[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 141 (Tuesday, July 23, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48340-48341]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-18567]



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Part IV





National Skill Standards Board





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Solicitation of Comments; Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 141 / Tuesday, July 23, 2002 / 
Notices  

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NATIONAL SKILL STANDARDS BOARD


Solicitation of Comments

AGENCY: National Skill Standards Board.

ACTION: Solicitation of comments.

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SUMMARY: The National Skill Standards Board (NSSB) is building a 
voluntary national system of skill standards, assessments, and 
certification that will enhance the ability of the U.S. to compete 
effectively in a global economy. Industry-led, voluntary coalitions, 
called Voluntary Partnerships, are developing the skill standards, 
assessment, and certification systems within fifteen NSSB-defined 
industry sectors. The NSSB has developed a set of criteria for 
certification, against which the Board will evaluate for approval 
certifications developed by the Voluntary Partnerships. The NSSB seeks 
public comment on these criteria to ensure clarity and 
comprehensiveness. Comments must be submitted in writing as described 
in the ``Request for and Resolution of Comments'' in the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section below in order to be considered, and details on 
submitting comments via e-mail, fax, or regular mail are provided in 
the ADDRESSES section of this announcement.

DATES: The National Skill Standards Board will accept written comments 
on the criteria for certification on or before August 22, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Please send comments via regular mail to: NSSB, Attention: 
Bridget Brown, Director of Program Development, 1441 L Street, NW., 
Suite 9000, Washington, DC 20005-3512. To submit comments via fax, 
transmit to Bridget Brown, Certification Criteria, at 202-254-8646. To 
submit comments via the Internet, go to http://www.nssb.org. Click on 
the icon entitled ``View and Comment on Certification Criteria Here''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on the 
Voluntary National System of Industry Skill Standards, Assessment, and 
Certification, contact Bridget Brown, National Skill Standards Board 
(NSSB): 1441 L Street, NW., Suite 9000, Washington DC 20005, 202-254-
8628, http://www.nssb.org.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Table of Contents

I. Background
II. Authorizing Legislation
III. NSSB Criteria for Assessment
IV. Request for and Resolution of Comments

I. Background

    The National Skill Standards Act of 1994 created ``a National Skill 
Standards Board to serve as a catalyst in stimulating the development 
and adoption of a voluntary national system of skill standards and of 
assessment and certification of attainment of skill standards' (see 
Section II below). The Act defines a skill standard as one that 
specifies the level of knowledge and skills required to successfully 
perform work-related functions within an industry cluster. Industry 
clusters are broad groups of industries defined by the NSSB to 
delineate the scope of employment covered by skill standards. They are 
based on the federal government's official 1997 North American Industry 
Classification System. Industry coalitions called Voluntary 
Partnerships (VPs) are developing the skill standards, assessment and 
certification systems within fifteen industry clusters. The skill 
standards, and therefore assessments and certifications, are being 
developed to reflect the needs of high-performance organizations.

II. Authorizing Legislation

    Public Law 103-227, Title V, National Skill Standards Act of 1994.

III. NSSB Criteria for Certification

    The National Skill Standards Board (NSSB) will use the following 
specific criteria to evaluate the degree to which skill standards 
systems include an appropriate certification program, and the degree to 
which this program adheres to statutory requirements and NSSB policy on 
certification. Voluntary Partnerships must demonstrate adherence to the 
criteria in order to receive NSSB approval and ultimate endorsement of 
the entire system.

Criteria Related to Legal and Technical Defensibility

    E1. The certification organization and program do not discriminate 
against any class of individuals based upon race, color, ethnicity, 
age, gender, religion, national origin, disability, or any other 
criteria covered in federal civil rights law.
    E2. The certification program includes a policy specifying record 
retention requirements for assessment results, applications, and other 
key documentation required to administer the certification program.
    E3. The certification program includes a process to ensure 
compliance with applicable laws and regulations pertaining to 
assessment and certification.
    E4. The scoring methodology (i.e., pass/fail scoring, categorical 
scoring, percentile scoring) for the assessment(s) is clearly 
documented and defensible. Where more than one assessment module, test, 
or subtest are used for certification, the rationale for weighting and 
otherwise combining these into an overall certification decision is 
clearly documented and supportable.
    E5. The certification must be clearly based upon skill standards 
research approved by the NSSB.

Criteria Related to System Quality and Integrity

    E6. The certification organization demonstrates sufficient staff 
resources, with appropriate technical training and education, to 
maintain the quality and integrity of the program.
    E7. A written policies and procedures manual addressing the 
operation of the certification program is implemented.
    E8. The certification program includes a process to ensure 
continual compliance of the certification program with all NSSB 
criteria to maintain approval. The certification organization must 
provide the NSSB with annual summaries of relevant data including, but 
not limited to, number of certifications pending, number of total 
certificants, certifications awarded during the period covered, data 
disaggregated by demographic categories, and pass/fail rates.
    E9. Certifications are effective for a limited time period, at 
which time an individual must re-certify. Re-certification policies 
should be clearly communicated to stakeholders at the time of the 
initial application.

Criteria Related to Security and Protection

    E10. The certification program incorporates an appeals process that 
provides fair and legal methods for challenging decisions on 
certification status and assessment results. The appeals policies and 
procedures are readily accessible to all stakeholders.
    E11. The certification program maintains a registry of certified 
individuals and utilizes a formal process to provide confirmation of an 
individual's current certification status. Specific policies are 
required describing the confidentiality of assessment results and 
rules/conditions for access to this information. Unless required by law 
or regulation, information regarding candidates or certificants (other 
than certification status) shall not be disclosed to third parties 
without the written consent of the individual.

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    E12. Certification is awarded only to individuals who have 
successfully completed the required assessment(s).
    E13. A security policy is established, documented, and monitored by 
the certifying organization. Security policies should include, but not 
be limited to: (1) Criteria for the selection, training, utilization, 
monitoring, and performance of proctors, assessors, raters and other 
individuals involved in administering and scoring; (2) access to item 
banks and various computer-based and non-computer based forms of the 
assessment; and (3) requirements for formal investigations of suspected 
misconduct in assessment centers.

V. Request for and Resolution of Comments

    The National Skill Standards Board (NSSB) requests that comments 
submitted address one or more of the following areas:
     The adequacy and completeness of this list of criteria;
     The clarity of the criteria;
     Examples or descriptions of how the VPs can meet the 
criteria; and,
     Examples of how to document compliance with the criteria.
    The NSSB shall review and take into consideration all comments; 
will respond in writing to comments as appropriate; and, will make 
revisions as deemed appropriate. At the end of the comment period the 
NSSB will post a summary of comments on the NSSB Website http://www.nssb.org. A summary of the response to comments and a notice of 
revision will be posted at a later date.

    Signed at Washington DC on the 18th day of July, 2002.
Edie West,
Executive Director, National Skill Standards Board.
[FR Doc. 02-18567 Filed 7-22-02; 8:45 am]
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