Beyond Certification

Your Opportunity to Comment on Revisions to Industry Testing Standards

The Joint Committee charged with revising the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing has announced the release of a draft revision posted at http://www.teststandards.net under the tab labeled ‘REVISION.’ 

To comment, click on the 'Comment on the Revision' link.  Then, you'll need to create a login and password.   An on-line template allows individuals and organizations to review the draft revision and to submit their recommendations and rationale for each recommendation. All comments and recommendations must be submitted to the Joint Committee by April 20, 2011.

The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing is produced through a long-standing collaboration of three associations: American Educational Research Association (AERA), the American Psychological Association (APA) and the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME).

25% off today: Certification Simplified and Considering Certification

Don't forget your board members' holiday presents!   My publisher is having a 25% off sale today only.  Use the code "CYBER305" to order Certification Simplified and get each of your board members the primer for staff and volunteer leaders of personnel certification programs.  It covers:

• What's the difference between certification, certificate programs, licensure and accreditation?
• What are the steps to developing a quality certification program?
• What are the key legal issues and how do you avoid them?
• What are the key certification and testing terms/concepts you need to understand?
• And more...

Or if your organization is just considering certification, you can also use the discount to order copies of Considering Certification?  Your Guide to Making the Decision.

On a personal note, I've been just swamped and sure hope to get back to regular blog writing soon!

Orient your Certification Board and Save 20% Today

 

Have you bought your certification board members their copies of Certification Simplified yet?  My publisher is having a 20.10% off sale today only.  Use the code "vetsday" to order Certification Simplified and get each of your board members the primer for staff and volunteer leaders of personnel certification programs.  It covers:

• What's the difference between certification, certificate programs, licensure and accreditation?
• What are the steps to developing a quality certification program?
• What are the key legal issues and how do you avoid them?
• What are the key certification and testing terms/concepts you need to understand?
• And more...

Or if your organization is just considering certification, you can use the discount to order copies of Considering Certification?  Your Guide to Making the Decision.

ANSI Accredits Two More Certificate Programs / Issuers

Two more organizations have been accredited under ANSI’s Certificate Accreditation Program (ANSI-CAP):

• National Apartment Association Education Institute for its Certificate for Apartment Maintenance Technician (CAMT)
• The National Graduate School of Quality Management for its Homeland Security Certificate, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certificate, and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certificate

I love Robert Gee's (president and founder of The National Graduate School) quote:

“Our work with ANSI on the accreditation of our Homeland Security and Lean Six Sigma certificates was a challenging, educational, and highly productive process. The ANSI system of analysis and review is unparalleled in the industry. We teach quality systems in our curriculum, and were able to demonstrate the same level of quality in our processes for ANSI. Being recognized by your peers as a leader, especially in our field of endeavor, is the highest honor.”

Read more here.

If you are considering developing a certificate program, improving an existing one, and/or applying for ANSI accreditation, here are two upcoming events for you:

Creating a Certificate Program with Meaning at ASAE's Annual Meeting & Expo on Monday at 8:30 in room 405. 

ANSI's Certificate Issuers Acceditation Workshop, September 23, 2010 to September 24, 2010 - 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM in DC.  The two-day workshop is designed to introduce interested stakeholders to the American National Standard ASTM E2659-09 and the requirements for achieving ANSI accreditation.  Limited to 12 attendees to ensure everyone's program-specific questions can be addressed.  Remember if  you pay for the workshop and then apply for accreditation, the course fee will be applied to your application fee!  Hope to see you there.

Looking forward to ASAE 2010

On Friday I'll be heading out the door to Los Angeles for the American Society of Association Executives 2010 annual meeting & expo. I've only missed one ASAE annual in probably 15 years (Honolulu 2003 - opted to stay home with a newborn!). It's an event I always look forward to and this year is no different. Here's a little bit of what I'll be up to. I hope to see you there!

On Saturday, I'll spend the day with my Professional Development Section Council colleagues at our council meeting (I'm chair this year.) We'll be discussing priorities for the upcoming year so if you are an association educator or credentialer, please let me know (mickie@msrops.com) what keeps you up at night (okay, job-related only please!) and maybe we can help you!

On Sunday, I'll be joining the flashmob at booth 921 on the expo floor!  Then, toasting champagne with other Decision to Learn contributors at the bookstore at 11:45 a.m. (The book will be available for sale at the bookstore.)  At 3:15 in room 507 I'll be co-facilitating a session on Credentialing Feasibility Faux Pas.  If you are considering a certification, certificate or accreditation program, this session is for you!

On Monday I'll be co-leading a session on Creating a Certificate Program at 8:30 in room 405.  This session is for those planning to develop or who already have certificate program.  Or if you're wanting to improve your existing workshops or symposia, there'll be good stuff for you too (we'll focus on outcomes-based learning).  In the evening I'll be at the Young Association Professional (YAP) party at the Broadway Bar.   So, get your glam on and join us - and remember that youth is a state of mind - otherwise I wouldn't be allowed in either! ;-)

The ASAE Annual Meeting Silent Auction is back, and I have two prizes available for bid:  A Certification Board Orientation and a Considering Certification Coaching Session.  Both include copies of my books (either Certification Simplified or Considering Certification?) for you and your leadership, and these books will also be for sale in the onsite bookstore so stop by and check them out.  The Silent Auction is virtual; you can bid from home too!  All contributions support the ASAE Foundation.  Also see Jeff De Cagna's Business Model Innovation Mini-Workshop and a keynote talk, “What If We…Designing 21st Century Association Leadership.”

Well, that's my line-up but I have even looked at the learning session line-up yet or included any of the excellent receptions and dinners planned.  It'll be a jam-packed time but I can't wait.  I look forward to seeing many of you!  

Crane Operator Certifications must be Accredited per OSHA

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has been recognized as an approved accreditor of crane operator certification programs by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the U.S. Department of Labor. Under the new OSHA rule to address the safety of cranes and derricks used in construction, all crane operator certification bodies must be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting entity. According to statistics issued by the Department of Labor, approximately 267,000 construction, crane rental, and crane certification establishments employing about 4.8 million workers will be affected.  More information here.

ANSI Personnel Certification Accreditation Cited in Department of Defense Directive

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has been named the sole approved accreditor of certification bodies by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) for its Information Assurance (IA) Workforce Improvement Program.

ANSI’s designation as the accreditor for the program is stated in revisions to a manual issued under the authority of DoD Directive 8570.1, Information Assurance Training, Certification, and Workforce Management. Originally published in 2004 and revised in April 2010, the manual provides guidance and procedures for the training, certification, and management of the DoD workforce conducting IA functions in assigned duty positions.

According to the manual, IA personnel must receive and maintain certification for the highest level functions that they perform related to data management, use, processing, storage, and transmission. Bodies issuing this certification must be accredited to the International Standard ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024, General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons. The new revisions to the manual state that ANSI is the sole approved accreditor for these certification bodies.

More information here.

Can Certificates be Required?

I received a question yesterday about the ASTM E2659 Standard Practice for Certificate Programs and thought others might benefit from hearing the answer.

The question was related to the clause:

5.2.4.2 (1) The certificate issuer shall not state or in any way imply that certificate holders are certified, licensed, accredited, or registered to engage in a specific occupation or profession.

The question asked if it was a violation of 5.2.4.2 if if the certificate is required to practice a certain aspect of a profession?  The answer is no.  This clause prevents a certificate issuer from making misleading and confusing claims about the type of credential granted.  The certificate issuer should state that a certificate is issued for the attainment of a training program's intended learning.  They should not state the certificate holder is certified or licensed (or anything other than that a certificate was issued) since those credentials are not the outcome of a certificate program.  However, if attainment of a certificate is required by some entity for individuals to act in a certain role, that is a different issue and is fine.  An certificate issuer can state what what the role of the certificate is since these are truthful and not misleading statements.

As real life examples, two of organizations that recently had their certificate programs accredited by ANSI operate under this scenario. FDA’s “New Hire Investigator Training Certificate” is required to become an FDA Investigator and the US Army’s “CP 12 Safety Professional Certificate” is required to become a Safety Officer in the US Army.

First Certificate Issuers Accredited!

The American National Standards Institute recently announced the first certificate-issuing organizations that have been accredited through its Certificate Accreditation Program (ANSI-CAP); they include:  

U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center for its CP 12 Safety Professional Certificate

U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its New Hire Investigator Training Program

National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) for its Boating Under the Influence Detection and Enforcement Certificate

SCIPP International for its End-User Security Awareness (EUSA) Certificate, Secure Web Application Development Awareness (SWADA) Certificate

Sullivan University for its Network Support and Administration Certificate

Says Lane Hallenbeck, ANSI vice president of accreditation services. "ANSI-CAP is the first program of its kind to offer a formal, third-party process for review and recognition of quality certificate programs. This effort marks a significant step forward in improving the quality of the American workforce, and we are very proud to add value to the process through third-party accreditation, helping to assure integrity and consistency within the credentialing field."  See the press release for more information, and look for more anticipated accreditation announcements of pilot participants in March.

Also see this press release for the results of the validation meeting hosted by ANSI of the pilot test participants, ANSI assessors, ANSI accreditation committee and ASTM certificate program experts.  In a future post, I'll highlight some things we learned from the pilot.

Also, beginning on March 1, 2010, ANSI will be accepting certificate program applications from all interested certificate-issuing organizations. Questions about ANSI-CAP can be directed to Turan Ayvaz, program manager, Certificate Accreditation Program (tayvaz@ansi.org; 202.331.3635).

ANSI Certificate Program Workshop Canceled

For those of you planning to attend the American National Standards Institute workshop on the ASTM Standard Practice for Certificate Programs and ANSI's accreditation program, it has been canceled for this Thursday and Friday, but will be rescheduled to occur within the next 30 days.  Details will be provided directly from ANSI.