Standard Practice for Certificate Programs

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Certificate programs are typically offered by community colleges and universities, government agencies, employers, independent for-profit training organizations, and professional and trade associations. While quality guidelines do exist for continuing education and training providers in general (for example, ANSI/IACET 1-2007) and for entities offering personnel certification programs (for example, ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024:2003), currently, no quality guidelines exist specifically to aid entities offering certificate programs. This practice aims to change that and has been developed to:
Provide certificate program developers and certificate issuers guidelines for quality program development and administration;
Form the foundation for a recognition or accreditation system or both that enable consumers, employers, government agencies, and others who rely upon a skilled workforce to distinguish between qualified workers and those with fraudulent or less-than-quality credentials;
Assist stakeholders in differentiating between certificate programs from personnel certification; and
Assist stakeholders in differentiating certificate programs from other programs that confer certificates, including but not limited to certificates of attendance or certificates of participation.
Currently, it is challenging to distinguish a certificate earned through the focused learning and assessment offered through a certificate program from one granted through other means. That a certificate is issued is not a distinguishing factor. The word “certificate” is used broadly as a document awarded to designate the attainment or completion of something. An individual might receive a certificate from an education or training provider as verification of attendance at a learning event (often called a certificate of attendance) or receive a certificate as verification of active participation in a learning event’s learning experiences (often called a certificate of participation). The distributio...
SCOPE
1.1 This practice provides guidance to certificate issuers for developing and administering quality certificate programs and to stakeholders for determining the quality of certificate programs.
1.2 This practice includes requirements for both the entity issuing the certificate and requirements for the specific certificate programs for which it issues certificates.
1.3 This practice provides the foundation for the recognition or accreditation or both of a specific entity to issue a specific certificate or certificates to individuals after successful completion of a certificate program.
1.4 This practice does not address guidance pertaining to certification of individuals nor does it address guidance pertaining to education or training programs in general, including those that issue certificates of participation or certificates of attendance.

General Information

Status
Historical
Publication Date
31-Mar-2009
Current Stage
Ref Project

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ASTM E2659-09 - Standard Practice for Certificate Programs
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Standards Content (Sample)

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
An American National Standard
Designation: E2659 – 09
Standard Practice for
1
Certificate Programs
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2659; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 3. Terminology
1.1 This practice provides guidance to certificate issuers for 3.1 Definitions—For the purposes of this practice, the fol-
developing and administering quality certificate programs and lowing apply.
to stakeholders for determining the quality of certificate 3.1.1 appeal, n—written request made to the certificate
programs. issuer by a primary stakeholder for reconsideration of any
1.2 This practice includes requirements for both the entity adverse decision made by the certificate issuer related to the
issuing the certificate and requirements for the specific certifi- certificate program requisites or certificate program process.
cate programs for which it issues certificates. 3.1.2 assessment, n—instrument or method used to measure
1.3 Thispracticeprovidesthefoundationfortherecognition learner attainment of intended learning outcomes (including
or accreditation or both of a specific entity to issue a specific but not limited to oral or written tests, skill demonstrations,
certificate or certificates to individuals after successful comple- portfolios, or work products).
tion of a certificate program. 3.1.3 certificate, n—document (letter, card, or other me-
1.4 This practice does not address guidance pertaining to dium) awarded to certificate holders that designates the suc-
certification of individuals nor does it address guidance per- cessful completion of a certificate program’s requisites.
taining to education or training programs in general, including 3.1.4 certificate holder, n—individual who has been issued
those that issue certificates of participation or certificates of a certificate after successfully meeting a certificate program’s
attendance. requisites.
3.1.5 certificate issuer, n—legal business entity or govern-
2. Referenced Documents
ment agency, or operating unit thereof, that has ultimate
2.1 ANSI/IACET Standard: responsibility for administering a certificate program and
ANSI/IACET 1-2007 Standard for Continuing Education
issuing certificates to individuals successfully meeting certifi-
,
2 3
and Training
cate program requisites.
2.2 ANSI/ISO/IEC Standard: 3.1.6 certificate program, n—nondegree-granting education
ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024:2003 Conformity Assessment—
or training program consisting of (1) a learning event or series
General Requirements for Bodies Operating Certification of events designed to educate or train individuals to achieve
,
4 5
of Personnel
specified learning outcomes within a defined scope and (2) a
system designed to ensure individuals receive a certificate only
after verification of successful completion of all program
1
This practice is under the jurisdiction ofASTM Committee E36 on Laboratory
requisites including but not limited to an evaluation of learner
and InspectionAgencyAccreditation and is the direct responsibility of Subcommit-
tee E36.30 on Personnel Certificate Programs. attainment of intended learning outcomes.
Current edition approved April 1, 2009. Published April 2009. DOI: 10.1520/
3.1.7 certificate program process, n—all activities by which
E2659-09.
the certificate issuer establishes that a person fulfills specified
2
Available from the International Association for Continuing Education and
requisites to earn the certificate, including but not limited to
Training, 1760 Old Meadow Rd., Suite 500, McLean, VA 22102.
3
TheANSI/IACET 1-2007 Standard for Continuing Education and Training is a
prerequisites (if applicable), completion of a learning event or
valuable document with detailed guidance for all providers of continuing education
events, evaluation of learner attainment of intended learning
and training. It provides a descriptive framework to assist organizations in adhering
outcomes, and the certificate decision.
to quality practices for all types of continuing education and training programs. In
3.1.8 certificate program plan, n—documented plan by
contrast, this Practice for Certificate Programs outlines a framework of quality for
one specific type of program, the certificate program.
which the certificate issuer develops and administers the
4
Available from American National Standards Institute (ANSI), 25 W. 43rd St.,
certificate program, including the essential elements of analy-
4th Floor, New York, NY 10036, http://www.ansi.org.
5
sis, program design, development, implementation, and evalu-
The ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024:2003 Conformity Assessment—General Require-
me
...

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