Application of an Educational Law Framework to Allied Health Professions' Program Effectiveness Metrics:...

The researcher applied an educational law framework, known as FIRAC, to guide a systematic review of program effectiveness metrics of commonly identified allied health educational programs. Programmatic or discipline-specific accreditation standards were examined to identify the respective program effectiveness metrics. A metrics comparison table enabled an analysis of similarities and differences across the various allied health disciplines. The systematic review and collation of key program effectiveness metrics for each researched allied health profession provided the quantitative and qualitative dataset in which to apply a framework, well-versed in the educational law realm, known as the FIRAC framework. The study findings provide a unique and new approach to conceptualizing the multi-faceted programmatic variances of allied health educational programs. The comprehensive analysis aids academic administrators and educators in gaining a better understanding of the similarities, differences, formal implications, and perhaps even legal considerations associated with the accreditation standards related to program effectiveness. From this research, admissions and student retention and progression strategies, as well as practice or patient care implications, may be gleaned from the systematic analysis of the outcome metrics as formatted in the context of the FIRAC framework.