The need of accrediting in the educational establishments is vital, for the support of different governmental and non-governmental organizations can evaluate the extent of training and skills gained during the years of studying. Moreover, students are supposed to have abilities to puzzle out this or that discipline. In this respect the use and straightforward work of Accreditation agencies is necessary. The thing is that Community Colleges, in particular, as others educational establishments should be examined thoroughly in terms of high standards of education prescribed according to the current law on educational standards. This is why the paper deals with the evaluation of such agencies along with giving them proper extent of significance within the rest ones.
According to Kaplin and Lee (2007) the accreditation agencies are divided into two major types, namely: institutional (or “regional”) and program (or “specialized”). In this respect two kinds of agencies are outlined by the difference of their applying to the entire or particular educational establishments with appropriate programs and approaches. In other words, institutional agencies deal with different educational institutions on an entire base, when program agencies are intended to cooperate in one or more particular program or approach according to the institutions or parts within such institutions.
Along with above mentioned division accreditation agencies can also be governmental and private. Among the main and well-known agencies are: the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) which is formed due to the cooperation of a group of community college presidents and is able to oversee regional and specialized types of accreditation (Kaplin & Lee, 2007). This organization helps to trite distances in education and provides better promotion, control, and examination of knowledge throughout the world, so that to scrutinize the process of distance learning (Cohen & Brawer, 2002). One more organization is the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA), which also serves as an organ of direct control over the standards maintained and provided by the government in Community Colleges (Community College Accreditation, 2009). Furthermore, the work of accreditation agencies is estimated by the government and official structures in their total readings about a definite educational establishment. Thereupon, a Community College may be accredited by several organizations with straightforward implementation of activities in the educational field.
Also there are many accreditation agencies with a relatively long history and experience as well. Among them are: Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools, Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, Accreditation Commission etc. (Community College Accreditation, 2009). These organizations stand for the reliable and respectful motivations, in order to omit any gaps in knowledge promotion and accredit educational institutions respectively. In this case there are some organizations which do not directly accredit, but look after and fix the mechanisms and real state of things about Community Colleges. One of such organizations is the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) (Community College Accreditation, 2009).
To sum up, the educational system of the US due to the work of the US Department of Education and accreditation agencies, institutional or program, provide high standards of education in Community Colleges and in other subjects of educational institutions. This approach is shared and controlled due to the reciprocal interactions of different organizations, ASPA, CHEA and others, in determination of education level.
Reference
Cohen, A. M., and Brawer, F. B. (2002). The American community college. JOSSEY BASS HIGHER AND ADULT EDUCATION SERIES. Ed. 4. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, 2002.
Community College Accreditation (2009). Web.
Kaplin, W. A., Lee, B. A. (2007). The Law of Higher Education. Ed. 4. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons.