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Rationale for Future Education Model


In 2012, the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics began discussions on the knowledge and skills needed of future nutrition and dietetics practitioners and the potential of developing degree-based accreditation standards. This multi-year process has included an extensive environmental scan, multiple data collection projects and the development of accreditation standards that include competencies needed for future practice in nutrition and dietetics.

A Rationale Document was created as a means for storing and sharing results of each step of the process. The Executive Summary provides an overview of the work that has been completed to date. A timeline of the development of the Future Education Model Accreditation Standards follows. Click on the highlighted links for more in-depth information on each topic:

Development of the Proposed Model for Future Education in Nutrition and Dietetics

The ACEND® Standards Committee began work with a visioning group to explore skills needed for future practice and the education required to prepare students for future practice.

2013-2014

Data were collected through:

February 2015

ACEND® proposed a new model for educating nutrition and dietetics practitioners termed the Future Education Model based on these data. The results of the data collection and the proposed model were released for public comment. Several thousand comments were received and analyzed and a Summary of Comments was shared.

Development of the Future Education Model Accreditation Standards

Based on the data collected and comments received, the ACEND® Board made the decision to move forward with the development of accreditation standards for the proposed future model.

July 2015

Work on Future Education Model Accreditation Standards began and included:

August 2016

The first draft of the Future Education Model Accreditation Standards released for public comment. The First Round of Public Comments included many suggestions for improvements in the standards and competencies.

February 2017

The Future Education Model Accreditation Standards were revised, released for public comment in February 2017 and revised based on the Second Round of Public Comments.

August 2017

The final version of the Future Education Model Accreditation Standards for Associate, Bachelor's and Graduate Degree Programs in Nutrition and Dietetics were approved by the ACEND® Board.

Adoption of the Future Education Model Accreditation Standards

The Future Education Model Accreditation Standards are available only to programs who apply to be demonstration programs accredited under these standards. ACEND® developed an application process and a research logic model for the Demonstration Program Project. ACEND® will collect and analyze program outcome data before making a decision on the implementation of the Future Education Model Accreditation Standards for all programs.

2017

Materials were developed to help clarify the expected roles of practitioners prepared at each degree level and support implementation of demonstration programs.

October 2017

Demonstration program application review begins.

October 2017

FNCE® ACEND® Forum Presentation
The ACEND® Forum presentation at FNCE® 2017 provided an update on ACEND® 's Standards work and the Future Education Model. Also discussed were the topics of competency-based education and competency assessment. You can view the presentation and the slides using the links below:

Program Outcome Data of Demonstration Programs Under the Future Education Model

ACEND® is collecting and analyzing program outcome data from demonstration programs before making a decision on the implementation of the Future Education Model Accreditation Standards for all programs.

April 2020

Results of 2019 Program Director Surveys

November 2020

Results of Faculty and Preceptor Surveys

March 2021

ACEND® Board Discontinues FB Demonstration Program
Data on Future Bachelor (FB) Accreditation Standards indicate limited support for a Nutrition and Dietetics Technician, Registered program at the bachelor's level: FB applications <10% of total FEM applications received; student enrollment <2% of FEM students.

July 2021

Results of 2020 Program Director Surveys

October 2021

Results of Program Director Surveys

Results of Faculty and Preceptor Surveys

October 2022

Results of Program Director Surveys

Results of Student Exit Surveys

Results of Faculty and Preceptor Surveys

January 2023

ACEND Board Discontinues AP Demonstration Program
Interest in Future Associate Program (AP) indicated limited support for this demonstration program type.

October 2023

Results of Faculty, Preceptor and Graduating Student Surveys

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