Keeping PATH
Intl. members updated about the accreditation process
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Trek to Accrediting
the PATH Intl. Registered Therapeutic Riding Instructor
Certification
October
7, 2016
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Recorded webinar about the
upcoming bylaws vote available 24/7
The Trek to Accreditation Webinar - Bylaws edition
is now available for free to all who are interested in learning
more about the process by which PATH Intl. will apply for
third-party accreditation of the registered therapeutic riding
instructor certification and the necessary bylaws change. To watch
the webinar, available 24/7, click
here.
As is often the case, the PATH Intl. membership has been an engaged
and interested part of this long process. This trek (as opposed to
a sprint) has been a very methodical, well-thought out and
strategized series of events, and we're grateful for your
participation along the way thus far. It is our hope that you will
stay with us for the long haul and continue to participate by
joining committees, staying informed and giving your individual
feedback as we continue to move forward.
Over the past two years many things have been accomplished to bring
us to this point. There was a third-party assessment done to gauge
where PATH Intl. Certifications are in terms of readiness for
accreditation. And from that assessment the board, committees and
staff received a roadmap of recognized best practices to implement
in order to meet certification industry standards. The next step
was a job task analysis conducted by an outside third-party
organization for the PATH Intl. Certified Registered Therapeutic
Riding Instructor, providing a clear picture of what that job
entails. The analysis not only gives a baseline understanding of
that level, but also provides valuable information on what should
be tested to prove skills and abilities. We also created a quality
assurance task force to review and update our grievance procedures
and increase public transparency as well as update the continuing
education requirements. The continuing education units (CEU) policy
now mirrors best practices in continuing education requirements. To
comply with a National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA)
standard, PATH Intl. has increased public access/transparency of
assessment design by publishing pass/fail rates for all PATH Intl.
Certifications. The accommodation policy was strengthened and
faculty/evaluator training was revised and expanded to provide for
equal and fair testing. Finally, we developed the charter for the
credentialing council to ensure equal representation from
certificants as well as representation from the public.
The next step is the bylaws vote at the annual meeting to create a
credentialing council. (To learn more about the vote, read
details here.) A live webinar was conducted September 28th to
share a deeper understanding of this process, and during that
webinar one of the questions from a member webinar participant was,
"What happens if the bylaws change isn't approved?"
Although we hope this next step in the trek goes smoothly, it's
always important to have a plan B.
If the bylaws addition is not approved, the association would first
research, to the best of its abilities, why it did not pass. The
information collected would inform the future direction. Future
direction could range from simply regrouping and trying again, to
continuing with some of the best practices but not seeking
accreditation for PATH Intl. Certifications. All of this would be
guided by the board of trustees.
Throughout this process we are consistently communicating about
this trek with the PATH Intl. Membership (and anyone else
interested). Face-to-face communications have happened at every
international conference, and in 2015-2016 PATH Intl. had staff
representation at every region conference to lay out plans and
answer questions. We are continuing to use the eNews and PATH Intl. Strides
magazine, the website and official communications such as the one
you are reading now to bring everyone along on the journey, to keep
you informed and receive your insightful feedback.
If you have questions or feedback about this accreditation process
and/or the bylaws vote, please use this feedback link
where you can leave your comments, and, if requested, someone will
get back to you. You might also visit this list of recent
member questions and comments.
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Please direct correspondence
about this communication to the PATH Intl. Communications Coordinator. If you
prefer not to hear from us, click on the "safe
unsubscribe" below and we will remove you from our mailing
list. Removing your email address from the PATH Intl. member
database will prevent you from receiving all email correspondence
including event notices and other time-sensitive correspondence.
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