The Purpose of Accreditation
Historically, the term accreditation meant having faith or trust in a person, organization, or assembly. The word has its roots in both French and Italian.
The original purpose of accreditation in the United States was to establish a standard for schools. This was done in the interest of fairness, so that students would have confidence that the schools to which they were attending could be trusted to deliver a quality learning experience.
Unfortunately, what has evolved over the years is an accreditation process that has come to mean approval and encouragement of a system whereby curricula and methodologies are planned without reference to students as individuals.
Millions of families now recognize that this sort of accreditation has become an obstacle to delivering the kind of quality education originally envisioned.
The International Association of Schools and Colleges (I.A.S.C.) was established in 1996 to reform curriculum delivery methods currently approved for general application in university, college, and secondary school programs.
The I.A.S.C. accredits only programs that deliver the kind of educational services students have long recognized as both engaging and relevant to their studies, future vocations, avocations and successful living in today's technological, swiftly changing world.
An I.A.S.C. accredited program begins planning presentation methodologies only after the student is known. That is, methodologies are adopted after the individual student's concentration interests are observed and discussed.
No I.A.S.C. school uses force to mandate student attendance. I.A.S.C. schools are available at any time for an eligible student who has the desire to develop skills necessary for productive participation in our society.
The current system of accreditation used in America's junior and senior high schools is based on the philosophies of John Dewey and William Harris, both of whom advocated that the training model of the 19th century Prussian military, with its use of bells, whistles, klaxons, pre-planned curriculum and time segments, be used in the public schools. Dewey and Harris were relying on this model to develop academic presentation methodologies.
The I.A.S.C. agrees with Albert Einstein who said of his experience with the Prussian/American accreditation model, "It is in fact little short of a miracle that modern methods of instruction have not already completely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry. It is a grave mistake to think that the enjoyment of seeing and searching can be promoted by means of coercion and a sense of duty. I believe that one could even deprive a healthy beast of prey of its voraciousness if one could force it with a whip to eat continuously whether it were hungry or not."
Everyone agrees that ultimately the accreditation process should be about fostering excellence in our university, college and secondary school programs.
The I.A.S.C. accreditation process recognizes as excellent only those programs that routinely take into account the strengths and interests of each student as an individual in order to engage him/her in a productive educational environment that does not militate against the highest possible academic standards and achievement.
The I.A.S.C.'s fundamental mission involves assisting schools to create a meaningful learning experience for all students. This is done through the I.A.S.C. accreditation process which is contrary in part to standard administration-centered accrediting procedures.
Section Index
- Introducing The International Association of Schools and Colleges (I.A.S.C.)
- The Purpose of Accreditation
- I.A.S.C. Accreditation Criteria
- Apply for Accreditation
- I.A.S.C. Frequently Asked Questions
- I.A.S.C. Recommended Reading List
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