The Commission on the Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) has opened the Curricular Content Standards for public comment. Athletic training organizations, individual athletic trainers as well as key stakeholders are encouraged to review the standards and provide comments if they so choose. ATs can find the standards and provide feedback. The comment period is 60 days and ends August 1.
NATA is having most of its committees review the standards and submit any comments to the board of directors. This effort will shape the association’s official comments on the standards. Until this review occurs, NATA will not have any comments on the standards themselves. Again, individual ATs are encouraged to review and submit comments as well.
The Curricular Content Standards were previously known as the Competencies. Athletic training programs are currently functioning under the 5th Edition Competencies that were developed by NATA in the past, following an inclusive process which sought input from AT stakeholders. The difference now is that CAATE is putting the competencies into its standards, thus requiring the open comment process. This follows the processes defined by CAATE’s Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) status.
The new Curricular Content Standards, once implemented, “will comprise the new content that must be taught in all professional programs.”
