The NCAA has released an initial list of preparatory or nontraditional high schools from which transcripts will not be accepted for the purpose of meeting NCAA initial-eligibility requirements.

The list contains 15 schools that either did not respond or did not provide complete data to NCAA inquiries for more information. The list is not conclusive — NCAA staff members in fact are still conducting comprehensive reviews and, if necessary, onsite visits to several high schools.

High schools under review were selected based on significant irregularities in the information reported to the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. Those schools prompted review because at some point they initiated contact with the Clearinghouse, in most cases by seeking a certification decision on a prospective student-athlete.

Schools that come under scrutiny must answer questions about their curriculum and teacher certification. The 15 schools identified either did not respond to those requests or provided inadequate information.

The 15 schools are:

At least one of the schools, University High in Miami, already closed its doors in December.

Kevin Lennon, NCAA vice president for membership services, said that if a school failed to respond and subsequently submits information to the NCAA, that information will be reviewed. Also, when a determination is made based on the review, schools may appeal the decision through a committee appointed by the Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet and the Division II Academic Requirements Committee.

Lennon said that in addition to the high school review process, there also will be a review of the individual prospective student-athlete’s academic records. Thus, if a school is invalidated, the individual’s record still can be reviewed. On the flip side, even for a high school that may be validated, the individual prospect’s record may still be reviewed and invalidated.

"Working with an NCAA member institution, any student has the opportunity to have his or her academic record reviewed — regardless of the outcome of the high school review — if certain flags in the credentials are triggered," Lennon said.

As the ongoing site visits and reviews are completed, a subsequent release of prep schools and nontraditional high schools is expected later this summer to provide certification decisions for student-athletes enrolling at an NCAA institution in fall 2006.

The review process stems from procedures the Division I Board of Directors and the Division II Presidents Council approved in April that allows the NCAA to ensure the academic legitimacy of the high schools used in the initial-eligibility process and the academic credentials of individual student-athletes. The action was based on recommendations from the NCAA Working Group to Review Initial-Eligibility Trends, a panel NCAA President Myles Brand authorized in January after concerns were raised about possible academic fraud at some prep schools.

Working-group members in fact reviewed instances in which individuals paid a flat fee for a high school diploma; schools where limited or no interaction between teacher and student occurred; and cases in which no actual teaching or learning took place.

The emergency legislation the Board and Presidents Council adopted allows the NCAA to scrutinize the growing number of schools that have no oversight from an accrediting agency or state authority or no involvement with state high school athletics associations. The new legislation also gives the NCAA more authority to review individual student records that raise questions.

Over time, all high schools will be reviewed using the criteria established by working group.

In a related action, the Southeastern Conference’s presidents and chancellors approved a plan during the league’s spring meetings that requires each institution to develop a process for reviewing prospects’ academic credentials.

The process is triggered when there is a substantial increase in a prospect’s college entrance examination test scores or if certain concerns are identified on a high school or prep school transcript.

In such cases, the institution’s president or chancellor renders a final determination of enrollment and eligibility status, and reports are then sent to the SEC commissioner, who has the authority to declare the student-athlete ineligible for competition in the SEC.

SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said the SEC action aligns with the Division I Board of Directors’ emphasis on a "shared responsibility" approach to academic integrity and the need for active institutional and conference oversight of the initial-eligibility process.