LVA Accreditation In the most far-reaching plan since its founding in 1962, LVA created program quality and accountability standards for volunteer literacy service providers nationwide: LVA Accreditation. "Literacy programs will pursue accreditation because they want to produce top quality results for their students, and help students meet their goals. Accreditation is a great tool for programs to do this." Andrew Hartman Executive Director National Institute for Literacy Accreditation raises the acceptable performance threshold for LVA affiliates and other literacy providers, ensuring that everyone who receives tutoring from volunteers receives quality services. But beyond establishing minimum standards, accreditation identifies outstanding educational and management practices and encourages every volunteer literacy organization to excel. "Promising practices" are the engine driving accreditation; each three-year cycle builds on the previous cycle, so that current promising practices become minimum standards in a dynamic process. While all LVA members undergo a rigorous certification process, other literacy providers may also apply for LVA accreditation. LVA's quality standards will become a benchmark for the entire adult volunteer literacy community. ARP Forum on Accreditation - From its onset, Accreditation has relied on the network to provide guidance and direction. Focus group sessions were conducted when the standards were first being considered. The Accreditation Review Panel (ARP) met at the 2000 conference to give affiliates, students, and others the opportunity to guide the next cycle of accreditation. That tradition continued with the ARP Forum on Accreditation at the 2001 conference. The ARP needs to know what is valued about accreditation and what should be carried forward into the new system as LVA, Inc. merges with Laubach Literacy International (LLI). Here's the report on what over 90 affiliate leaders, students, and state-level representatives told the ARP at the conference. (PDF file - requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) How to Become an Accredited LVA Affiliate Accreditation Guarantees Credibility, by Congressman Thomas C. Sawyer. (Reader, April 2000 -- PDF file - requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) LVA Accreditation: A Commitment to Quality (National Institute for Literacy's NIFLNews) "LVA Launches Accreditation Initiative that Will Assess All Local Affiliates" (Report on Literacy Programs, February 19, 1998) "Accreditation Helps Strengthen LVA Program", by Jan Goethel (Reader, July 1998) Public Relations Guide - This guide is provided to help LVA affiliates introduce and promote Accreditation to their constituencies. For LVA Affiliates only: Accreditation Standards Manual: The Accreditation Standards Manual contains a variety of pertinent technical information, including detailed explanations of the Qualifying and Scored Standards and the Accreditation process and policies. Fund Development Resource Guide: The Fund Development Resource Guide describes how LVA affiliates can create fundable projects around the Accreditation Initiative using the standards as models. It's also crammed with hints and tools for approaching funders and readying the affiliate leadership for seeking funding. Accreditation Tool Box: The Accreditation Tool Box is a standard-by-standard compendium of policies and procedures, forms, and other materials. These are best demonstrated practices contributed by LVA affiliates. Self Assessment/Survey Tool: The Self-Assessment/Survey Tool is a readiness checklist, allowing the affiliate to identify the indicators that are in place and those that need work. There's also room for notes and comments.