About the Annual Accreditation Report (AAR)

The Annual Accreditation Report (AAR) allows camps to demonstrate compliance with accreditation standards in non-visit years by submitting a narrative report. The purpose of the report is to:

  • Provide evidence of ongoing quality enhancement/improvement efforts as part of the accreditation cycle.
  • Provide education and feedback from trained reviewers for camps in non-visit years.
  • Provide evidence of continual compliance with ACA standards throughout the accreditation cycle.

Who are AAR Volunteer Reviewers?

Accreditation volunteers (at any level) are eligible to be an AAR reviewer if the following criteria are met:

  • Current accreditation volunteer training. Must be trained or updated after September 2022. 
  • Must have completed at least one (1) on-site visit.
  • Current individual membership.

What is the time commitment?

In mid-January, generally, reviewers are assigned randomly to review a camp-submitted AAR.  Most camps do not submit their AAR until the due date, February 1.  The primary review period is mid-January through February 10.  Each review should take approximately 1-hour to complete.  We welcome reviewers to accept multiple assignments.

What does it mean to be an AAR Reviewer?

Since the AAR is an educational tool for the camp, this is your opportunity to provide feedback on their policies, procedures, and practices in a non-visit year.  This is a vital annual touchpoint for the accreditation program to emphasize ongoing improvement between site visits.  Camps respond to a series of questions that change each year, and ACA volunteers review the responses and provide feedback and comments.

Reviewers will rate each camp response, indicating the degree to which their response meets standards as intended.  This rating is called "reviewer feedback."  To pair with the feedback, reviewers must also provide a comment. The comment provides the camp with additional educational information. Reviewers' feedback and comments are one-directional; the camp submits the Annual Accreditation Report and then it is volunteer-reviewed.  The camp and reviewer are notified when the volunteer submits their review.  

Do I need to do additional training?

 

 

Watching the Closer Look: AAR Reviewer's on-demand video is highly recommended.  In less than 15 minutes, this video takes a deeper dive into the AAR feedback rating process and how to craft thoughtful and educational comments.

For perspective and to enhance your reviewing process, read the information on the Annual Accreditation Report (AAR) for camps. 

What resources are available to reviewers?

Resources are available in the Accreditation Volunteer Portal

  • Closer Look Video: AAR and the Reviewer
  • Closer Look Video: AAR and the Camp
  • AAR question preview in .docx and .txt formats

  • For feedback preparation assistance, AAR questions with sample reviewer responses

 

Accreditation Volunteer Portal to Review AARs