Therefore, the implementation date for the new competency standard and the hours was set at March 1, 2003. At that time, all currently accredited and institutions and programs in the process of accreditation will need to meet the new standard. In addition, the Commission recognizes the need for additional training and dialogue for schools in the transition process. Additional training may be needed and additional opportunities may be organized. This is a change in the massage therapy and bodywork field, but is not new to education in other professions.
Many professions already have outcome measures identified for their educational programs.
The change to competencies and outcome measures will provide additional clarity to those outside of our profession related to preparation and performance expectations for graduates, and provide improved accountability for anticipated performance within the profession. The Evaluation Committee and its subcommittee fulfilled its responsibility to review schools annual reports and make recommendations to the Commission regarding their completeness. In some cases, this may require clarifying documentation which schools need to provide in order for their annual report to be accepted. The committee welcomes and values this input from schools, site visitors and commissioners. This document was then reviewed by the Standards Review Committee and brought to the commission in October 2000 where it was approved to be sent out to constituencies for call for comment.