A Note Regarding ABAI's Letter of Concern to APBA
November 14, 2023
ABAI has for decades operated as the primary membership organization in the United States and internationally for those interested in the philosophy, science, application and teaching of behavior analysis. Accreditation of academic training programs has been ABAI’s priority since 1977. The ABAI Accreditation Board has been operating since 1991, more recently as an autonomous accrediting body since 2016, and has been recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (“CHEA”) since 2021.
ABAI and its accreditation board have quietly observed steps taken by the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (“APBA”) to establish its own accreditation board and initiate the launch of a new accreditation program. Although APBA has referred to ABAI frequently as a point of comparison for its new program, we have delayed making any formal or public statement to coordinators of ABAI-accredited programs, verified course sequences, and other stakeholders to allow for full assessment of the information provided by APBA. This includes information regarding how APBA expects its accreditation program to differ from ABAI’s. We have chosen to proceed carefully by consulting with education regulatory counsel to better understand the legal landscape and our rights, in keeping with our duties to our organizations. At this point, we believe we have enough information and understanding to communicate to APBA, to our accredited programs, and to the public our opinion and assessment of APBA’s efforts.
We write to you as valued partners and welcome your input on a matter of concern. We deeply believe in the valuable role of accreditation in higher education to serve students, institutions, and the field of behavior analysis. Unfortunately, we are obligated to speak out because we believe important principles that make accreditation valuable are being threatened.
On November 14, 2023, we sent a letter (here) to the President and CEO of APBA and Chair of the APBA Accreditation Board.
As stated in our Letter of Concern, we do not write out of fear of competition by an alternate accrediting body. We are dedicated to the behavior analysis field and its future. Free and fair competition in the marketplace of ideas is healthy for all consumers, including students who choose educational programs with high quality accreditation that prepare them for certification and ultimately licensing or the equivalent. ABAI is into its fifth decade of its work, and has played a critical role in the development of the behavior analysis field. ABAI’s Executive Council, Accreditation Board, staff and accredited program partners are deeply committed to the growth of the field and to its maturity over time to support individuals who will enter the field and make life changing contributions to the public and this exciting discipline.
That said, ABAI, its accrediting program, committees, leadership, board, staff and accredited programs have all contributed time, energy, and passion to get ABAI to where it is today. We established the first-ever accreditation program through the hard work of original drafting and thoughtful leadership, earned and obtained prestigious recognition by the “accreditor of accreditors” – CHEA – and we continue to innovate to uphold high standards of academic expectations for the field commensurate with experts and the importance of the programs offered by institutions offering ABAI accredited programs. In short, we are, and will remain, fully committed to functioning according to the critical purpose of an accrediting body.
According to CHEA, an accrediting organization:
A. serves institutions and programs with the highest regard for integrity of practice and ethical behavior and demonstrates a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion;
B. promotes academic quality and continuous improvement;
C. serves higher education, students, and the public by communicating its accreditation decisions;
D. makes determinations about academic quality in higher education;
E. implements and enforces its standards and policies; and
F. acknowledges and affirms the institution and program mission and purposes.1
Accreditation is critically important to higher education systems in the United States and all around the world. The work that ABAI does to independently establish standards for the measure of the quality of behavior analysis programs demonstrates to students, their families, regulators, taxpayers who support education program financing, and employers that ABAI accreditation means something more than an expedited path to certification and licensure. It means that we stand behind our accredited programs with independence of thought and academic excellence as a guiding star. This will not change and is our very reason for being.
Our Letter of Concern summarizes why we are profoundly concerned about the approach APBA has taken in developing and launching its accreditation program. Their characterization of ABAI’s program has been inaccurate and misleading. We determined it is essential that ABAI put its concerns in writing. This is important to us as thoughtful, concerned and principled professionals who deeply care about the role of accrediting agencies, and the students who show interest in the behavior analysis field and who will contribute to the future growth of the field.
While we continue to evaluate all of our options, we could not further delay in expressing our concerns. We deeply believe in the important role of accreditation in higher education and are called to speak our concerns when we believe the principles that make accreditation valuable are being threatened.
We are providing here an opportunity to provide comments regarding this matter.
Sincerely,
ABAI Executive Council, in support of the ABAI Accreditation Board
[1] CHEA Standards and Procedures for Recognition, at 5 (Oct. 2021).