In March of 2022, NAACLS announced new compliance requirements for Standard IV.A.1.d. NAACLS is now reviewing programs’ posted outcomes to check for compliance with Standard IV.A.1.d and notifying programs that are not in compliance. Program officials have contacted NAACLS with a number of questions. For your convenience, NAACLS is sharing the most frequently asked questions about Standard IV.A.1.d compliance.

“Our program’s outcomes posting is not different than it has been in the past; why is it now non-compliant?”

As a result of our compliance requirements changing, NAACLS is reviewing programs under different parameters. This is likely why what worked previously may not work now.

“The last three active years, 2018 – 2020, are listed on my landing page; why am I non-compliant?”

NAACLS needs to see data from 2021 available to prospective students. There are likely high school graduates, and their families, currently trying to make informed decisions about their next steps in education. Data from 2021 must be available for interested students to make those decisions.

“I was notified that I am non-compliant for not having 2021 outcome data available. However, the Standard Compliance Guide states that I have “within one year of graduation from the program” to collect program certification rates; therefore, I didn’t list any. Was I emailed in error?”

The NAACLS Board of Directors designed the standards to work together to give a picture of a program’s quality. However, the language referred to above is from Standard II.B.

At least the three active years of results of graduate placement rates demonstrating that an average of at least 70%* of respondent graduates either find employment in the field or a closely related field (for those who seek employment) or continue their education within one year of graduation as calculated by the most recent three-year period.

NAACLS Standard Compliance Guide

NAACLS does grant you that year, so a program may gather all its data, evaluate it and use it in the continual assessment and quality improvement required in Standard II.

While they are closely related, public posting of outcomes is Standard IV and not Standard II. The above compliance language does not apply to Standard IV. The focus of Standard IV is not program assessment but rather the availability of outcomes to prospective and enrolled students. Your data may not be complete, but there is room in Standard IV.A.1.d compliance language to provide that context in your posting. However, NAACLS needs to ensure that data from 2021 is available to the public.

The above questions are the ones we’ve received the most frequently. However, NAACLS wants to make sure that our program directors are clear on expectations. NAACLS will be hosting a Dr. NAACLS focused on Standard IV.A.1.d, on April 28th, 2022, at 1 pm, Central, to respond to any other questions you may have, registration is required. As always, NAACLS Staff will make sure this video is available in the NAACLS News shortly after recording.