Preparation
The key to being ready for the on-site evaluation and earning certification is preparation, preparation, preparation.
Educate the Staff about ASE Certification and the NATEF Evaluation Process
Preparing for the on-site evaluation will require the commitment of everyone involved with your program: administrators, support staff, instructors, members of the Advisory Committee. The first step is to educate everyone about the importance of being ASE Certified and what is involved in the NATEF Evaluation Process.
Plan an introductory meeting of all interested parties. Use this PowerPoint presentation, which provides an overview of the NATEF standards and evaluation process, as a template for your agenda. Provide attendees with a copy of the standards and invite their suggestions about what documentation already exists to verify the program meets the standards.
Order the Certification Manual
When you feel you are committed as an organization to proceed with certification, you will need to order a certification manual from NATEF. The certification manual contains all the paperwork that you need to go through your self-evaluation process and submit your application for certification.
Conduct Self-Evaluation
The next step is conduct a self-evaluation of your program to determine how it measures up to the standards. This matrix of suggested responsibilities may help you determine who is best suited to focus on each standard. You can begin collecting documentation at this time.
Remember, use this step as an opportunity to make improvements in your program. Pay close attention to the critical (Go/No Go) Standards. You must be able to say YES and provide supporting documentation for all critical Standards.
Prepare Documentation
Be sure that all required documentation is clear and organized, preferably in a notebook per these suggestions, with a table of contents and section headers. The on-site evaluation team members will have to process a lot of information in a short period of time. Presenting your information in an organized way makes their job easier.
Complete the Application for Certification
These documents must accompany your application for certification:
- Completed Self-Evaluation Summary Sheet or self-evaluation results
- On-site Evaluation Team Member List
- Instructor ASE Certification Information for all instructors
- Instructor Training information for all instructors
- Advisory Committee List
- Articulation Agreement, if applicable
