There are several key areas where institutions struggle statistically when it comes to ABHES accreditation site visits. This article will discuss some of the top standards violations that institutions face and explain how our electronic online clinical tracking and student scheduler, called PlatinumPlanner.com, and our testing solution, called PlatinumTests.com, can help!
Admissions Documentation
(ABHES Manual V.D.1) Institutions are required by ABHES to show that they adhere to their admissions policies, but many of them provide little to no evidence that they do regarding certain areas. For instance, institutions must show evidence that they only enroll students who can reasonably be expected to benefit from the instruction.
Platinum Educational Group Solution
We can provide/create an online admissions student assessment test via our testing solution, PlatinumTests.com, or you can upload an institutionally created assessment already fabricated! We can also assist your program with admission policy forms for each student! We can easily upload a form that you have already in use, or we can help create a compliant form! You can easily have all admissions documentation available for site visits!
In-Service and Professional Growth
(ABHES Manual V.E.4.) Faculty participate in in-service training with a focus on effective teaching at least twice annually.
Documentation of in-service training is required and should include topic(s) discussed, name(s) of presenter, and synopsis of the session(s) presented. Evidence of faculty attendance are maintained in each faculty member’s file.
(ABHES Manual V.E.5.) Faculty is required to participate in professional growth activities annually.
Faculty is provided time, resources, and opportunities for professional development. Documentation needs to demonstrate a combination of professional growth activities which may include, but are not limited to, programs of continuing education, either for professional development or to maintain professional certification, membership and participation in professional organizations, participation in field- related workshops or seminars, and subscription to relevant periodicals or journals. Copies of certificates of attendance, current licensure/certification(s), and any other professional growth documentation are maintained in each faculty member’s file.
Platinum Educational Group Solution
Our Team can help you with your In-Service training (twice annually) or Professional Growth (once annually) requirements! We have a variety of topics that our education team can provide to your staff or we can put together an agenda together with your topics! Our online platform can also store the necessary documentation for you!
Student Retention Rates
Some institutions have a challenge with documenting and storing their programs retention rates. The ABHES retention rate is determined by using the ABHES required method of calculation, for the reporting period July 1 through June 30, as follows:
Retention Rate = (EE + G) / (BE + NS + RE)
EE = Ending Enrollment (Number of students in class, on clinical experience and/or leave of absence on June 30)
G = Graduates
BE = Beginning Enrollment (Number of students in class, on clinical experience and/or leave of absence on July 1)
NS = New Starts
RE = Re-Entries (number of students that re-enter into school who dropped from a previous annual report time period)
At a minimum, an institution maintains the names of all enrollees by program, start date, and graduation date using the ABHES Retention Back-Up Documentation Form. Many institutions struggle with this verification of student retention.
Platinum Educational Group Solution
This one is a simple fix! You can upload your placement and/or retention ABHES forms in PlatinumPlanner.com for your program to keep track of. They will be easily available for accreditation visits via are reporting system in PlatinumPlanner.com. With just a couple clicks of your computer mouse you will have all the information needed for a stress-free site visit!
Externship
(ABHES Manual V.B.4.a.) External clinical experiences are available to serve the diverse needs of a program. (for applicable programs)
Prior to initial assignment of students to a clinical experience site, an individual employed by the institution who meets the minimum qualifications of a program faculty member is responsible to prepare a signed documented evaluation ensuring that a viable environment exists for an effective learning experience that provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate required competencies.
Students are provided assistance in seeking placement at an externship site; the responsibility for placing students, rests with the institution or program. A program administrator maintains current, signed clinical affiliation agreements for all active clinical experiences.
(ABHES Manual V.B.4.b.) A program has clinical experiences to meet its goals and objectives. (for applicable programs)
Clinical experiences are available for all enrolled students as they progress to that portion of the program. Students do not wait for sites and back-up sites are available to ensure that the educational process is continuous. If any clinical experience may occur beyond a customary and usual commuting distance to the location where the student receives the remainder of the program instruction, students are informed and agree in writing to the arrangement prior to enrollment.
(ABHES Manual V.B.4.c.) Supervision and evaluation of student performance is provided during the clinical experiences. (for applicable programs)
An individual employed by the institution who meets the minimum qualifications of program faculty member is responsible for ensuring and documenting oversight and evaluation of students while on clinical experiences and is in regular contact with sites.
Platinum Educational Group Solution
There are a few things talked about in the paragraphs above and PlatinumPlanner.com has several solutions. You can upload all of your clinical tracking forms and documents to keep track of your clinical site evaluations. Our Team can even help you create a site eval form! In our system, the instructor sets up the dates in our platform and students can see them on their online calendar. Our student scheduler handles multiple shared sites so students have a variety of options to choose from. Students can even use our electronic signature feature in our app!
Program Effective Plans
(ABHES Manual V.I.2.) A program has an established documented plan for assessing its effectiveness annually as defined by specific outcomes.
This is the most troublesome spot for institutions when dealing with accreditation standards with ABHES.
Platinum Educational Group Solution
Our online solution can absolutely assist with your PEP including all forms and documentation relating to:
- Program retention rate
- Credentialing examination participation rate
- Credentialing examination pass rate
- Job placement rate
- Satisfaction surveys of students, clinical extern affiliates, graduates and employers
- Delivery method assessment
- Curriculum assessment
If you have any questions on how we can assist your ABHES program with accreditation reporting, please reach out anytime. We’d be honored to show you how we can make clinical tracking and accreditation reporting easy and affordable!