INDIANAPOLIS --- As part of its continuing effort to ensure the integrity of academic credentials used by high schools in the initial eligibility process, the NCAA will no longer accept the core courses, grades and graduation from two high schools.
The records from Milestone Christian Academy (Kansas City, Missouri) and Nashville Christian Advancement Academy (Nashville, Tennessee) will not be used when determining prospect student-athletes’ initial eligibility to compete in intercollegiate athletics.
Milestone Christian Academy and Nashville Christian Advancement Academy both reported to the NCAA during the high school review process it uses the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) program as a primary means of delivering education. ACE has its own review process to ensure schools administering its curriculum are doing so in an appropriate manner. Schools administering ACE curriculum in an appropriate manner are given either model or quality status by ACE. The NCAA has determined for high schools that use the ACE curriculum as their primary means of delivering education, those high schools must obtain model or quality status from ACE before the grades of prospective student-athletes will be used to determine initial eligibility. Currently, Milestone Christian Academy and Nashville Christian Advancement Academy have not obtained model or quality status.
The review of 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. If additional information from either of these two schools is received, the NCAA may reconsider the school’s status.
Students currently enrolled in Milestone Christian Academy and Nashville Christian Advancement Academy must have their individual academic records reviewed to be considered 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 NCAA sets minimum academic standards that prospective student-athletes must complete in high school to be eligible to compete in Division I and II collegiate sports, but those students must ultimately meet the admissions standards at the individual college or university they choose to attend.
“Ensuring prospective student-athletes are academically prepared before college admission is a shared responsibility,” said Kevin Lennon, NCAA vice president for membership services. “Colleges and universities need to continue to make admissions decisions based on the academic demands of their respective institutions. The issues in high schools don’t just affect college athletics, but also secondary and postsecondary education.”
The NCAA has partnered with secondary educators throughout this process and that community shares our concerns regarding the need to ensure the legitimacy of high school academic credentials utilized during the student-athlete eligibility process, said Lennon
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 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 are identified to undergo the review process based on perceived academic irregularities in information received by the NCAA. 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, and course policies among other factors. During the review process, the NCAA national office staff will review a high school’s curriculum and instruction, methods of assessment, course quality, length of instruction, quality control and integrity, instructors, enrollment and other areas.
In addition, high schools that are new to the NCAA process and seek to have their records used in the NCAA initial eligibility process may be subject to a two-year evaluation process prior to a determination being made regarding that school.
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