The Current Certification Process is designed as a developmental, competency-based approach to learning. In this new, innovative approach, evaluation of CECs is ongoing and is grounded in clearly articulated competencies that are required to successfully engage in our work. Competency-based learning utilizes systems of instruction, assessment and reporting that are based on students demonstrating that they have learned the knowledge and skills they are expected to learn as they progress through the process.
A competency-based approach allows students to advance based on their ability to master a skill or competency at their own pace regardless of environment. This method is tailored to meet different learning styles and can lead to optimal student outcomes. By incorporating portfolios and competency based assessments, students will take responsibility for their own learning. The journey towards certification will include formal benchmarks, evaluations and presentations and will be documented through the development of a learning portfolio.
Portfolio assessment is an evaluation tool used to document student learning through a series of student-developed entries. Portfolio assessment gives both educators and students a controlled space to document, review, and analyze content learning. At its best, portfolio assessment demands the following: clarity of goals, explicit criteria for evaluation, work samples tied to those goals, student participation in selection of entries, educator and student involvement in the assessment process, and self-reflections that demonstrate students’ metacognitive ability, that is, their understanding of what worked for them in the learning process, what did not, and why. These elements enhance the learning experience and the self-understanding of the student as learner.
The goal of the ACPE Certification Process is to produce ACPE Certified Educators who are competent to provide effective professional services and who strive for excellence in their professional work. The competency approach is intended as an aid to help programs realize this goal and as a means to evaluate readiness to enter practice. The Competencies for Certification as an ACPE Certified Educator delineate core competencies for professional CPE supervision and education that CECs will develop during their educational training.