Blog Article

Understanding the Distinct Roles in Education: Government Regulator, Standards Development, and Accrediting Bodies

In the complex landscape of education, understanding the roles played by different entities can be crucial for stakeholders. The government, standards development organizations, and accrediting bodies have distinct responsibilities and objectives that contribute to the education system's structure and function.

This article outlines these roles to provide a clearer understanding of their impact on education.

Government regulatory bodies play a pivotal role in overseeing the adoption and application of professional standards and licensing requirements across various industries. These entities ensure that professionals meet the necessary qualifications and continue to develop their skills throughout their careers, safeguarding the public interest and maintaining industry benchmarks.

For professionals in fields such as healthcare, engineering, and education, attending continuing education (CE) is often a licensing requirement. Regulatory bodies set specific CE requirements for licensed professionals to earn or renew their credentials. These requirements are crucial to ensure the workforce stays current with industry advancements, evolving technologies, and regulatory changes.

In addition to setting CE requirements, these regulatory bodies often oversee the approval of continuing education providers and programs. This oversight ensures that the training offered meets the high standards necessary for professional development and is relevant to the needs of the industry. By maintaining stringent controls over who can provide this education and what content is acceptable, these regulators help guarantee that continuing education promotes genuine skill enhancement and knowledge acquisition pertinent to the professionals’ fields.

Standards Development Organizations are specialized entities establishing consensus-based standards that ensure quality and consistency across various fields, including education. These organizations are often responsible for convening collaborative groups with experts from different sectors, including government, academia, and industry.

The hallmarks of consensus-based standards development are found in the ANSI Essential Requirements for Due Process. Briefly stated, due process means that “any party (organization, company, government agency, individual, etc.) with a direct and material interest has a right to participate…” Due process ensures that everyone for whom a standard has an impact has an opportunity to be heard and have their concerns considered. This helps to ensure the alignment of significance, use, and applicability of standards for the stakeholders for whom they matter.

SDOs play a critical role in the education sector by developing voluntary standards that support curriculum development, professional learning outcomes, and institutional performance. These standards help create a foundation for educational practices and tools, facilitating alignment and comparability across educational systems and settings.

Accrediting bodies evaluate the quality of educational institutions and programs to ensure they meet predefined industry standards. Unlike government regulators, accreditation is typically voluntary and focuses more on improving quality than enforcing compliance.

Accrediting bodies conduct thorough reviews and assessments, including site visits and institutional evaluations, to provide third-party verification that institutions provide education that conforms to the standards set by SDOs.

In the continuing education and training space, for example, accrediting bodies like IACET (International Association for Continuing Education and Training) ensure that educational programs adhere to the ANSI/IACET Standard for Continuing Education and Training. Accreditation from such bodies signifies quality and reliability and enhances an institution’s reputation and credibility.

Understanding the nuanced roles of government regulators, standards development organizations, and accrediting bodies in education is essential. While the government ensures compliance with laws and provides funding, SDOs develop standards that foster quality and consistency. Meanwhile, accrediting bodies evaluate and substantiate the adherence to these standards. Together, these entities create a robust and effective educational ecosystem supporting lifelong learning and professional development.

About the Author

 

Sherard Jones is the President of Strategic Futurist Consulting, an organization whose mission is to provide global leadership in Credentialing, Accreditation and Standards Development. Sherard has over 15 years of experience with IACET Accreditation in various roles and is committed to applying his expertise to support IACET in meeting its strategic goals. Sherard is currently a Lead Assessor for the ANSI-CAP program, has worked as Vice President of Education and Training for IAPMO, and was a past Chair of the IACET Commission. Sherard has 10+ years of experience in strategic program development and has partnered with clients having business needs varying from creating international workforce development programs to build capacity through training and credentialing — to creating and overseeing organizational restructuring plans.