INDIANAPOLIS --- In its continuing effort to better ensure the integrity of academic credentials used by some high schools in the initial eligibility process, the NCAA announced today it will not accept records from God’s Academy Prep in Dallas. The core courses, grades and graduation records from God’s Academy will not be used when determining prospects’ initial eligibility to compete in intercollegiate athletics.

God’s Academy is a new high school that requested to have its core courses, grades and graduation used in the NCAA initial eligibility process. In the spring of 2006, the NCAA began reviewing all new schools seeking to be used in the initial eligibility process for the first time. As part of that process, God’s Academy underwent a thorough review that included an in-person site visit. At the close of the review, the NCAA identified several concerns which led to the decision. The core areas of the review focused on the school’s curriculum, instruction, methods of assessment, course quality, length of instruction, offering of concurrent courses, quality control issues and enrollment standards.

Specifically, the review identified several areas of concern, including a lack of formal instruction or organized curriculum structure. In addition, there was no organized method of assessment and instructors were unable to provide an overview of curriculums taught, lesson plans or course planning materials. God’s Academy failed to provide an adequate explanation of how grades were assigned, assessments were conducted or how a mastery of subject matter determined. Graduation requirements were not outlined and course selection was driven by NCAA initial eligibility requirements.

These and other concerns were provided to the school with an opportunity to respond to the specific issues. However, the school administration has not provided adequate information to address the specific concerns identified by the NCAA.

Students who are currently enrolled at the school for the 2006-07 academic year may request to have their individual academic records reviewed for consideration in the initial eligibility process. A determination will be made regarding their NCAA initial eligibility status based on this review of their individual academic record.

The review of nontraditional high schools in the initial eligibility process is an ongoing effort and more than 200 schools have been part of the review process to date. God’s Academy may appeal the decision to the national high school review committee, a national panel established by the NCAA comprised of members from the higher education and secondary school communities.

The NCAA sets minimum academic standards that prospective student-athletes must complete in high school to be eligible to compete in collegiate sports, but those students must ultimately meet the admissions standards at the individual college or university they choose to attend.

“The secondary school experience plays a vital role in ensuring that young people are academically prepared before college admission,” said Kevin Lennon, NCAA vice president for membership services. “While a vast majority of high schools in the country, public and private, do a fine job of educating their students, some fall short. Because of this, the NCAA wants to ensure that a high school meets basic academic standards before its records can be used during the initial eligibility process.”

The high school review process was created after presidents from several NCAA member institutions raised concerns about the legitimacy of high school academic credentials presented by some incoming student-athletes. Those concerns centered on student-athletes establishing initial eligibility by using academic credentials through nontraditional schools and courses. In response, presidents in Divisions I and II adopted legislation to provide for the review of high schools and individual prospective student-athletes records in the initial eligibility process.

High schools selected to be reviewed by the NCAA are identified based on perceived academic irregularities in information received by the NCAA or because a high school seeking to be used in the process for the first time, as was the case with God’s Academy. Examples of potential irregularities include transcript discrepancies, a disproportionate number of core courses taken in a single academic year, sequential courses taken in the same term, irregularities in grade-scale changes or weight-grade changes, questionable policy issues including pass/fail policies, transcription of college courses, nontraditional course policies, among other factors. The review of high schools used in the initial eligibility process is an ongoing process.

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