Section 08.01.11.301 - APPROVAL STANDARDS FOR REGISTRATION OF PROPRIETARY SCHOOLSThe Board and its designee accepts the responsibility for setting and maintaining approval standards for proprietary schools that plan to offer courses or a set of related courses in or from Idaho in order to protect consumers and to ensure quality educational programs are provided throughout the state. A school must meet all of the standards prior to issuance of a certificate of registration and the school must provide required evidence to document compliance with the standards as identified in the application form. A certificate of registration may be denied if all of the standards are not met.
01.Standard I - Legal Status and Administrative Structure. The school must be in compliance with all local, state and federal laws, administrative rules, and other regulations applicable to proprietary schools. a. The school must have a clearly stated educational purpose that is consistent with the courses or a set of related courses under consideration for approval.b. The ownership of the school, its agents, and all school officials must be identified by name and title.c. Each owner, agent, instructor and/or school official must be appropriately qualified by the trade board (as applicable) to ensure courses are of high quality and the rights of students are protected.d. Written policies must be established to govern admissions and re-admission of dismissed students, hiring procedures, and working conditions; evaluation/assessment of all employees and instructional offerings; student and instructor rights and responsibilities; grievance procedures; approval of the curriculum and other academic procedures to ensure the quality of educational offerings.e. Procedures for assessing/evaluating the effectiveness of instruction must be established. Evaluation and assessment results must be used to improve courses or courses of study.f. All advertising, pamphlets, and other literature used to solicit students and all contract forms must accurately represent the purpose of the school, its courses or courses of study, anticipated job opportunities, and other relevant information to assist students in making an informed decision to enroll. Schools offering courses or courses of study which require clinical, practicum or internship components must provide students in writing information regarding the number of clinical, practicum or internship positions available and the location of said positions. The school must provide to each prospective student, newly-enrolled student, and returning student complete and clearly presented information indicating the school's current completion and job placement rate.02.Standard II - Courses or Courses of Study. Instruction must be the primary focus of the school. All courses or courses of study must prepare students to enter employment upon completion of the program or prepare them for self-employment. a. The requirements for each course or courses of study must be defined clearly including applicable completion requirements or other requirements such as practicums and clinicals. Courses or courses of study must follow applicable trade or occupational board training curriculum standards or be designed using effective learning strategies for students, identifying and organizing all instructional materials and specialized facilities, identifying instructional assessment methods, and evaluating the effectiveness of the course offerings. Applicants must include an attestation that courses or courses of study applicable to occupations, which are otherwise regulated, licensed, or registered with another state agency or state board, meet the regulating state agency or state board standards for licensure or certification at the time of application. The office of the state board of education does not review course or program curriculum.b. Written course descriptions must be developed for all courses or courses of study. Written course descriptions must be provided to instructors. Instructors are expected to follow course descriptions. A syllabus must be developed for each course and distributed to students at the beginning of the course.c. The school must assure that a course or courses of study will be offered with sufficient frequency to enable students to complete courses or courses of study within the minimum time for completion.d. The school must clearly state the cost of each course or courses of study and identify the payment schedule. This information, and the refund policy, must be given to students in writing.03.Standard III - Student Support Services. The school must have clearly defined written policies that are readily available to students. Polices must address students rights and responsibilities, grievance procedures, and define what services are available to support students. a. The admission of students must be determined through an orderly process established in a written policy using published criteria which must be uniformly applied. Admissions decisions must take into account the capacity of the student to grasp and complete the instructional training program and the ability of the school to handle the unique needs of the students it accepts.b. There must be a clearly defined policy to re-evaluate students dismissed from the school and, if appropriate, to readmit them.c. The school must establish and adhere to a clear and fair policy regarding due process in disciplinary matters for all students, given to each student upon enrollment in the school. The school must provide the name and contact information for the individual who is responsible for dealing with student grievances and other complaints and for handling due process procedures.d. Prior to enrollment, all prospective students must receive the following information in writing:i. Information describing the purpose, length, and objectives of the courses or courses of study;ii. Completion requirements for the courses or courses of study;iii. The schedule of tuition, fees, and all other charges and all expenses necessary for completion of the courses or courses of study;iv. Cancellation and refund policies;v. An explanation of satisfactory progress, including an explanation of the grading/assessment system;vi. The calendar of study including registration dates, beginning and ending dates for all courses, and holidays;vii. A complete list of instructors and their qualifications;viii. A listing of available student services; ande. Accurate and secure records must be kept for all aspects of the student record including, at minimum, admissions information, and the courses each student completed.04.Standard IV - Faculty/Instructor Qualifications and Compensation. a. Instructor qualifications (training and experience) must be recorded and available to students.b. There must be a sufficient number of full-time instructors to maintain the continuity and stability of courses.c. The ratio of instructors to students in each course must be sufficient to assure effective instruction.d. Commissions may not be used for any portion of the faculty compensation.e. Procedures for evaluating instructors must be established. Provisions for student evaluation are recommended.05.Standard V - Resources, Finance, Facilities, and Instructional Resources. a. Adequate financial resources must be provided to accomplish instructional objectives and to effectively support the instructional program, including classroom and training facilities, instructional materials, supplies and equipment, instructors, staff, library, and the physical and instructional technology infrastructure.b. The school must have sufficient instructional resource materials so that, together with tuition and fees, it is able to complete its educational obligations to currently enrolled students. If the school is unable to fulfill its obligations to students, the school must make arrangements for a comparable teach-out opportunity with another proprietary school or refund one hundred (100) percent of prepaid tuition.c. School financial/business records and reports must be kept separate and distinct from those of any affiliated or sponsoring person or entity. Financial records and reports at a school shall be kept in accordance recognized financial accounting methods.d. The school must have adequate instructional resource materials available to students, either on site or through electronic means. These materials must be housed in a designated area and be available for students and instructors with sufficient regularity and at appropriate hours to support achievement of course objectives or to promote effective teaching.e. If the school relies on other schools or entities to provide library resources or instructional resources, the school must demonstrate how these arrangements effectively meet the needs of students and faculty. These arrangements must be documented through written agreements. Student and faculty use must be documented and frequently evaluated to ensure quality services are being provided.Idaho Admin. Code r. 08.01.11.301