[NLA] ProLiteracy Accreditation

[MTAIT]

Laubach Literacy International and Literacy Volunteers of America each
developed and implemented program accreditation initiatives in the last
several years.    The focus of accreditation in both organizations has
been on sound principles of program management rather than instruction,
although some of the standards are focused on principles of effective
training and instruction .  Our belief is that a well managed program
will deliver quality instruction and other services to its customer: the
learner.  Representatives of both organizations have been working for
almost a year now on devising a new Accreditation system for ProLiteracy
Worldwide.  This system will contain many elements of the underlying
systems, but will also contain some new ideas.  We intend to continue to
raise the bar of what constitutes an acceptable
volunteer/community-based literacy program through the publication and
dissemination of these standards.  All of this is intended to address
the inaccurate belief  that all volunteer/community-based programs are
"Mom-and-Pop fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants rinky-dink operations."  Some
are.  Most are not.  Those who become Accredited are most definitely
NOT. 

There have been, and will continue to be, many points of intersection
win this development process with our colleagues from the federally and
state-funded AELS.

For example, in developing the predecessor Accreditation initiatives,
both organizations researched a number of existing accreditation
programs in other fields of endeavor, including higher ed.  When LVA
initially rolled out LVA Accreditation in 1999, personnel at OVAE
reviewed our process and system and provided feedback and input.  The
state directors of adult education  were informed of what we were doing
and were provided with information about it.  We briefed Andy Hartmann
and other staff at NIFL and Andy became one of the initiative's most
outspoken supporters.

If you will forgive a moment of parochialism, I submit to you that the
volunteer/CBO sector of the field is a bit out in front of the AELS with
respect to this issue.  To the best of my knowledge, there are no other
nationally devised, implemented, or mandated standards for program
management in the field.  I agree with Deborah Yoho that the consistency
of quality of services provided would be improved across the Board if
there were.  In fact, ProLiteracy would be delighted to work with the
Dept. of Ed to devise such a thing!

 
mailto:mtait at literacyvolunteers.org
Marsha L. Tait
President, Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc.
Chair, National Coalition for Literacy
P.O. Box 6506
Syracuse,  NY  13217
315-472-0001 X322
http://www.literacyvolunteers.org
http://www.natcoalitionliteracy.org/


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