

The minimum standards provide institutions and students with flexibility to function in different educational settings and ensure that graduates have the necessary background to teach effectively in their chosen areas.

These standards ensure that teacher preparation programs are delivered by academic units with sufficient faculty resources to offer coherent and effective programs with both breadth and depth of human movement study and pedagogy.

The national accreditation system of Physical Education/ Teacher Preparation strives to overcome differences in the current provincial or regional systems of teacher preparation.

Essentially, there are two structurally different systems of teacher reparation programs in Canada:

SEQUENTIAL SYSTEM
The responsibility for fulfilling the Minimum Disciplinary Accreditation Standards in the Sequential system is divided between the undergraduate pre-education teacher preparation program (stream) and pedagogical education provided through a B.Ed. program.
INTEGRATED SYSTEM
In the Integrated system, the teacher preparation program is responsible for fulfilling all Minimum Disciplinary Accreditation Standards. Students are admitted to such a program after Senior Matriculation or after one or two years of undergraduate study.

General Education Outcomes and Minimum Disciplinary Accreditation Standards

Undergraduate sequential Physical Education programs are primarily responsible for Standards one through six.Bachelor of Education programs are responsible for Standard VII.Undergraduate integrated Physical Education / Teacher Preparation programs are responsible for all seven Standards.Undergraduate Sequential And Integrated Educational Programs.

A graduate functions effectively in the Physical Education instructional setting and develops specialization in Physical Education disciplinary areas:

STANDARD 1 Program StructureProgram accreditation requirements:

Structure

Four year degree program with minimum 40 courses. In Quebec, 3 year degree program with CEGEP and min of 30 courses.

Breadth of Curricular Offerings:

Fifty percent of the total number of courses for the undergraduate Physical Education / Teacher Preparation programs must be offered by the Physical Education / Kinesiology unit. (15 out of 30, or 20 out of 40 courses).

University programs, which require more than forty courses for the degree must offer a minimum of twenty courses by the Physical Education / Kinesiology unit.

Depth of Curricular Offerings:

A minimum of four physical education courses should be offered at an advanced level. “Advanced level” is defined by the program’s mission.

Faculty Complement:

Seventy five percent of the physical education courses in the physical education disciplinary areas must be taught by full-time physical education/kinesiology faculty/staff.

A graduate:

analyzes movement using principles of the Natural Sciences, the Social Sciences and Humanities.
engages in inquiry about the validity and centrality of different ideas and perspectives in the disciplinary domains

STANDARD 2 Minimum Core Curriculum – Disciplinary Content

Required courses:

human anatomy,
human physiology,
exercise physiology,
biomechanics,
motor learning and control,
psychology of physical activity;
and two courses in social science and/or humanities area

(total of 8 courses)

A graduate: describes and demonstrates basic techniques, strategies and safety related to basic movement, games, sports, dance, outdoor activities, as well as exercise and health related fitness.

STANDARD 3 Minimum Core Curriculum – Activities

Required courses:

formalized games, sports, and physical activities in alternative environments;
dance;
basic movement (e.g. track and field, gymnastics);
recreation and leisure pursuits,
and exercise and health related fitness

(4 courses or equivalent)

The courses should include what is being taught in the provincial school systems.

Required emphases:

Activity courses involve both instructional strategies and analysis of movement

A graduate:

plans and implements developmentally appropriate health instruction for life-long learning, promotes individual and community health, and integrates health/fitness instruction into school life.

STANDARD 4 Minimum Core Curriculum – Health /Development

Required courses (two courses):

health education*, and
growth and development

*Health education assumes concepts of health promotion and nutrition are covered.

The student selects courses required by university and provincial regulations to be eligible for admission to the Bachelor of Education program.

STANDARD 6 Requirements for Admission to the B.Ed. Program.

Required courses:

Physical Education / Teacher Preparation

Pre-educational programs must follow all provincial regulations for admission to the Bachelor of Education programs and document an alignment with the programs in the Faculty of Education.

Integrated Undergraduate Education And B.Ed. Programs (Teaching License)

Instructional Strategies

A graduate:

plans, manages, presents and develops the content of instruction, identifies curricular goals, designs and implements progressive teaching strategies based on developmental needs and safe instruction.
designs and implements learning experiences that are safe, developmentally appropriate and socially relevant.
develops and applies pedagogical strategies associated with the promotion of healthy, active living.
designs and implements learning strategies that may result in change in physical activity and health behaviors.
relates learning environment to knowledge acquisition.
promotes self-regulatory learning.
uses motivational strategies to promote life-long participation in physical activity.
develops communication strategies for promotion of physical education activities with students, parents/guardians, school administrators, colleagues and the larger community.
promotes the use of new technologies, e.g., computers, networks, multimedia.

Learner Assessment/Reflection Teaching

A graduate:

uses formal and informal assessment techniques.
teaches self-assessment strategies.
teaches peer assessment strategies.
evaluates methods of assessment.
researches information and critically reflects on practices and outcomes of the Physical/ Health Education program.
evaluates the teaching – learning process and implements adjustments in order to enhance program effectiveness.
engages in self-reflection on teaching effectiveness.

Professional Development

A graduate:

promotes the professional development of self and others through membership in national and provincial organizations.
contributes to the profession through action research, curriculum renewal, and participation in professional conferences, in-services and continuing education.
develops partnerships that enhance the physical / health education program.

STANDARD 7 Minimum Core Curriculum - Pedagogy of Physical Education

Program accreditation requirements:

B. Ed. and Integrated programs must offer courses in

Instructional Strategies,
Pedagogy of Physical Education,
Analysis of Teaching in Physical Education,
Curriculum Design and Implementation, and
Special populations.

The program must offer a minimum of ten weeks of teaching practice in a physical activity environment.

In addition to the above information, institutions are also required to present the following information in their self study document:

mission and objectives of the school and program
degree requirements
description of cooperative activities with other academic and/or professional units
description of laboratory and teaching facilities
description of equipment used in the program
number of graduating students for past 7 years
faculty/staff profiles
syllabi of all courses
university calendar

CCUPEKA Accreditation Procedure and Structure

The CCUPEKA Accreditation Council adjudicates decisions for both Kinesiology and Physical Education Teacher Preparation reviews. The Council consists of an Accreditation Council Coordinator and 6 members of CCUPEKA. A panel of Reviewers is approved by Accreditation Council. The panel may have up to 14 members and members of the Council may also serve as reviewers.

The Accreditation Council members are normally nominated from the current CCUPEKA membership.

Responsibilities of Accreditation Council

Accreditation Council

Members will serve for three year overlapping terms (eligible for reappointment). Francophone and Anglophone representation is required.

Duties of the Accreditation Council:

receives and formulates a response to accreditation reviews,
makes a motion to approve the reviewers’ recommendations,
issues the Accreditation Statement,
presents recommendations for changes to the accreditation standards and procedures to the CCUPEKA membership

Accreditation Coordinator

The Accreditation Coordinator will be appointed by the CCUPEKA Executive for a three year term (eligible for reappointment).

Duties of the Accreditation Coordinator:

chair Accreditation Council meetings
develop a list of reviewers
compile the institutional applications
aid CCUPEKA units in the reviewer selection
recruit candidates for the review panel and for the Accreditation Council
coordinate training for reviewers
liaise between reviewers and programs applying for accreditation
where necessary appoint an appeal review panel
communicate with professional and disciplinary organizations
liaise with government agencies where necessary

Panel of Reviewers

A group of up to 14 reviewers will be selected by the Accreditation Council. Individuals may be nominated to the panel by a CCUPEKA member.

Duties of the Reviewers:

read and review the institutional self- study; complete a site visit at the applying institution
prepare final report that presents a clear description of compliance or areas of non-compliance with the Accreditation standards.
review an institution’s re-submission where appropriate
make recommendations to the Accreditation CouncilWhere possible, the report should be submitted to the Accreditation Coordinator within six weeks.

Accreditation Process

Kinesiology and Physical Education Academic Units are accredited for a period of seven years.

The Institutional Application for Accreditation is sent to the Accreditation Coordinator.

The accreditation fee is submitted to the Secretary-Treasurer.

Steps:

A completed application form (which includes the institutional self-study) and any required supporting documents is submitted to the Accreditation Coordinator. The downloadable form template that must be used is located in the Members Only section of the CCUPEKA website.
The accreditation fee is submitted to the Secretary-Treasure, with notification to the Accreditation Coordinator that the fee has been submitted. One electronic copy of the Accreditation form and related materials should be sent to the CCUPEKA Accreditation Council Coordinator:

Carol D. Rodgers, PhD
Associate Professor
University of Saskatchewan
College of Kinesiology
Ph: 306-966-1172
carol.rodgers@usask.ca

Selection of reviewers is a joint process between the program to be accredited and the Accreditation Coordinator.

Reviewers will provide the Accreditation Coordinator with their written report. These reports will be provided by the Coordinator to the institutions under review.

Reviewers may require clarification on some issues and this will be communicated to the institution via the Coordinator. If Reviewers feel some standards have been met while others not, the institution will have the opportunity to provide a re-submission on how the outstanding standards are currently or will be met. These should once again be provided the Accreditation Coordinator and these will be forwarded to the Reviewers.

In the case of a deficiency or required revision that the program is attempting to redress, the program under review needs to provide the Coordinator with a plan for revision and expected timeline. Normally the review process must be completed within 18 months or it must begin anew.

In the event that a program does not meet the Accreditation Standards the Coordinator will request of the institution whether they will appeal the review, make adaptations to their program with the goal of reapplying, or withdraw the application.

Normally, reviewed units have eighteen months to comply with the Accreditation Council recommendations in order to meet the Accreditation Standards.

Any academic unit that receives an adverse decision on accreditation may appeal that decision. An adverse decision as defined by CCUPEKA Accreditation Council includes the denial of application for accreditation.An adverse decision may be appealed on the grounds that:

CCUPEKA accreditation standards were disregarded.
CCUPEKA accreditation procedures were not followed.
Evidence favourable to the applicant and provided to the Reviewers /Accreditation Council was not taken into consideration.

If one or more of these conditions were a factor in the denial of accreditation application, the means of redress is through the appeal process.An appeal is heard by a Review Panel, consisting of three members selected by the Accreditation Coordinator, from the Review Board. Responsibility for acting on the findings and recommendations of the Review Panel rests with the Accreditation Council. The findings and recommendations of the Review Panel are communicated to the appellant and to the Accreditation Council Coordinator in a written report that conveys the basis for the action taken by the Panel. The Accreditation Council will act on the Panel’s findings. The subsequent action will be based on the grounds for appeal that were upheld by the Review Panel. The accreditation status of the appellant remains unchanged until the appeal process has been exhausted.

Process of Appeal

Within 60 days of receiving notice of a decision, an institution electing to appeal that decision must present the Accreditation Council Coordinator a written notification of its intention to appeal.
No later than 30 days from the date that it submits its notification, the institution must submit a brief to the coordinator that sets forth the specifics of its appeal and includes full documentation.
After consultation with the appellant, the Coordinator will appoint a Review Panel, drawn from the Review Board, to hear the appeal. One of the appointees will be designated as Chair of the Review Panel.
No later that 30 days after the appellant’s submission, the Review Panel will review the appeal. Prior to the hearing, the Panel is briefed by the Coordinator on the process and procedures for hearing an appeal, and rendering a decision.
The Panel prepares a written report that conveys the basis of its findings on the appeal and submits that report to the appellant and to the Accreditation Coordinator. The Coordinator then presents the findings to the Accreditation Council for their information. The decision of the Review Panel is final and represents the decision of Accreditation Council.The decision is subject to disclosure and notification to member institutions.

Cost of Appeal

If the appeal leads to an affirmation of the Accreditation Council’s original decision, the appellant will be liable for a set fee of $500.00 to cover the expenses of the appeal process. If the Panel finds in favour of the institution, the fee will not be assessed.

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Physical Education Accreditation Process

Accreditation for Physical Education: Teacher Preparation Programs 2012

Table of Contents

Introduction

General Education Outcomes and Minimum Disciplinary Accreditation Standards

GEO 1: The Disciplinary and Applied Preparation in Physical Education Expand

GEO 2: Knowledge of Disciplinary Content Expand

GEO 3: Knowledge of Physical Education Specialized Content Expand

GEO 4: Health and Physical Activity Promotion Expand

GEO 5: Special Populations Expand

GEO 6: Course selection – Specialization Expand

GEO 7: Pedagogy of Physical Education Expand

Additional Information Expand

CCUPEKA Accreditation Procedure and Structure

Responsibilities of Accreditation Council

Accreditation Council

Accreditation Coordinator

Panel of Reviewers

Accreditation Process

Institutional Application for Accreditation Submission Expand

The Review and Remediation Process Expand

Accreditation Statement Expand

Fee Structure Expand

Appeal Process Expand

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