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The original policy paper created by ACTA was intended as a primer for policymakers on lessons learned from decades of experience with the federal system of higher education accreditation. In the 14 years since the first publication of its initial paper Can College Accreditation Live Up to Its Promise? the current iteration states flatly that not much has improved or changed a system that is growing more archaic by the day. At that time the authors found that accreditation did not ensure quality (it still does not), was not protecting the curriculum from serious degradation (It has gotten worse and the degradation has only accelerated) and was giving students, parents, and public decision-makers almost no useful information about institutions of higher education (the lack of information has seriously worsened).

The new 2016 updated investigation finds that things have only become worse. Congress allegedly wants to insure that federal student aid funds do not go to "fly by night" operations but Congress and its mindset is not on improving higher ed but battling with states over Common Core. But there are other and better ways to achieve better results in higher education and they are again highlighted in this ongoing research publication called 
ACTA >>>>>>>>>