ASTM E2659-09e1
(Practice)Standard Practice for Certificate Programs
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.
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Designation: E2659 −09 AnAmerican National Standard
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
´ NOTE—Editorial corrections were made throughout in February 2010.
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
adverse decision made by the certificate issuer related to the
1.2 This practice includes requirements for both the entity
certificate program requisites or certificate program process.
issuing the certificate and requirements for the specific certifi-
cate programs for which it issues certificates.
3.1.2 assessment, n—instrument or method used to measure
learner attainment of intended learning outcomes (including
1.3 Thispracticeprovidesthefoundationfortherecognition
but not limited to oral or written tests, skill demonstrations,
or accreditation or both of a specific entity to issue a specific
portfolios, or work products).
certificateorcertificatestoindividualsaftersuccessfulcomple-
tion of a certificate program.
3.1.3 certificate, n—document (letter, card, or other me-
dium) awarded to certificate holders that designates the suc-
1.4 This practice does not address guidance pertaining to
cessful completion of a certificate program’s requisites.
certification of individuals nor does it address guidance per-
taining to education or training programs in general, including
3.1.4 certificate holder, n—individual who has been issued a
those that issue certificates of participation or certificates of
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
responsibility for administering a certificate program and
2.1 ANSI/IACET Standard:
issuing certificates to individuals successfully meeting certifi-
ANSI/IACET 1-2007 Standard for Continuing Education
2,3
cate program requisites.
and Training
3.1.6 certificate program, n—nondegree-granting education
2.2 ANSI/ISO/IEC Standard:
ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024:2003 Conformity Assessment— or training program consisting of (1) a learning event or series
of events designed to educate or train individuals to achieve
General Requirements for Bodies Operating Certification
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
requisites including but not limited to an assessment of learner
1
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E36 on Accredi-
attainment of intended learning outcomes.
tation & Certification and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E36.30 on
Personnel Certificate Programs.
3.1.7 certificate program plan, n—documented plan by
Current edition approved April 1, 2009. Published April 2009. DOI: 10.1520/
which the certificate issuer develops and administers the
E2659-09E01.
2
Available from the International Association for Continuing Education and
certificate program, including the essential elements of
Training (IACET), 1760 Old Meadow Rd., Suite 500, McLean, VA 22102,
analysis, program design, development, implementation, and
http://www.iacet.org.
evaluation.
3
ANSI/IACET 1-2007 is a valuable document with detailed guidance for all
providers of continuing education and training. It provides a descriptive framework
to assist organizations in adhering to quality practices for all types of continuing
education and training programs. In contrast, this practice outlines a framework of
5
quality for one specific type of program, the certificate program. ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024:2003 serves as a valuable standard document providing
4
Available fromAmerican National Standards Institute (ANSI), 25 W. 43rd St., aframeworkofqualityforpersonnelcertificationprograms.Incontrast,thispractice
4th Floor, New York, NY 10036, http://www.ansi.org. serves as a framework of quality for certificate programs.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
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E2659 − 09
3.1.8 certificate prog
...
This document is not anASTM standard and is intended only to provide the user of anASTM standard an indication of what changes have been made to the previous version. Because
it may not be technically possible to adequately depict all changes accurately, ASTM recommends that users consult prior editions as appropriate. In all cases only the current version
of the standard as published by ASTM is to be considered the official document.
An American National Standard
´1
Designation:E2659–09 Designation: E2659 – 09
Standard Practice for
,
1 2
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
´ NOTE—Editorial corrections were made throughout in February 2010.
1. 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.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ANSI/IACET Standard:
,
3 4
ANSI/IACET 1-2007 Standard for Continuing Education and Training
2.2 ANSI/ISO/IEC Standard:
ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024:2003 Conformity Assessment—General Requirements for Bodies Operating Certification of Person-
,
5 6
nel
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions—For the purposes of this practice, the following apply.
3.1.1 appeal, n—written request made to the certificate issuer by a primary stakeholder for reconsideration of any adverse
decision made by the certificate issuer related to the certificate program requisites or certificate program process.
3.1.2 assessment, n—instrumentormethodusedtomeasurelearnerattainmentofintendedlearningoutcomes(includingbutnot
limited to oral or written tests, skill demonstrations, portfolios, or work products).
3.1.3 certificate, n—document (letter, card, or other medium) awarded to certificate holders that designates the successful
completion of a certificate program’s requisites.
3.1.4 certificate holder, n—individual who has been issued a certificate after successfully meeting a certificate program’s
requisites.
1
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E36 on Laboratory and Inspection Agency AccreditationAccreditation & Certification and is the direct
responsibility of Subcommittee E36.30 on Personnel Certificate Programs.
Current edition approved April 1, 2009. Published April 2009. DOI: 10.1520/E2659-09.
2
Available from the International Association for Continuing Education and Training, 1760 Old Meadow Rd., Suite 500, McLean, VA 22102.
2
For referencedASTM standards, visit theASTM website, www.astm.org, or contactASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
3
TheANSI/IACET 1-2007 Standard for Continuing Education and Training is a valuable document with detailed guidance for all providers of continuing education and
training. It provides a descriptive framework to assist organizations in adhering to quality practices for all types of continuing education and training programs. In contrast,
this Practice for Certificate Programs outlines a framework of quality for one specific type of program, the certificate program.
3
Available from the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET), 1760 Old Meadow Rd., Suite 500, McLean, VA 22102,
http://www.iacet.org.
4
Available from American National Standards Institute (ANSI), 25 W. 43rd St., 4th Floor, New York, NY 10036, http://www.ansi.org.
4
ANSI/IACET 1-2007 is a valuable document with detailed guidance for all providers of continuing education and training. It provides a descriptive framework to assist
organizations in adhering to quality practices for all types of continuing education and training programs. In contrast, this practice outlines a framework of quality for one
specific type of program, the certificate program.
5
TheANSI/ISO/IEC 17024:2003 ConformityAssessment—General Requirement for Bodies Operating Certification of Personnel serves as a valuable Standard document
providing a framework of quality for personnel certifica
...
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