1. Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care
CoARC Update
Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care
Update on Post-Professional Education (Degree Completion and Advanced Practice Respiratory Therapist (APRT)
Kathy Rye, EdD, RRT, FAARC
President

2. Presentation Overview
CoARC Update
11/16/2009
Presentation Overview
The presenter will:
Describe CoARC activities regarding development of standards for Degree Completion Programs and Advanced Practice for Respiratory Therapists (APRTs);
Describe advantages for seeking voluntary accreditation for APRT and Degree Completion Programs;
Discuss the implications of advanced practice on national credentialing and state licensure.
2009 AARC BOD Meeting

3. CoARC Post-Professional Education Committee Update
CoARC Update
CoARC Post-Professional Education Committee Update
The Committee charges are:
Develop Accreditation Standards for degree completion (DC) and Advanced Practice Respiratory Therapist (APRT )programs;
Develop and maintain post-professional competencies for DC and APRT programs;
Review DC and APRT program Standards at least every five years and recommend revisions, if any, to the Commission;
Review/evaluate/advise Commission on developments regarding DC and APRT programs;
Work with Accreditation Policies/Standards/Bylaws Committee to develop and review accreditation policy and processes for DC and APRT programs.

4. CoARC-NBRC-AARC APRT Workgroup Update
CoARC Update
CoARC-NBRC-AARC APRT Workgroup Update
Workgroup addressing the following:
Interest in developing APRT programs;
Revisions to draft CoARC APRT Standards;
Meeting with other key stakeholders;
Credentialing examination/certification of competency issues;
Reimbursement issues:
Who will pay?
Licensure issues:
Respiratory Care/Medical Practice Act modification
Physician support

5. Proposed Definition of an APRT
CoARC Update
11/16/2009
Proposed Definition of an APRT
Advanced practice respiratory therapists (APRTs) function as mid-level providers, who assess patients, develop care plans, order and provide care and evaluate and modify care based on the patient's needs and response to therapy.  The APRT will provide and direct care under the guidance of a supervising physician, often directed by clinical protocols.
APRTs are formally trained to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, critical care and preventative care services, as delegated by a physician. Working as members of the health care team, they take medical histories, examine and treat patients, order and interpret laboratory tests, imaging studies, order respiratory care diagnostics and provide acute, critical and chronic care to patients. APRTs record progress notes, instruct and counsel respiratory patients. APRTs work in multiple settings across the health care spectrum including acute (ED or urgent care) and critical care, sub-acute and chronic care and ambulatory care. The APRT confers with the supervising physician and other medical professionals, as needed, and as required by law and performs his/her duties as determined by the supervising physician and by state law. The purpose of accrediting APRT programs is to ensure that these goals are being met.
Respiratory therapy and physician leaders have expressed a need for such APRTs to manage and facilitate patient care as a mid-level provider. Under the guidance of a supervising physician the APRT would be trained to assess patients, develop care plans, order and provide care based on the patient’s needs and to evaluate and modify care based on the patient’s response to therapy. Programs developed to provide such practitioners would:
Prepare clinical practitioners with advanced knowledge and skills in basic and clinical sciences who are able to assess patients and plan and deliver high quality, cost-effective health care services;
Develop advanced practice clinical specialists in the areas of adult critical care, pediatric critical care, neonatal critical care, pulmonary function technology and cardiopulmonary diagnostics, polysomnography, and other clinical areas, as needed;
Prepare individuals to engage in research both in the laboratory and in clinical practice.
Role of the Advanced Practice Respiratory Therapist
Serve as a physician extender to the pulmonary or critical care physician;
Provide access to cost effective, quality care by:
Facilitating implementation of clinical respiratory treatment protocols
Facilitating management and weaning of patients from mechanical ventilation
Improving timeliness, coverage and efficiency of respiratory patient care
Reducing length of stay and hospital readmission
Ensure delivery of best practice of respiratory care which will:
Improve patient clinical outcomes
Improve patient safety
Optimize allocation of respiratory care
2009 AARC BOD Meeting

6. Proposed Roles of an APRT
CoARC Update
11/16/2009
Proposed Roles of an APRT
Serve as a physician extender  in both pulmonary medicine and critical care;
Provide access to cost effective, quality care by:
Facilitating implementation of clinical respiratory treatment protocols
Facilitating management and weaning of patients from mechanical ventilation
Improving timeliness, coverage and efficiency of respiratory patient care
Reducing length of stay and hospital readmission
Ensure delivery of best practice of respiratory care which will:
Improve patient clinical outcomes
Improve patient safety
Optimize allocation of respiratory care
APRTs are formally trained to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, critical care and preventive care services, as delegated by a physician. APRTs work in multiple settings across the health care spectrum including acute (ED or urgent care) and critical care, sub-acute, preventative care, and chronic care and ambulatory care. Working as members of the health care team, they take medical histories, examine and treat patients, order and interpret laboratory tests and imaging studies, order respiratory care diagnostics and provide acute, critical and chronic care to patients. APRTs record progress notes, instruct and counsel respiratory patients.
2009 AARC BOD Meeting

7. Proposed Description of an APRT
CoARC Update
11/16/2009
Proposed Description of an APRT
APRTs are formally trained to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, critical care and preventive care services, as delegated by a physician.
APRTs work in multiple settings across the health care spectrum including acute (ED or urgent care) and critical care, sub-acute, preventative care, and chronic care and ambulatory care.
Working as members of the health care team, they take medical histories, examine and treat patients, order and interpret laboratory tests and imaging studies, order respiratory care diagnostics and provide acute, critical and chronic care to patients.
2009 AARC BOD Meeting

8. CoARC Update
11/16/2009
Eligibility
Programs with a strong focus on advanced clinical education are eligible for accreditation.  
Sponsors must apply for program accreditation as outlined in CoARC’s Accreditation Policies and Procedures Manual;
All APRT students must be graduates of a CoARC-accredited Entry into Respiratory Care Professional Practice degree program and hold the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential prior to entry into the program. All APRT students must be geographically located within the United States for their education.
2009 AARC BOD Meeting

9. CoARC Update
11/16/2009
Purpose of Standards
Outlines the minimum requirements to which an accredited program is accountable.
Used for the development, evaluation, and self-analysis of programs.
Provides the basis on which the CoARC confers or denies program accreditation.
Purpose of Programmatic Accreditation
To hold respiratory care programs accountable to the community of interest — the profession, consumers, employers, students and their families, practitioners— and to one another by ensuring that these programs have goals and outcomes that are appropriate to prepare individuals to fulfill their expected roles;
To evaluate the success of a respiratory care program in achieving its goals and outcomes;
To assess the extent to which a respiratory care program meets accreditation standards;
To inform the public of the purposes and values of accreditation and to identify programs that meet accreditation standards.
To foster continuing improvement in respiratory care programs — and, thereby, in professional practice.
2009 AARC BOD Meeting

10. Standard A – Program Administration and Sponsorship
CoARC Update
11/16/2009
Standard A – Program Administration and Sponsorship
Institutional Accreditation
Consortium
Sponsor Responsibilities
Substantive Changes
Institutional Accreditation – MS or higher; regional accreditors – no organizational chart
Consortium - responsibilities
Sponsor Responsibilities - expanded
Substantive Changes – Section 9 of P&P Manual
2009 AARC BOD Meeting

11. Standard B – Institutional and Personnel Resources
CoARC Update
11/16/2009
Standard B – Institutional and Personnel Resources
Institutional Resources
Key Program Personnel
Program Director
Director of Clinical Education
Medical Director
Instructional Faculty
Administrative and Support Staff
Assessment of Program Resources
Institutional Resources – fiscal, academic, and physical regardless of location
Key Program Personnel – FT PD, FT DCE, and MD
Program Director – responsibilities, valid RRT or MD or DO, and licensed, min Doctoral degree, 5 yrs as an RRT or MD (no specialty credential required), 4 yrs clinical, 4 yrs teaching, reg contact
Director of Clinical Education - responsibilities, valid RRT or MD or DO, and licensed, min Masters degree, 5 yrs as an RRT or MD (no specialty credential required), 4 yrs clinical, 4 yrs teaching, reg contact
Medical Director – ensures direct physician interaction; Board certified and licensed and credentialed.
Instructional Faculty – sufficient faculty; appropriately credentialed
B14 - At each location to which a student is assigned for instruction, there must be an individual designated to facilitate supervision and the assessment of the student’s progress in achieving expected competencies.
Administrative and Support Staff – sufficient to meet goals
Assessment of Program Resources – Annually with RAM
2009 AARC BOD Meeting

12. Standard C – Program Goals, Outcomes, and Assessment
CoARC Update
11/16/2009
Standard C – Program Goals, Outcomes, and Assessment
Statement of Program Goals
Advisory Committee
Student Learning Outcomes
Student Evaluation
Inter-Rater Reliability
Assessment of Program Outcomes
Reporting Program Outcomes
Clinical Site Evaluation
Statement of Program Goals – To prepare the registered respiratory therapist for clinical practice as an advanced practice respiratory therapist (APRT) with demonstrated competence in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills) and affective (behavior) domains.; Advisory Committee responsibilities and composition
Advisory Committee- meet with Key Personnel at least annually to assist the program and sponsor personnel in reviewing and evaluating program outcomes, instructional effectiveness and program response to change along with addition of/changes to optional program goals;
Student Learning Outcomes– sufficient frequency/remediation; equitable; inter-rater reliability
C4- The program must define and make available to enrolled students and faculty the expected student learning outcomes (SLOs ) that align with C1 and C2 and address the core and advanced professional competencies determined by the program as outlined in Section 4. These SLOs must clearly articulate what students are expected to be able to do, achieve, demonstrate, or know upon completion of the program. The program shall determine direct and indirect evidence used to measure each of the SLOs.  ESLOs consistent with DA Standards.
Assessment of Program Goals – formal plan; distance education assessed; optional goals
C5 -Rubrics for measurable outcomes defined for SLOs included in the syllabi of all courses that incorporate a measurable outcome and in the student handbook
Student Evaluation – sufficient frequency/remediation; equitable; inter-rater reliability
C6- For programs providing distance education with on-line exams or quizzes as part of the evaluation process, the program must provide evidence that such testing preserves academic integrity and maintains quality and fairness.
Inter-Rater Reliability –
C7 IG- Initial preceptor evaluations must be conducted within the first year of assignment. Subsequent preceptor evaluations must be conducted when: (1) significant changes to the program’s clinical evaluation processes occur; (2) curricular content changes occur after revision of the national credentialing agency content outline; (3) new accreditation Standards are published; and (4) student or program assessments (e.g., evaluation of instruction by students and program surveys) identify variability in clinical evaluations.
Assessment of Program Outcomes – annually using CoARC surveys; min thresholds (programmatic summative measures; retention/attrition, professional advancement; employer and grad satisfaction; On-time grad rates)
Reporting Program Outcomes – annual report
Clinical Site Evaluation - comparable evaluation processes
2009 AARC BOD Meeting

13. Standard D – Curriculum
CoARC Update
11/16/2009
Standard D – Curriculum
Minimum Course Content
Curriculum Review & Revision to Meet Goals
APRT Core Competencies
APRT Professional Practice Competencies
Length of Study
Equivalency
Advanced Clinical Practice
Content NOT courses!
Define and list competencies required for graduation, communicated to students
Minimum Course Content – Medical and respiratory care content must include content related to advanced clinical practice/integrated to meet competencies
Curriculum Review & Revision to Meet Goals – reviewed annually;
D3 IG - Curricular content should be current and reflect the expected competencies. If credentialing examinations are used as an outcomes measure, documentation of the comparison of detailed content outlines for each course with current credentialing exam content matrices must be available.
APRT Core Competencies –Respiratory Care Knowledge; Interpersonal & Communication Skills; Patient Care; Professionalism; Practice-based learning and improvement; Systems-based Practice; Inter-professional practice
APRT Professional Practice Competencies –
D11 - In addition to demonstrating core competencies, APRT graduates must effectively demonstrate specific knowledge, skills, attitudes, and other characteristics required in professional practice as an advanced practice respiratory therapist.
Length of Study –
D12 -commensurate with the degree awarded and sufficient for students to acquire the expected knowledge and competencies
Equivalency – learning experiences are substantially equivalent for all students
Advanced Clinical Practice – sufficient quality and duration to meet goals; MOUs/Clinical Affiliate Agreements
D15 - Students must not be responsible for: the selection of clinical sites; the determination as to which competencies should be mastered at a given clinical site; or the acquisition of clinical instructors at these sites.
2009 AARC BOD Meeting

14. Competency Domains for the APRT
CoARC Update
11/16/2009
Competency Domains for the APRT
Patient Assessment
Perform history and physical
Order and evaluate laboratory testing (includes cardiopulmonary testing)
Order and evaluate imaging studies
Develop and carry out patient management plans (care plans)
Treat patients in the acute care setting (pneumonia, respiratory failure)
Treat patients in the ambulatory care setting (asthma, COPD)
Provide chronic disease management (cystic fibrosis, asthma, CHF, COPD)
Perform specific tasks and procedures (lines, airway, tests, consults)
Professional characteristics
Professionalism
Communication skills
Inter-professional practice
Practice management (calls, billing, office functions)
Located in APPENDIX C
2009 AARC BOD Meeting

15. Standard E– Fair Practices and Recordkeeping
CoARC Update
11/16/2009
Standard E– Fair Practices and Recordkeeping
Disclosure
Public Information on Program Outcomes
Non-discriminatory Practice
Safeguards
Academic Guidance
Student and Program Records
Disclosure – publications must accurately reflect program offered;
Public Information on Program Outcomes –
E3 - A link to the CoARC published URL where student/graduate outcomes for all programs can be found must appear on the program’s website and be available to the public and to all applicants;
Non-discriminatory Practice – all activities of program; appeal procedures; faculty grievance procedures; advanced placement policies
Safeguards – health, privacy, and safety of those associated with educational activities and learning environment; students not used for clinical, instructional or administrative staff; no clinical coursework completed while an employee at a clinical site
Academic Guidance – availability; equivalency with other students;
Student and Program Records – records for admission, advisement, and evaluation; transcripts; records on file for 5 years (electronic or hard copy), syllabi, RAM surveys, clinical affiliate agreements and schedules, program faculty and advisory committee minutes; cvs; CoARC surveys
2009 AARC BOD Meeting

16. 2015 APRT Standards Timeline
CoARC Update
2015 APRT Standards Timeline
Following March 2014 CoARC Board meeting:
Disseminated a call for comment (with June 10, 2014 deadline) to all communities of interest and outline the procedure for those wishing to provide input on the second draft of the Standards;
Reviewed the data collected from all evaluation sources;
Revised Standards, Evidence of Compliance, and Interpretive Guidelines (incorporated into document);
Recommended revisions to the second draft will be reviewed by Full Board at July 2014 meeting;
Anticipate third draft release for public comment after July 2014;
Anticipate final draft approval of APRT Standards by mid 2015.
Subsequent drafts of Standards, Evidence of Compliance, and Interpretive Guidelines published during 2014 (and early 2015, if needed).
Anticipate final draft approval of Standards by mid 2015.
Begin accepting applications for accreditation of APRT programs by fall 2015.
Provide webinars to key personnel and site visitor retraining on implementing the revised Standards (late 2015).

17. Definition of Degree Completion
CoARC Update
11/16/2009
Definition of Degree Completion
A degree completion program is an educational program designed specifically to meet the needs of the practicing respiratory therapist with an RRT who, having already completed an accredited respiratory care program with an earned entry into respiratory care professional practice degree is returning to school to obtain a higher degree.
The Degree Completion Standards are designed to recognize the competencies and value-added above and beyond the entry into respiratory care professional practice degree.
Entry into respiratory care professional practice degree programs offering advanced standing to individuals who already have an ASRT or BSRT can apply for optional accreditation of their degree advancement program.  Sponsoring institutions offering a free-standing degree advancement program can also seek accreditation review.
Degree advancement programs are different from entry into respiratory care professional practice programs in purpose, design and content. Entry into Professional Practice programs prepare individuals with no respiratory care professional background or experience with the competencies needed to enter the profession, whereas degree advancement programs expand the depth and breadth of the applied, experiential, and propositional knowledge and skills beyond that of an RRT entering the profession. 
Degree advancement programs provide an essential pathway for associate degree- and baccalaureate degree-prepared therapists who wish to expand and enhance previous knowledge and advance in their careers. Associate-to-baccalaureate and baccalaureate-to-master’s degree programs build on entry knowledge and competencies with course work to enhance professional development, prepare for a broader scope of practice, and provide a better understanding of the cultural, political, economic, and social issues that affect patients and influence care delivery.
2009 AARC BOD Meeting

18. Degree Completion vs Entry Into Profession
CoARC Update
11/16/2009
Degree Completion vs Entry Into Profession
Degree completion programs are different from entry into respiratory care professional practice programs in purpose, design and content.
Entry into Professional Practice programs prepare individuals with no respiratory care professional background or experience with the competencies needed to enter the profession, whereas degree completion programs expand the depth and breadth of the applied, experiential, and propositional knowledge and skills beyond that of an RRT entering the profession. 
2009 AARC BOD Meeting

19. Degree Completion Program Development
CoARC Update
11/16/2009
Degree Completion Program Development
Development of an effective degree completion program depends on a thorough assessment of those education experiences typically offered at the entry into respiratory care professional practice degree level.
Degree completion programs include new and advanced, in-depth educational experiences designed to enhance the respiratory therapist's professional practice.
Degree completion programs provide an essential pathway for associate degree- and baccalaureate degree-prepared therapists who wish to expand and enhance previous knowledge and advance in their careers. Associate-to-baccalaureate and baccalaureate-to-master’s degree programs build on entry knowledge and competencies with course work to enhance professional development, prepare for a broader scope of practice, and provide a better understanding of the cultural, political, economic, and social issues that affect patients and influence care delivery.
2009 AARC BOD Meeting

20. Degree Completion Program Eligibility
CoARC Update
11/16/2009
Degree Completion Program Eligibility
Entry into respiratory care professional practice degree programs offering advanced standing to individuals who already have an ASRT or BSRT can apply for optional accreditation of their degree completion program.
Sponsoring institutions offering a free-standing degree completion program can also seek accreditation review.
All degree completion students must be graduates of a CoARC-accredited entry into respiratory care professional practice degree program and hold the RRT credential prior to entry into the program.
2009 AARC BOD Meeting

21. Standard 1 – Program Administration and Sponsorship
CoARC Update
11/16/2009
Standard 1 – Program Administration and Sponsorship
Institutional Accreditation
Consortium
Sponsor Responsibilities
Substantive Changes
Institutional Accreditation – baccalaureate or higher upon completion; regional or national accreditors – no organizational chart
Consortium - responsibilities
Sponsor Responsibilities - expanded
Substantive Changes – Section 9 of P&P Manual
2009 AARC BOD Meeting

22. Standard 2 – Institutional and Personnel Resources
CoARC Update
11/16/2009
Standard 2 – Institutional and Personnel Resources
Institutional Resources
Key Program Personnel
Program Director
Director of Clinical Education*
Medical Advisor
Instructional Faculty
Administrative Support Staff
Assessment of Program Resources
*Standards DA2.8 through DA2.12 are applicable only to programs that provide clinical education  as part of required coursework.  
Key Program Personnel – FT PD, FT DCE, and Medical Advisor
Program Director – responsibilities, valid RRT or MD or DO, and licensed, min Master’s degree, 5 yrs as an RRT or MD (no specialty credential required), 4 yrs clinical, 4 yrs teaching, reg contact (e.g., in-person, phone, or on-line)
Director of Clinical Education - responsibilities, valid RRT or MD or DO, and licensed, min Masters degree, 5 yrs as an RRT or MD (no specialty credential required), 4 yrs clinical, 4 yrs teaching, reg contact (e.g., in-person, phone, or on-line)
Medical Advisor– ensures direct physician interaction; Board certified and licensed and credentialed.
Instructional Faculty – sufficient faculty; appropriately credentialed
DA Clinical instructors should have at least one valid clinical specialty credential (e.g., NPS, PFT, ACCS, SDS) or board certification as recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA) in a specialty relevant to respiratory care.
Administrative Support Staff – sufficient to meet goals
Assessment of Program Resources – Annually with RAM
2009 AARC BOD Meeting

23. Standard 3 – Program Goals, Outcomes, and Assessment
CoARC Update
11/16/2009
Standard 3 – Program Goals, Outcomes, and Assessment
Statement of Program Goals
Advisory Committee
Student Learning Outcomes
Assessment of Program Goals
Student Evaluation
Inter-Rater Reliability
Assessment of Program Outcomes
Reporting Program Outcomes
Clinical Site Evaluation
Statement of Program Goals –
DA 3.1 The program must have the following goal defining minimum expectations: “To provide graduates of entry into respiratory care professional practice degree programs with additional leadership, management, education, research, or advanced clinical knowledge, skills, and attributes necessary to meet their current professional goals and prepare them for future professional practice expectations for respiratory therapists.”
Advisory Committee- meet with Key Personnel at least annually to assist the program and sponsor personnel in reviewing and evaluating program outcomes, instructional effectiveness and program response to change along with addition of/changes to optional program goals;
Student Learning Outcomes– sufficient frequency/remediation; equitable; inter-rater reliability
DA3.4 IG- The program must define and make available to enrolled students and faculty the expected student learning outcomes (SLOs ) that align with DA3.1 and DA3.2 and address the core and advanced professional competencies determined by the program as outlined in Section 4. These SLOs must clearly articulate what students are expected to be able to do, achieve, demonstrate, or know upon completion of the program. The program shall determine direct and indirect evidence used to measure each of the SLOs.  ESLOs consistent with DA Standards.
Assessment of Program Goals – formal plan; rubrics
DA3.5 The program must establish a method for assuring that the student will accomplish all applicable competencies prior to completion of the program. For example, a declaration of intent to complete all competencies could be developed for the students to sign prior to beginning the program. Although the program must demonstrate that it is providing distinct learning experiences for each competency, the emphasis (i.e. the breadth and depth of the experiences) will vary by the focus area and professional goal of the individual.
Student Evaluation – sufficient frequency/remediation; equitable; inter-rater reliability
DA3.6- For programs providing distance education with on-line exams or quizzes as part of the evaluation process, the program must provide evidence that such testing preserves academic integrity and maintains quality and fairness.
Inter-Rater Reliability –
DA3.7 IG- The results of this process must be reviewed by the Director of Clinical Education or Program Director at least annually.
Assessment of Program Outcomes – annually using CoARC Graduate and Employer Surveys for Degree Completion Programs; min thresholds (Programmatic summative measures include graduate achievement on national credentialing specialty examinations and/or program-defined summative measures of outcome performance related to ESLOs (e.g., Capstone project). For programs that choose to incorporate national credentialing specialty examinations as an outcomes measure, the outcomes data must be reported annually, however, there will be no corresponding outcomes assessment threshold.; retention/attrition, professional advancement; employer and grad satisfaction; On-time grad rates)
Reporting Program Outcomes – annual report
Clinical Site Evaluation - comparable evaluation processes
2009 AARC BOD Meeting

24. Standard 4 – Curriculum Curriculum Consistent with Program Goals
CoARC Update
11/16/2009
Standard 4 – Curriculum
Curriculum Consistent with Program Goals
Curriculum Review & Revision to Meet Goals
Core Competencies
Continued Professional Practice Competencies
Length of Study
Equivalency
Clinical Practice
Content NOT courses!
Curriculum Consistent with Program Goals –
DA4.1 IG - The program’s curriculum builds upon prior education and professional experiences, is congruent with the goal(s) of the program, reflects the needs and expectations of the community of interest, and is designed so that students benefit from the program. Course content must be consistent with the roles and degree requirements for which the program is preparing its graduates.
It is important for the program to individualize the curriculum by developing learning activities that allow the student to gain the skills and knowledge related to demonstrating proficiency of the chosen programmatic focus and that are compatible with the student’s career plan. These learning activities are a) the framework of the curriculum for the program, b) unique to the program, and c) designed to provide the student with experiences that will advance the student from a competent practitioner to a proficient practitioner.
Curriculum Review & Revision to Meet Goals – reviewed annually;
DA4.2 IG - Curricular content should be current and reflect the expected competencies. If credentialing examinations are used as an outcomes measure, documentation of the comparison of detailed content outlines for each course with current credentialing exam content matrices must be available.
Core Competencies –While the competencies listed in DA 4.3 through 4.5 represent the minimum core knowledge, skills and attitudes that must be acquired, the program may also establish and evaluate additional competencies related to each competency domain:
Core Respiratory Care Knowledge; Core Communication and Team-Approach to Patient Care; Core Professional Attributes
Continued Professional Practice Competencies –
In addition to core competencies, graduates must effectively demonstrate specific knowledge, skills, attitudes, and other characteristics required for continued professional practice. This section identifies a complimentary set of knowledge, skills and attributes that are specific to the track, concentration, or specialization within the program (e.g., clinical specialization, education, management, research, etc.) and that augment the core competencies of the graduate as described in DA 4.3 through DA 4.5
DA4.6- Advanced Professional Knowledge  and Skills - As applicable based on his/her professional goals, graduates must pursue a course of independent study that will address the ESLOs specific to the track, concentration, or specialization they choose under the guidance of faculty. The graduate will demonstrate proficiency in his/her track, concentration, or specialization by completing a national credentialing specialty examination or program-defined summative measure (e.g., Capstone project).. 
DA4.7 - Advanced Communication & Research Skills
DA4.8 - Advanced Professional Leadership Attributes
Length of Study –
DA4.9-commensurate with the degree awarded and sufficient for students to acquire the expected knowledge and competencies
Equivalency – learning experiences are substantially equivalent for all students
Clinical Practice – sufficient quality and duration to meet goals; MOUs/Clinical Affiliate Agreements
2009 AARC BOD Meeting

25. Standard 5– Fair Practices and Recordkeeping
CoARC Update
11/16/2009
Standard 5– Fair Practices and Recordkeeping
Disclosure
Public Information on Program Outcomes
Non-discriminatory Practice
Safeguards
Academic Guidance
Student and Program Records
Disclosure – publications must accurately reflect program offered;
Public Information on Program Outcomes –
DA5.3 - A link to the CoARC published URL where student/graduate outcomes for all programs can be found must appear on the program’s website and be available to the public and to all applicants;
Non-discriminatory Practice – all activities of program; appeal procedures; faculty grievance procedures; advanced placement policies
Safeguards – health, privacy, and safety of those associated with educational activities and learning environment; students not used for clinical, instructional or administrative staff; internships allowed?
Academic Guidance – availability; equivalency with other students;
DA5.11 IG -Programs should assist students in formulating an individual career plan that promotes a life-long commitment to the respiratory care profession.
Student and Program Records – records for admission, advisement, and evaluation; transcripts; records on file for 5 years (electronic or hard copy), syllabi, RAM surveys, clinical affiliate agreements and schedules, program faculty and advisory committee minutes; cvs; CoARC surveys
2009 AARC BOD Meeting

26. 2015 DA Standards Timeline Following March 2014 CoARC Board meeting:
CoARC Update
2015 DA Standards Timeline
Following March 2014 CoARC Board meeting:
Disseminated a call for comment (with June 1, 2014 deadline) to all communities of interest and outline the procedure for those wishing to provide input on the first draft of the Standards;
Revised Standards, Evidence of Compliance, and Interpretive Guidelines (incorporated into document);
Recommended revisions to the first draft will be reviewed by Full Board at July 2014 meeting;
Anticipate second draft release for public comment after July 2014;
Anticipate final draft approval of Standards by mid 2015;
Anticipate accepting applications by mid 2015.

27. Questions and Answers www.coarc.com CoARC Update 11/16/2009
2009 AARC BOD Meeting