Articles LVA Launches Accreditation Initiative That Will Assess All Local Affiliates Reprinted with permission of Report on Literacy Programs, February 19, 1998, Volume 10, No. 4, p. 4, published by Business Publishers Inc., 951 Pershing Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20910. (800)274-6737. The Literacy Volunteers of America (LVA) have just kicked off an accreditation initiative that will evaluate the overall performance of every local affiliate by 2002. On Feb. 18, LVA President Marsha Tait and Anne DuPrey of LVA-Nassau County (N.Y.) briefed RLP on the initiative. The National Literacy Act of 1991 made volunteer literacy programs eligible for federal funding and called for the Education Department to develop program quality standards. The Clinton administration has also stressed accountability. Tait and DuPrey acknowledged the federal pressure, but said the primary impetus for the LVA initiative came from within. Several years ago, a consulting firm did a pro bono study of the LVA network and recommended field-driven initiatives to help make local affiliates more effective. One of the recommendations was for an accreditation procedure. DuPrey said local affiliates told the consultants they watnted clear direction from national headquarters about performance standards. Tait added that private funders have also been asking for outcome and performance data that would justify their contributions, just as government agencies want data to justify their spending. Going Beyond Outcome Data The LVA initiative was designed by a task force that included national staff and board members, DuPrey and other professionals. It will go beyond learner assessment and outcome data to examine management practices and governance; financial accounting, monitoring and reporting standards; and various personnel practices. There will be a set of "quality" standards with which affiliates must comply, and a set of "scored" standards with which they should comply. In the first three-year cycle of reviews, affiliates will have to meet all of the quality standards and at least 10 of the scored standards. In subsequent cycles, some of the scored standards will become mandatory quality standards, and new scored standards will be added. "Part of the emphasis in the accreditation process is the identification and dissemination of best demonstrated practices," Taid told RLP. "We will be working very closely with affiliates who are running very successful programs to identify what it is that they are doing that is making them successful and sharing that information with the rest of the network." LVA headquarters will do that via internal publications and a revamped World Wide Web site with a page devoted to best practices. The page will be accessible to affiliates only. All Volunteer Programs Eligible LVA will offer certification to any volunteer literacy program that wants it and wants to become an LVA affiliate. Theoretically, this could even include public-sector programs that use volunteers. Even now some local programs are affiliated with both LVA and Laubach Literacy, another leading volunteer organization. "We're looking forward to implementing this initiative," Tait says, "and my perception is that many of our affiliates are also looking forward to this. So we expect that ultimately it will really dramatically impact the quality of the services we are able to perform at the local level." For further information, contact LVA, 635 James St., Syracuse, NY 13203; (315) 472-0001; [email protected] LVA's Accreditation Timeline 1998-2000: With guidance and training from LVA natioal headquarters staff, state and other mid-level affiliates will help local affiliates prepare for certification reviews. Local affiliates will conduct self-assessments to identify their strengths and weaknesses. 2000: National officials will begin evaluating and certifying local programs. Mid-level affiliates will determine the order in which local affiliates will be reviewed. 2000-2002: All local LVA affiliates will get reviews, as will other volunteer programs that wish to become LVA affiliates. 2003-2005: Second cycle of reviews; "best practices" identified in first cycle become minimum standards in second. This "ratcheting up" will continue in future cycles. BPI Editor: Dave Speights • Reprinted with permission from Report on Literacy Programs, February 19, 1998, p. 26. Business Publishers Inc., 951 Pershing Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20910-4464. (301)587-6300 © Copyright Business Publishers, Inc. 1998 For a free trial subscription to "Report on Literacy Programs," visit http://xp.bpinews.com/rlp Back to Accreditation