Another week, more exciting updates about the work
your association is doing to raise the level of professionalism of
PATH Intl. credentials and getting ready for application to the
National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) for
accreditation of the PATH Intl. Registered Therapeutic Riding
Instructor Certification.
Thank you for the positive feedback we received
regarding last week's communication and for being such an engaged
membership! We hope this newsletter will continue to inform and
live up to your expectations. If you have questions or feedback
about this accreditation process, we have opened this feedback link
where you can leave your comments and if required, someone will get
back to you.
Today's Topic:
Credentialing Councils
What is a credentialing council?
A credentialing council is a group of individuals appointed or
elected to govern one or more certification programs and is
responsible for all certification decision making, including
governance of testing processes and administration.
Why will PATH Intl. establish a
credentialing council?
NCCA Standard 3 requires that a certification program be
structured and governed in a manner that ensures autonomy in
decision making and protects the certification program from undue
influence that could compromise the integrity of the certification
process. Autonomy, administrative independence and protection from
undue influence apply to both the potential influence of outside
organizations or internal influence (i.e. membership and education
components of PATH Intl.).
How will a credentialing council
serve the PATH Intl. Membership?
As equine-assisted activities and therapies become more scrutinized
due to the increase in visibility, legitimizing the industry and
profession has escalated in importance. The PATH Intl.
Credentialing Council will ensure consistent, fair, transparent and
valid testing practices for all candidates applying to PATH Intl.
for certification. The creation of an independent, unbiased
credentialing council will also distinguish PATH Intl.
certifications as preeminent among EAAT credentials. This
distinction will serve as a step in the direction of greater
recognition by external organizations and potential partners such
as medical professionals, higher education institutions and
insurers. An accredited certification will be far more meaningful
to families, caregivers and participants.
What will a credentialing council
look like?
The credentialing council will function as a
division within PATH Intl. The PATH Intl. Board of Trustees will
retain general governance authority over the credentialing council;
however, the credentialing council will function autonomously with
respect to certification and accreditation. The council will be
made up of a group of elected volunteers. NCCA Standard 3 requires
that:
- The
body that governs the certification includes certified
individuals
- The
certification board includes at least one public member
- Clear
policies are established that define the selection process for
the certification board
- The
certification board selection process must prevent
inappropriate influence from any parent board/organization
- The
public member meets the NCCA criteria
- Policies
are in place to define the role of the certification board as
well as the composition of the certification board and the
terms of service of members
- Stakeholders
(public, employers, certificants, etc.) must be represented on
the certification board with voting privileges
For a more detailed description of the council,
click here to read the pending
Credentialing Council Charter. It will be approved by the PATH
Intl. Board of Trustees at the next board meeting on September 26,
but we wanted to share it with you now. Please note this pending
charter refers to an upcoming bylaw amendment that is also
mentioned below. Look for details regarding the amendment in next
week's communication and an official bylaw change and vote
notification to follow on September 15.
How will a credentialing council
be established?
1) Since it is a new independent body within the
association structure, the creation of a credentialing council
necessitates an addition to the PATH Intl. bylaws.
2)
The PATH Intl. Credentialing Council Development Workgroup of PATH
Intl. Certified Professionals with certification and/or
accreditation experience outside of PATH Intl will be assembled.
This
workgroup will help define test and certification prerequisites,
exam blueprints, write reference-based test questions, develop new
policies and procedures that meet NCCA standards, and establish a
nominating committee for elected representatives of the
aforementioned new PATH Intl. Credentialing Council (election
scheduled for December 2016).
Sound interesting? PATH Intl. is specifically
looking for experience in the following:
* Assessment development (also known as
test development)
* Standards organizations such as the
National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), ANSI/ISO,
Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation (CLEAR)
This workgroup will be an eight month effort from
September 19, 2016 - May 19, 2017 and will operate under the
following credo:
* I am putting the public first
* I am invested in the strategic
direction of the organization
* I am an advocate for fair, unbiased
certification examinations
If you are interested in joining this workgroup,
please save this form to your computer, complete it and email it to
as well as any questions you might have to Adrienne Segundo.
Look for next week's communication about the bylaw
change required to add a credentialing council to the PATH Intl.
organizational structure. For those of you attending the PATH Intl.
Conference and Annual Meeting in Williamsburg, VA in November,
please read the bylaw addition language in advance as it will be
voted on at the Annual Meeting Friday morning.
A webinar is scheduled for the third week of September for those
interested in more detailed information about the forming of the
credentialing council and the required addition to the bylaws. The
webinar is free, open to all and will be presented by Adrienne
Segundo, IOM, credentialing specialist from Limitless Association
Solution Resource, LLC, and PATH Intl. CEO Kathy Alm. The live
webinar will be offered for the first 50 registrants and it will be
recorded making it available to everyone to watch at any time
after. Watch for information on how to register for the webinar
soon.