Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-06-01
Board Members Study
Accreditotion Threat

IN Threat
Some observers Of the &C.
creditation report and the I'LL
timatum which resulted are
asking: Did the accrediting
agency wander a bit too far
afield in its criticisms? Or, in
short. does it appear that the
agency has "evaluated" the
school board, instead Of the
college?
Doing Very Little"
The board, for example.
stands accused of doing very
little if anything" for the
school, Also. the board is
charged with having a "dilatory
attitude" toward the college.
But the school-the object of
accreditation-has been fat
tered by the remark: 'Tt is
clear to the commission, that
the college has done what it
can by its own efforts +"
The commission" referred
to is the Commission on Insti-
buttons of Higher Education
an accrediting group within
the Middle States Association.
It's chairman, DR.. Ewald B.
Nyquist, of the University of
the State Of New York. Albany,
in a letter to DR.. Walter E.
Hager, president of District
Teachers College, set down the
conditions to be met. He added.
in his letter, 1.-THE Board of
Education, if it has a mind to,
can accomplish every one of
these things (the conditions) )"
Confusing to Members
This is confusing to some
board members. One condition
states that the board. adopt
q plan for providing an i'm
proved physical plant" The
board did just that, in De-
cember of 1856, when it ap-
proved a plan for providing
$7.5 million for construction
of a new plant for the teach
ers college.
Both a citizens committee
on public works and the Dis
trict Commissioners reduced
this request to 100000 and
suggested the college be housed
in an existing high school. In
either case, there was a plan
to improve the physical plant"
at the school so far as the
Board was concerned. Yet, the
accreditation report demands
a plan"
Another condition states that
the board set in motion a
plan to restudy the colleges
detectives, analyze the col
lege's entire educational pro-
gram, resolve the problem OF
the authorization to confer the
masters degree at the school.
Outlines Mandate
Last July, the board formed
the So-called Spencer Com
mittee, made up of three board
members. AS Mrs. Ruth Spen-
Ger, chairman Of the commit
tee, saw the mandate OF the
committee:
1t would study the past and
present services of the D. c
teacher training institutions
the changing needs of the COM
munity and its schools, ant
form a plan designed, above al
else, to best serve all pupils il
the D. c. Public Schools.
Apparently, the Spencer Com
mittee, Board members poin
out, meets some of the require
ments. At least it has been a
work examining the objectives
or the future of the school
And, it is reported, faculty com
|mittees Of the school have beer
set up to analyZe the school,
educational program.
Further, the board approves
last year legislation whicl
would have authorized the col
lege to award masters degrees
Such legislation has been he'll
up in the House District Com
mittee.
Another condition orders tn
board to establish a bulge
and budgetary procedures 70
the college in accordance wit
standard collegiate practice"
Unaware Of Practice
School officials say they ar
unaware of any standard col
legiate practice" to meet thi
directive, however, DR.. Carl !
Hansen, school superintendent
has suggested isolating tn
colleges budget from the en-
tire systems and defending
separately before the Distric
Commissioners and Congress.
Another condition directs tn
school board to set up q quail
fed board of trustees or il
equivalent which has n
responsibilities other than thos
concerning the college"
To go along with this ide
to the letter. board member
point out, legislation would oh
viouSly be needed. DR.. Hansel
however, feels . committee
board members such as Ii
Spencer Committee. would met