Canadian Tutor Standards Application

Review Process  

The Review Process relies on the Learning Specialist community, particularly those with experience in the design and delivery of tutor programs.  This process is free. However, in order to submit a program for certification, the institution must commit to performing two reviews for every program they wish to be certified.  This work may be shared by the members of the submitting group as they see fit. 

Steps of the process are outlined below: 
  1. Institute or Centre A, decides to seek certification for a program. They may access past reviews through application to the Canadian Tutor Standards (CTS) Certification Committee in order to understand the process. 
  2. The applicant completes the Certification Application Document  and submits it by email to the chair. (See Application Process for more information).
  3. The Chair of the CTS Certification Committee reviews the application and checks for suitability for review. If the application is suitable, the Chair allocates the form to two reviewers. Reviewer 1 (R1) and Reviewer 2 (R2) have different roles (Reviewer 2 is likely to be the less experienced of the reviewers). Successful applicants become reviewers, and are expected to act as R1 for at least one program and R2 for at least one other. 

      The reviewers complete an initial review independent of each other. 

  1. R1 contacts R2; they meet or phone to discuss the application. The reviewers decide if they need additional information from the applicant and request as necessary. If possible, they agree on an outcome: 
  • Accept without changes
  • Suggest minor revisions
  • Suggest major changes
  • Reject
  • If there is no agreement, R1 and R2 submit their response back to the Chair who allocates a 3rd Reviewer drawn from the Certification Committee. The 3rd reviewer breaks the deadlock. 
  1. R1 informs the applicant of the outcome of the reviewers’ discussion and arranges a meeting with the reviewers and the applicant if appropriate. It is within the discretion of  the applicant whether they wish to meet. 
  2. After the meeting, R1 informs the CTS Certification Committee of the outcome of the process. 
  3. The Chair of the CTS Certification Committee updates the spreadsheet Record of Certification to reflect the outcome. 
  4. Appeals, concerns, issues are referred to the CTS Certification Committee for resolution.

Notes 

  • Certification lasts for 5 years, after which time the process must be repeated. A 2nd form is used for re-certification after 5 years that focuses on changes and updates to program. This form has not yet been designed. 
  • When rejected applications are re-submitted, the applicant indicates that this is a resubmission and the changes that have been made in response to the initial review. 
  • A spreadsheet is maintained to record when applications are sent in, the names of contact, reviewers, the outcome of the review, and the date for resubmission. 
  • The process certifies programs not people. The Committee sends a certificate to the applicant to indicate the certification has been made for the named program and for the stipulated period of time (5 years). 
  • The Committee writes an Annual Report for LSAC executive and the CTS Certification Committee that details annual activity including the number of programs involved, how many certificates versus not and why not, and exemplars.

Thank you for taking the time to join our LSAC community today. Before we begin, we would like to pause to intentionally express our gratitude for the land we are on today and to all the Indigenous Peoples past, present and future that have and continue to be stewards of these lands. We recognize that moving forward we are mutually responsible for the caretaking and preservation of this land for future generations.

We commit to co-creating an accountable space. In our LSAC community, we are committed to creating an accountable space where we welcome individual growth, learning, and unlearning. In this space, we recognize and gently remind one another that we are all tender humans with our own stories and experiences, both positive and negative. We aim to lead with kindness, openness, and patience as we identify and break down barriers to create a safer space for us all. 

Skip to content