Accreditation of higher education institutions in the United States has consisted of self-study and peer evaluation based on metrics that are commonly understood and consistently measured. Since the passage of the GI Bill, the federal government has become increasingly involved in assessing higher education institutions. Regional accrediting agencies have assumed a significant role in evaluating institutions that seek to maintain eligibility for federal funding. In the past two decades the focus of accreditation has been on outcomes measurements, with increasingly stringent evaluation measures.

Public 2-year colleges in California are accredited by the regional Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission on Community and Junior Colleges (WASC-ACCJC) based on four standards, one of which is institutional effectiveness. Colleges have been challenged to meet the standards, with more than one third receiving sanctions for non-compliance. One of the standards that is especially difficult for colleges to pass is that of institutional effectiveness (Standard IB).

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to identify and document practices to address institutional effectiveness. The study addressed the following research question: What practices have community colleges in California engaged in to meet Standard IB (Institutional Effectiveness) in reaffirmation of accreditation?

The research was conducted in three phases. In the first phase, institutions that passed their most recent accreditations without sanctions and those that passed standard IB with no recommendations for improvement were identified. Chi-square tests were conducted to find out if a relationship exists between institutional characteristics and passing the standard. A significant relationship was found between size of the institution and passing the standard.

In the second phase, self-studies were reviewed as were evaluation team reports to catalogue practices. In the third phase interviews with selected presidents and faculty members from successful colleges were conducted to triangulate the findings of the study. Three components were critical in meeting institutional effectiveness: Student learning outcomes, evaluation and assessment, and integrated planning. Success at passing the standard was found to be context specific, with critical elements including streamlined processes and procedures, institution-wide dialogue, faculty leadership, professional development, and access to data.