2024-2026 Review of the Standards
In February 2024, the Board of Commissioners authorized a review of the Standards of Accreditation and the Board-approved Policies. This review follows the Commission Policy
on Board Responsibilities, which calls for periodic evaluation of these guiding documents.
To support the review, more than 400 individuals from member schools, 106 experienced peer reviewers, and six members of the public offered feedback on the clarity, consistency, and
usefulness of the Standards and Policies. This input created a rich base of data, which a Board-appointed working committee studied over ten months. Based on its analysis,
the committee recommends modest revisions to the Standards (which require approval by the membership) and no changes to the Policies. (Corresponding changes to the
Self-Study Ideas and Board Procedures will be approved by the Board of Commissioners.)
These recommendations were first shared with the ATS membership during a webinar on June 20, 2025. Following that webinar, members were invited to review and submit feedback on the proposed
revisions through mid‑September. After incorporating this feedback, the Standards were revised further and endorsed in principle by the Board of Commissioners in February 2026.
On March 20, 2026, ATS staff hosted a second membership‑wide webinar to review the current
proposed revisions. They explained how member feedback has shaped the Standards, and outlined next steps leading to the 2026 ATS/COA Biennial Meeting, where the revised Standards will be
presented for a vote.
Next Steps
All the ATS/COA membership is invited to review the revisions and submit final comments by April 2, 2026. These comments will inform the materials prepared for the
membership vote at the 2026 ATS/COA Biennial Meeting, which will be held from June 23-25, 2026.
