CareerTech board grants full accreditation to two tech centers, approves accreditation checklist revisions
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Summary
The board granted full postsecondary accreditation to Chisholm Trail and Moore Norman Technology Centers after examiners found no noncompliance, and approved revisions to Exhibit 6 of the accreditation checklist to align with the Federal Student Aid Handbook.
The Oklahoma CareerTech State Board voted to grant full postsecondary accreditation to Chisholm Trail Technology Center and to Moore Norman Technology Center and approved proposed revisions to Exhibit 6 of the agency's accreditation guidelines.
Joe Bannon, who described the accreditation process and standards used by examiner teams, recommended the board grant full accreditation to each center after hybrid on-site and virtual reviews. For Chisholm Trail, the accreditation team of 19 examiners interviewed 24 stakeholders and reported no areas of noncompliance; the center was recommended for full accreditation. Chisholm Trail's local superintendent, Mister Thomas, said the center added a tenth program this year (electrical trades), expanded welding into a full-time construction trades program and served a record share of juniors and seniors (about 42% this year).
For Moore Norman, the review team included 28 examiners and 31 stakeholders; Bannon reported no areas of noncompliance and recommended full accreditation. Moore Norman's superintendent described industry partnerships, including work with Boeing and Northrop Grumman; he said the center received an $825,000 grant from Boeing to establish an "AvidLab" using augmented reality and 3D printing and is constructing an AeroXL Center that will include a 737-700 for statewide training.
Board members asked procedural questions about examiner recruitment and partnerships; one board member noted Moore Norman's presentation at a recent Workforce Oklahoma meeting. The board approved accreditation for Chisholm Trail and Moore Norman by roll call (Moore Norman approval recorded one abstention by Superintendent Fields). Board also approved proposed revisions to Exhibit 6 of the accreditation guidelines, which staff said are intended to clarify required documentation, align the checklist with the Federal Student Aid Handbook, and remove nonrequired items.
As part of accreditation approval, the board noted centers will have 90 days to submit continuous improvement plans addressing one opportunity for improvement for each of the six quality standards; agency staff will monitor completion and offer technical assistance.
