Can We Call Them Credit Mills?

Table of Contents

• Key Points 4
• Introduction 6
• The Concept of School Legitimacy 7
• Credit Emphasis Schools within a Privatized Education Landscape 8
• Methodology 9
• Procedure 10
• Limitations 12
• Results 12
• 1. Web Search for the School 14
• 2. School Website 16
• 3. Web Search for School Location 20
• 4. Characteristics of School Offerings 20
• 5. Longevity and Accountability Structures 22
• 6. School-Adjacent Services 26
• Inspection Reports 28
• Toward a Profile of an “Illegitimate” School 34
• School A 34
• School B 35
• School C 35
• Discussion 36
• Educational Pluralism, Regulation, and Legitimacy 36
• The International Student Context 38
• Conclusion and Recommendations 40
• Appendix: Legitimacy Framework 41
• References 50