Research and legal issues that relate to accreditation policy questions for schools, colleges, and departments of education are reviewed, and strategies for integrating empirical information and social/professional values are presented. The discussion divides into three sections: (1) information concerning a variety of contextual issues that affect accreditation and a summary of federal and state roles in the accreditation process; (2) legal and research issues that relate to accreditation with particular emphasis given to examining the difficulties associated with establishing a relationship between professional training and work performance; and (3) several ideas that may have promise for creating a new consensus concerning the appropriate bases for making accrediting decisions. (MM)