What is ASE Accreditation? It is a process that allows schools to measure themselves against industry-developed standards in multiple areas: administration, curriculum, instructor qualifications, advisory committee input, student services, facilities, tools and equipment, etc. Like the ASE certification tests, it reveals where you are strong and where you need to improve. And it is not just a “one-and-done” process. ASE accredited schools are required to maintain practices that drive continuous program improvement, with the end goal of providing students with the fundamental knowledge and skills needed for successful automotive careers.
How can you help? There are several points in the accreditation process that require input from local businesses:
• The Advisory Committee must provide input every year on a variety of issues such as student survey results, program funding, and changes to the course of study.
• Members of the Advisory Committee must also provide an annual review of the facility, tools, and equipment to ensure that they are up-to-date and in good repair.
• Some members of the Advisory Committee will be asked to participate in the Program Accreditation Self-Evaluation, where you would rate the program on a five-point scale across several dozen rating criteria.
The final step in the Accreditation process is an on-site evaluation led by a trained Evaluation Team Leader (ETL), typically an experienced instructor from a different school who is an ASE Master-Certified technician. The ETL is assisted by two or more working technicians or business owners with technical service experience. To avoid a conflict of interest, these evaluation team members may not be drawn from the school’s Advisory Committee. But it is often difficult to recruit working technicians if they are losing pay while serving. So, another way you can help is by:
• Helping sponsor an honorarium for the working technician team members
• Providing paid time off for one of your technicians to serve on the evaluation team
• Serving or providing paid time off for one of your technicians to serve on the evaluation team of another school undergoing the accreditation process
• Encouraging other business associates to serve or provide paid time off for their technicians to serve on an evaluation team
Finally, you can help your program maintain high industry standards by explaining the value of ASE Program Accreditation to principals, CTE administrators, superintendents, school board members, department chairs, deans, etc. Your position as an employer and taxpayer in the community gives you the unique right to demand that your CTE program maintain the highest standards to serve students and business community in the best way possible.
Time commitment: 2 to 16 hours
Step 6 of 8