Generally, the purpose of the accreditation process is to evaluate a program to determine if it is effectively preparing students to become professionals in that field. In athletic training, just as in other allied health and medical fields, there is a certification or licensure exam that is a final "gateway" for entry into the field. Now, if a program achieves accreditation but students from that program cannot pass the practical portion of the certification exam because the program's philosophy doesn't match the practicality of the exam, then there is a fundamental flaw in the system of accreditation and certification. It is very difficult for someone to go through a gate that they cannot find. I understand the need to keep the administration of certification exams separate from the accreditation, but there needs to be communication between the two, especially when part of the certification exam covers explicit tasks. Those tasks need to be known by the directors of programs so that their students can be properly prepared to perform them. Otherwise, the certification exam loses its validity. By the same token, if an accreditation process does not take into account the success rate of the program's students in achieving certification, and how well those students are prepared for the certification exam, then the accreditation process also loses its validity. Just my thoughts . . . George Potter, LAT, ATC Seymour High School Seymour, IN 47274 potterg@... udorn94@... 812) 528-3537