Standards research volunteers needed

Camping Magazine, March-April, 2003

ACA needs ACA-accredited camps and visitors to volunteer for an Inter-rater reliability study during the summer of 2003. An Inter-rater reliability study compares the likelihood that any two visit teams (our raters) will score a camp the same during a visit. Why is such a test of the standards tool important? The objectivity that is built into the accreditation process warrants the approval of parents, other professionals, and courts. This study tests that objectivity.

Volunteer Camps

We are asking that volunteer camps be currently accredited and:

1. NOT due a regularly scheduled visit in 2003; and

2. be willing to work with two visit teams within a two-week time frame who will conduct at least a partial visit; both teams that visit your camp will score only a minimum of three sections of the standards and they will both score the same sections.

Visitor and Associate Visitor Volunteers

Please consider committing to one or two partial research visits -- above and beyond the usual commitment you make to your section for visits. A partial visit means scoring a minimum of three sections of standards.

The importance of your involvement in this project, whether you volunteer as a visitor or offer your camp as a study site, cannot be overemphasized. If you need more information or would like to get involved in this project, please contact your section standards chair, section executive, or Eric Nei at the national ACA office at 765-342-8456, ext. 349, or enei@acacamps.org.