Meet the need for quality assurance in new types of educational offerings, such as distance education, through more flexible application of traditional accreditation standards and processes. However, the historic framework for assessing quality in higher education, which strikes a careful balance between accreditation, institutional autonomy and governmental accountability measures, should remain fundamentally the same, regardless of how the education is delivered. However, like the Perkins Vocational Education Act in 1996, bipartisan agreement could not be reached and final legislative action was not taken. The 1998 Higher Education Act is the only omnibus education bill that has garnered enough bipartisan support to be reauthorized on schedule since 1994. The ESEA includes provisions that affect colleges and universities.
Teacher education is an important example.
We will continue to work with Congress and the Department of Education to develop a more rational system of public accountability and consumer information on teacher education programs.