 Accreditation (Standards) Program Manual
First Printing
July 31, 2003
INTRODUCTION
The National Association of State Motorcycle Safety Administrators (SMSA) has created a voluntary accreditation (standards) program for member states. The accreditation (standards) program is a result of the demands for national standards for any member state to comply with, and has the following objectives:
Objectives include:
- Provide states which are using curricula that are nationally recognized, or unique to their state, another opportunity for national recognition.
- Allow states which do already qualify for national recognition to add a second national recognition for their program.
- Allow SMSA to offer another service to its members.
- Provide the SMSA a stronger position from which to recruit new corporate and professional members.
- Provide the SMSA a stronger position from which to negotiate, form partnerships and initiate SMSA issue priorities.
- Set the stage for an SMSA reciprocity program for those states wishing to participate.
Member states, or "Programs," as referred to in this publication, will enjoy the benefits of SMSA Accreditation (Standard recognition). Such benefits include national recognition, suitable wall plaque, comments on the SMSA web site, www.smsa.org, and a local press release by the SMSA.
THE ACCREDITATION (Standards) CONCEPT
The accreditation (standards) concept has been described as unique to the United States, emphasizing as it does a voluntary, self-motivated approach by which organizations seek to achieve, objectively verify, and maintain high quality in their operations through periodic evaluations conducted by an independent, nongovernmental body that has established standards for its "clientele." This approach is a direct outgrowth of the concern by the Nation's founders about the possibility of a too powerful central government and the concrete expression of that concern in the first ten amendments of the U.S. Constitution. The Tenth Amendment, for example, gave states "general powers" and the federal government "limited powers." The Tenth Amendment also reserved general powers for the citizens of the states. Given this climate, voluntary enterprise (in contrast to private enterprise and government) has flourished and performs many functions on which Americans have come to depend - not the least of which is accreditation.
The accreditation movement had its origins in this country when the New York State Regents were established in 1787. The mission of the regents was to determine whether colleges in New York State met minimum standards; legislation required regents to visit and review annually the work of every college in the State and submit a report to the legislature.
From education, accreditation spread to other settings, such as hospitals (because medical schools wanted a way to ensure that their interns would be provided a good learning environment). Since the early 1950's, accreditation has extended to many more disciplines and professions. For example, accreditation spread to criminal justice agencies with the establishment of the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections (CAC) in 1974. The American Correctional Association (ACA) currently accredits jails and other correctional institutions. The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) was established in 1983, accrediting its first law enforcement agency in 1985.
Simply put, "to accredit" means to recognize or vouch for an agency or institution as conforming to a body of standards related to a specific discipline or profession; in this instance, motorcycle training programs.
Perhaps the best and most complete definition of accreditation is noted in Harcleroad's Accreditation; History, Process, and Problems. Harcleroad reports that, "in 1980, after six intense years as COPA's (Council on Postsecondary Accreditation) first president, Kenneth E. Young proposed that 'voluntary accreditation' should be defined in terms of a concept, a process, and a status."
Young's three-part definition of accreditation (quoted on p. 12 of Harcleroad's book):
a concept.. Unique to the United States by which institutions of postsecondary education or professional associations form voluntary, non-government organizations to encourage and assist organizations in the evaluation and improvement of their educational quality and to publicly acknowledge those institutions, or units within institutions, that meet or exceed commonly agreed upon minimum expectations of educational quality.
a process.. By which an institution of postsecondary education formally evaluates its educational activities, in whole or in part, and seeks an independent judgement that it substantially achieves its own objectives and is generally equal in quality to comparable institutions or specialized units. Essential elements of the process are: (1) a clear statement of educational objectives, (2) a directed self-study focused on these objectives, (3) an on-site evaluation by a selected group of peers, and (4) a decision by an independent commission that the institution or specialized unit is worthy of accreditation.
a status.. Of affiliation given an institution or specialized unit within an institution which has gone through the accrediting process and has been judged to meet or exceed general expectations of educational quality.
It is relatively simple to recast these definitions within a rider education context. But it is perhaps more important to point out that (1) "voluntary accreditation," while described by Harcleroad as "unique to the United States," has been successfully applied in other countries, most notably Canada; (2) most other industrialized countries take a non-voluntary approach imposed by central government; and (3) accreditation is done by a non-governmental organization designed "to encourage and assist institutions in the evaluation and improvement of their...quality and to publicly acknowledge these institutions... ."
THE ACCREDITATION PROCESS
1. APPLICATION: The accreditation process begins when a Program requests an application. Entry into the program is voluntary, and the application form requires the signature of the Voting Member of SMSA. Once a Program's eligibility has been confirmed, the SMSA will send the Program a self-evaluation validation document.
2. SELF-EVALUATION: The completion of the agreement triggers the beginning of the Program's self-evaluation. The Program's accreditation manager initiates self-evaluation, which involves a thorough examination of the Program to determine whether it complies with all standards as listed in the standards attachment. If further development is required to meet standards, the accreditation manager begins an internal process to meet all the standards. The Program confirms that it meets all the standards.
3. SMSA EVALUATION: Once a Program believes that it has satisfactorily met all the standards and has completed the self-evaluation validation document, the Program mails the document to the SMSA Executive Committee Chairperson. The Chairperson assigns a member of the SMSA Executive Committee to review the Program's submittal of Proofs of Compliance. The Committee member will review the document for compliance. If the Committee member determines that the Program has met the requirements of all standards, that member will present the 's document, along with a recommendation for accreditation at the next available Executive Committee meeting. If the Executive Committee votes to accredit the Program, the accreditation will commence at the conclusion of that Executive Committee meeting, and be formally presented at the next SMSA Membership Business meeting. Such accreditation is for a three-year period.
Should the Executive Committee member determine that the Program is not in compliance with all of the standards, he/she will contact the Program and provide guidance to help the Program gain compliance.
4. MAINTAINING COMPLIANCE AND REACCREDITATION: To maintain accredited status, the Program must remain in compliance with standards. SMSA reserves the right to schedule interim actions to consider continuing accredited status if noncompliance becomes a serious issue. At the conclusion of the three-year period, SMSA offers the Program an opportunity to repeat the process and continue accredited status.
NATURE AND SCOPE OF THE STANDARDS
The SMSA has established nine professional standards. In the SMSA's view, the standards reflect the best professional requirements and practices for a state motorcycle program. The standards' requirements provide a description of "what" must be accomplished by the applicant program but allows that program wide latitude in determining "how" it will achieve its compliance with each standard. This approach allows independence for each Program and is the key to understanding the universal nature and flexibility of the standards approved by SMSA for this process. Compliance should never be limited to a single means of achievement. Consequently, compliance is always attainable.
SMSA expects accredited programs to maintain compliance and live by the letter and spirit of the standards. There is a presumption on the part of SMSA that programs operate in compliance with their written directives. Successful programs, then, focus single-mindedly upon complying with standards in a manner that most effectively meets the needs of their individual program and the customers they serve. The program must consider its mission, its legally mandated responsibilities, and the demands of its customers in determining how it will comply with the standards.
Seeking to establish the best professional practices, the standards prescribe "what" programs should be doing, but not "how" they should be doing it. The decision is left up to the individual program and its administrator.
All standards would be mandatory, except those that could be proved not applicable by function, or prohibited by some state law. The standards must be able to be met by all states, regardless of size or budget.
ATTACHMENT #1
THE STANDARDS
The Program must have written policy, procedure, documentation, or standards that prove compliance with the following standards.
STANDARD #1
PROGRAM IDENTITY; authority to exist.
The Program must be a legally existing entity.
(law, corporate charter, contract with government, etc.)
STANDARD #2
TRAINING SPONSOR STANDARDS
- Each training sponsor must:
a. Use the Program-approved curricula for new and experienced riders
b. Adhere to course completion standards, to include knowledge and skill evaluations
c. Provide training motorcycles and helmets to basic, or entry course participants, or permit the use of personally owned motorcycles that have been inspected for mechanical soundness.
d. Provide adequate insurance to protect the sponsor, the instructors/rider coaches, the students, and other entities or parties involved in the course. Insurance must provide comprehensive, collision, medical and general liability protection
- The Program will provide to the sponsor:
a. A central telephone number for referrals
b. Technical, administrative, and promotional assistance
c. Completion cards for qualifying graduates
STANDARD #3
CURRICULA STANDARDS
The basic, or entry course, must:
- Provide a minimum of 4 hours of classroom instruction which must include:
a. Risk assessment
b. Motorcycle controls/operation
c. Proper riding gear
d. Defensive riding strategies
e. Alcohol and other drugs
f. Local and state motorcycle laws
g. Written knowledge test (identify minimum passing score)
- Provide a minimum of 8 hours of on-cycle training, which must include:
a. Basic riding skills - starting out, straight line riding, turning, braking , and shifting
b. Street riding skills - lane change, swerving, turning speed selection, emergency braking (straight and curve)
c. Riding skills test (identify minimum passing score)
The experienced rider course must:
- Provide for classroom or discussion type instruction that includes:
a. Risk assessment
b. Proper riding gear
c. Defensive riding strategies
d. Alcohol and other drugs
- Provide for on-cycle training that includes:
a. Swerving
b. Emergency braking
c. Effective cornering
STANDARD #4
INSTRUCTOR/RIDER COACH TRAINING
- Must include a training component of at least 40 hours, to include:
a. Classroom theory
b. Range theory
c. Coaching and evaluation
d. Range management
e. Peer teaching (classroom and range)
f. Skills test (identify minimum passing score)
g. Knowledge test (identify minimum passing score)
- Must include a minimum of 15 hours of student teaching participation, to include:
a. Classroom teaching observation
b. At least one classroom lesson taught (minimum of 30 minutes)
c. Range instruction observation
d. At least one range exercise taught as primary instructor/rider coach and at least one as secondary instructor/rider coach, or at least 2 range exercises taught as co-instructor/rider coach.
e. Must have and provide evaluation criteria for student teaching with minimum passing requirements identified.
STANDARD #5
INSTRUCTOR/RIDER COACH RETRAINING
The Program will provide each state-recognized instructor/rider coach a retraining workshop designed to enhance the delivery of curricula and useful teaching methods. Such retraining is recommended to occur at least once each year.
STANDARD #6
INSTRUCTOR/RIDER COACH PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
At a minimum, the Program requires that authorized instructors/rider coaches:
- Conduct courses that meet the standards of the approved curricula
- Correctly demonstrate all range exercises
- Correctly evaluate and coach student riding skills
- Maintain student safety
- Demonstrate safe riding habits by always wearing full protective gear when riding to, from and during rider training activities. Ideally, all protective gear is worn at all times
- Currently operate a motorcycle on a frequent, routine basis
- Ride alcohol and drug free
- Keep a good driving and riding record
- Complete instructor/rider coach retraining workshops when available
STANDARD #7
CHIEF INSTRUCTORS/RIDER COACH TRAINERS
The Program must have and provide minimum requirements for Chief Instructors/Rider Coach Trainers used by the Program.
STANDARD #8
QUALITY AUDITS
The Program routinely conducts quality audits of courses. Such audits include compliance with:
- Program policy
- Curricula delivery
- Program-owned equipment
- Sponsor equipment
- Student satisfaction
The Program documents and maintains records of quality audits.
STANDARD #9
MEDIA AND PUBLIC AWARENESS
If funding allows, the Program conducts media and public awareness campaigns. Such campaigns can focus on:
- Motorists' awareness
- Drinking and riding
- Course advertising and availability
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