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Session 1 |
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1A |
How the UNC System Made Online Testing More Efficient |
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The University of North Carolina Online Proctoring Network, launched in 2010 and used by six campuses statewide, is designed to streamline the proctoring process for students, faculty members, and proctors. The system integrates automated features with an easily accessible pool of qualified proctors. In the fall of 2012 UNC partnered with ProctorU to offer online proctoring and provide distance education students with more scheduling options. ProctorU is the only online proctoring option fully integrated into the UNC Proctoring Network. Instead of having students log in to separate websites--one for their university and then another for proctoring--UNC Online allows test takers to interact with ProctorU from within their institution’s website. The partnership allows for an innovative and seamless integration between the two organizations.
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1B |
Advantages and Logistics of Administering COMPASS Off-Site |
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Triton College teamed up with Oak Park River Forest High School and a local union to develop remote testing sites. Testing at the high school provided an opportunity for juniors to take placement tests before their senior year to determine college readiness. The initiative with the union allowed union members in the Facilities Engineering Technology program to take placement tests off-site to comply with the college’s mandatory placement test requirement. This presentation will discuss the advantages and benefits of administering COMPASS off-site. Furthermore, logistics including technical specifications, checklist, workstation set up, staff, and IT support will be explained.
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1C |
Testing Data: An Invaluable Source of Information for Guiding Practice |
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As testing professionals, we have access to a plethora of data which can be used to inform institutional practice. The question is where to start. In this session, the presenter will provide an overview of some of the ways in which she has used such data to guide practice at her institution. Specifically, she will demonstrate how she used testing data to introduce new entry assessment tests, to assure faculty automated essay scoring systems are valid, to eliminate redundant tests, to explore group differences (gender, ethnic, age, etc.), and to investigate trends related to university applicants. Throughout the presentation, participants will be encouraged to share their experience and expertise with employing testing data to inform practice at their institutions.
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1D |
Prometric Satellite Testing |
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Interested in delivering the MCAT exam? In 2011, Prometric launched the Satellite Testing network to deliver the ASE exams to areas underserved by current Prometric test centers. Over 125 colleges and universities now operate as Prometric Satellite testing sites. Come hear about their experiences and learn about new opportunities as Prometric expands the Satellite testing program to support the delivery of the revised MCAT exam in 2015.
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1E |
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Migrating to ExamSoft Computer-Based Testing |
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Computer-based testing (CBT) has been replacing paper-based testing increasingly over the past few years. The journey of transitioning academic programs to CBT can present many challenges. These challenges can occur with administrators, faculty, and students. Although there are hills to climb, CBT can offer many benefits to those who are willing to make the climb. CBT provides high exam security, faster turnaround in exam results, more in-depth exam results, and learning tools that are beneficial to our students. Though there is an extensive time investment required to implement a CBT solution, we believe that investment provides our students with information that will help them advance as professionals in their healthcare fields. During this session we will share our experience implementing ExamSoft, why we decided to use the ExamSoft system, where we are today in CBT, and future projects we see on the horizon. Also, we will provide some lessons learned that may assist other institutions in transitioning to computer-based testing.
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Session 2 |
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2A |
From a Blank Page to a Testing Center |
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Learn from the experiences of two testing directors with very different situations. One is the 5 ½ year journey of recreating a testing center for Woodbury University starting with nothing but CLEP and placement exams on campus, to a small center miles away, and finally to a new location down the street from the school. The other is Coastal Carolina’s needs-based approach to creating a center away from the main center. Attendees will see how to take an idea that you know works, battle your way through the schools' detractors and naysayers, and come out with a testing center at the end.
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2B |
Testing and Test Preparation: A Dynamic Duet |
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If we expect students to do their best on tests which affect their educational goals, don’t colleges and universities bear some responsibility for letting them know how to prepare for them? Are test prep opportunities equal for students of all socio-economic levels? Two experienced testing professionals will discuss how their test centers help students prepare for tests, including various methods of test prep for Accuplacer, GRE, and ACT as well as general test preparation. What ethical guidelines are involved in test preparation? What can testing professionals do and not do? We will discuss ethics and professional responsibilities as well as techniques of test preparation, and we invite you to join our discussion.
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2C |
Hitting a High Note with CLEP |
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Many institutions are paying close attention to the retention and graduation success rates of students who earn credit through the College Board’s College Level Examination Program (CLEP). Learn how three institutions from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia have overwhelmingly led their states in CLEP usage and success. Find out how they achieve campus-wide support from administrators, advisors, and faculty. Also learn how they promote the CLEP option on their own campuses, to local high schools, and to area colleges without a test center. Representatives from the University of North Georgia, Middle Tennessee State University, Western Kentucky University, and the College Board will conduct the session.
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2D |
Creating a Comprehensive College-Wide Testing Strategy |
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Our external constituents are driving a new movement within the testing profession. Recent external landscape 'drivers' such as the Ohio Board of Regents, Alliance of States (Complete College America), and the Governor collectively contributed to the formation of new College Strategic Goals to meet performance standards. We examined our current structure including an environmental scan and audit of our testing services, products and vendors, staff, and physical resources of our two campuses and three regional learning testing centers. Data-driven decisions were made to construct a comprehensive campus testing strategy. Several criteria were reviewed to determine what changes are needed within testing at the college, such as our core and ancillary testing services, test center locations and center hours, among others, in order to continuously improve services, meet demands, and ultimately support the strategic goals of the college. Come hear the results!
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2E |
Empowered by Psychometrics: Using Item Analysis to Guide Item Revision |
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One of the primary complaints voiced by NCTA members is the feeling of being marginalized and uninvolved in campus decision making, even surrounding testing initiatives. One strategy for overcoming this is to establish the testing office as the home for measurement services on campus and to actively offer expertise to the faculty and administration on test development and educational measurement. This session, which will hopefully become the first in a series of psychometric training sessions to be presented at the annual meeting, will tackle the art and science of item analysis, including how faculty can (and should) use item analysis to drastically improve the quality of their classroom assessments. In this session, participants will learn what item analysis is and come to understand the wealth of information it provides about the quality and effectiveness of an item. They will get to apply what they learn in small group settings to analyze and discuss sets of item statistics! Participants will also be provided with resources they can adapt and share with their faculty. At the conclusion of the workshops, attendees will help select the psychometric training topic to be proposed for the 2014 conference.
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Session 3 |
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3A |
Let's Give 'Em Something to Talk About |
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Are you feeling "so lonesome I could cry" or want to "take this job and shove it" if you don’t get some help? Does your center have a policy or protocol for "Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie-Woogie Flu"? Two Southern ladies will facilitate conversation about various topics in testing. Though our positions and testing environments may be different, we are similar when it comes to testing concerns. Join us for our take on a roundtable-style session that is made-to-order. Attendees will select topics from our list of common concerns that test centers face today. Participation is encouraged and welcomed. There will be some music as you share your dilemmas, solutions, and ideas. There may even be some dancin’. We hope you will leave recharged knowing you are not alone; together we can face the music.
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3B |
MOOCs and the Future of College Testing Centers |
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The emergence and surging popularity of Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs) over the past year have brought to light major operational concerns for providers that will need to be addressed. Currently, start-ups such as Coursera are looking to tap into revenue streams by gaining accreditation for their courses. In doing so, they will be able to charge a small amount for certification of course completion, whereby students will potentially gain transferable credit to universities that recognize the courses’ value. Many educators, however, express concern over whether the same standards of academic integrity can be enforced in the MOOC environment as in the traditional classroom setting. In reality, this has been an issue of contention long before the emergence of the MOOC phenomenon and is a perennial topic of debate within the field of online education. The fact of the matter is that solutions do exist for ensuring academic integrity in online education, and the adoption of these solutions can provide distance education programs with the same standards and quality as the traditional classroom.
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3C |
Stay Ahead with Online Registration Technology |
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With the ever-changing world of technology, it’s important to stay ahead of the curve in order to service the needs of demanding students. Online registration lets test-takers register on their terms while equipping your testing center with leading web technologies to manage testing dates, seating capacities, and rosters. Learn how RegisterBlast significantly improves the student registration experience while reducing your paperwork, phone time, and “no-show” rate on test day. Come see how online registration tools let you compare month-over-month (or semester-over-semester) testing volume and revenue reports, all in just a few clicks. You’ll see a demonstration on how students are required to acknowledge necessary testing information before being allowed to register online.
RegisterBlast will introduce its new electronic check-in system that helps manage the student check-in process on test day. The automated system is complete with time-stamped check-in and check-out times, reporting features and more. You’ll also have the chance to listen to the experiences of testing director Michelle Nelson as she discusses how Nashville State Community College uses online registration to better serve students and staff.
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3D |
The Many Uses of Accuplacer |
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This group discussion will explain how Marian University of Wisconsin has developed innovative ways to use Accuplacer, Accuplacer Diagnostic, and MyFoundations Lab. At Marian, Accuplacer is used as one of multiple measures (ACT, SAT, and high school transcripts) for English and math course placement, and Accuplacer along with ACT scores is used for CLEP test recommendations for both math and English courses. In addition, Marian uses Accuplacer Diagnostic tests to help Education students studying for the Praxis Exams. Finally, MyFoundations Lab has been integrated into a basic English course. This roundtable will provide the opportunity for you to share your experiences with multiple measures and answer questions about other uses for Accuplacer.
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3E |
Rolling with the Music of Certification |
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NCTA Test Center Certification has been operational for about 18 months. Why are test centers pursuing certification? How many centers are now certified? How does it work? What do you need to submit? Find out answers to these and many more questions. As you work on the application and evaluate your center against the certification standards, you will see where your test center excels and where improvement would be beneficial. Join us for a very practical discussion of what you and your staff need to have or develop at your center before applying for certification. Samples of required documentation to be submitted with the test center’s application will be shared. Come with your questions – we want to encourage you and your staff to go through the application process and become an NCTA Certified Test Center!
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Session 4 |
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4A |
Panel Discussion on Online Proctoring |
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Join us for a lively discussion on the growing trend toward online proctoring from four experienced industry executives:
Topics for discussion by the panel:
- Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt - the myths and the reality for proctor/student/exam security
- Fraud Prevention and Analysis - what are best practices in dealing with Fraud?
- Is Live Online Proctoring a centralized managed service?
- Online Proctor - credentials and background. Is this a profession?
- How has Live Online Proctoring become a value-added faculty service?
- What other 24 x 7 student support challenges align with online proctoring for the distance learner
- Authentication for online exams - Too much or too little?
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4B |
Finding Grant Funding Opportunities Using Funding Databases |
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Finding available sources of grant funds is often harder than actually writing the grant proposal. It is time-consuming and complicated. Granting organizations have very stringent rules to follow. However, being persistent has its rewards. This workshop is designed to give you skills to effectively identify and find grant funding sources using databases such as COS Pivot, Grant.gov, and foundationcenter.org, as well as show you how to use networking, local news, and possible grant funds. It will also give you a framework for preparing a budget for a grant proposal.
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4C |
Keeping the Spirit Alive: Customer Service in Test Centers |
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Customer service has long been considered a necessity for retail, but colleges and universities are discovering that they must also emphasize customer service in order to keep customers coming back, especially those who are paying for services. The testing offices at Georgia Southern University and Harford Community College aim to provide a positive testing experience to their users. They have opted to incorporate the FISH! philosophy and the "SMILE" approach into their daily practices. Come to this session and receive an introduction to FISH! It will help your organization not only improve your internal service to one another but also external service to your students and customers. Learn about the FISH! Philosophy’s four simple concepts of Be There, Play, Make Their Day, and Choose Your Attitude plus the "SMILE" approach to transform your office into a beacon of service while maintaining test security standards.
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4D |
Test Security: Informed and Respectful |
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Test security requires not only vigilance on our part but also knowledge of religious/spiritual clothing and medical/disability related devices that may be new to us. These areas can present some questions from a test security standpoint. Presenters will provide an overview of clothing and selected practices related to Orthodox Jewish and Muslim spiritual tradition as well as an overview of selected medical, disability, and assistive technology-related devices (hardware and software) that NCTA mailing list members have named as concerns. Our ETS colleague will provide thoughts related to testing security within the context of an informed respect for tradition and needs. Participants will have time to pose questions, identify concerns, and share relevant experiences.
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4E |
ACT and COMPASS: Keeping the Beat |
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For all the latest ACT news, this session is the one to attend. You'll be able to get an update on recent ACT research regarding dual credit, retesting, and high school GPA and career planning. In addition, an overview of the new COMPASS platform will be presented, and available information regarding next-gen COMPASS will also be discussed. Time will be allocated to allow for participants' questions.
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Session 5 |
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5A |
The Technology of Cheating |
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It’s hard keeping up with the Joneses…if the Joneses are cheaters! Indeed, technology has served to make our lives easier, but if you are a testing professional, technology may have made your job just a little bit harder. This interactive session will go through various technologies cheaters employ to bypass test security procedures and remove test content from the testing area. Each of the devices discussed will be present for attendees to inspect as well as dissect how they can be used by test takers.
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5B |
Making Data Work in Concert with Banner |
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Automating technology processes for placement/test score retrieval and entry into Banner has been a hot topic on the NCTA mailing list recently. Many colleges/universities are grappling with the issue of how to effectively automate systems to eliminate the need for manual entry of test and placement scores into Banner. Purdue University Calumet recently implemented a new math placement assessment, ALEKS, on campus. One major part of the implementation was the technology that needed to happen behind the scenes to ensure seamless retrieval and entry of student assessment scores. This presentation takes a case study approach on how the assessment was planned and launched across campus and the technology that went hand-in-hand with the implementation. In addition to talking about how the implementation was designed and completed, our technology expert Lee Stephen will discuss his role in designing technology processes which automated the process of data entry into Banner. This presentation would be beneficial to all colleges/universities looking for ways to automate their technology processes, partner with assessment companies, and eliminate manual entry of data with an eye to the critical technology behind this process.
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5C |
Creating Inclusive Spaces for Students with Disabilities |
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Students usually have unique testing needs, varying test anxiety levels, and varying testing styles. These needs are accentuated for students with disabilities. The Oklahoma State University test center administers over 2000 SDS exams each year. Many of our students require specialized software, extended time, large button calculators, access to testing facilities, poop receptacles for service dogs, individualized testing rooms, or readers and scribes. We found that often the approach to students with disabilities is associated with having to make "accommodations." Sadly, this view is even prevalent among a few faculty who work with our testing center. So we defined the term "inclusive" to mean the development of a space where all students regardless of ability or disability can come to our center and have equal and unimpeded access to our staff, services, and facilities. We realized that an inclusive space is also more than a physical space and must involve the creation of an inclusive culture. As part of these efforts, we are in the process of evaluating access to the testing center, our staff, services, and facilities. In addition, we are working with the SDS office at the university to survey students with disabilities. In this round table, we will share our findings in a thoughtful and yet provocative manner so as to engage discussion on creating inclusive spaces for students with disabilities.
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5D |
Placement for Success: Synthesizing and Streamlining Students' Course Placement |
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Incoming community college students are often required to demonstrate competencies in reading, writing, and mathematics upon entry through placement testing or other means such as ACT/SAT scores or previous college credit. Often, a variety of these measures are used in rendering placement, and it has been up to students or counselors to manually piece together these data sources to determine what courses the student is eligible to take. Harper College has developed a course eligibility display in its student portal for reading, writing, and math that indicates the courses in which the student enrolls in each of these subject areas. This was achieved without having to re-code course requirements but rather by leveraging via Banner prerequisite tables to be a single data source. Additionally, for those students not yet at the college-level, additional displayed information illustrates the pathway through developmental education. This is critical since research shows that most students who fail to earn a college credential or achieve other college momentum indicators never progress out of developmental education.
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5E |
In Discord with Distance Learning Exams? Come Learn Ways to Harmonize |
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Due to the increased popularity of distance learning courses and the rising number of students required to use professional proctoring sites, testing center services are in high demand. Coordination and administration of these exams require careful organization and time management. Too often, communication breaks down between sending and receiving test centers. The purpose of our presentation will be to facilitate a dialogue between the test centers that coordinate distance learning exams and the test centers that proctor the exams. With representatives from each of these types of test centers, we will tackle common issues that arise within this model and provide solutions that have worked for us. Themes will include the importance of communication between all parties (sending institution, receiving institution, student, and faculty), the consequences of failed communication, and best practices for creating a seamless testing process. We hope to identify common trouble areas in the coordination of these exams and encourage communication between testing professionals for the purpose of ensuring smooth test delivery and administration. While our intended audience includes test centers that currently provide a piece of the distance learning exam service, we encourage the attendance of anyone who is considering adding these services to their office responsibilities.
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Session 6 |
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6A |
Making Beautiful Music: Working with the Disability Office to Provide Testing Accommodations |
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The University of Southern California Center for Testing and Assessment (CTA) is unique in that our disability testing is housed within our department in conjunction with Disability Services and Programs (DSP). We work very closely with DSP to ensure all students are serviced correctly and in a timely manner. Through this session, we will outline what we do in our office for accommodations, how we deliver them to students while staying in line with Disability Law, what we do when testing issues occur, and what solutions we have come up with to make sure that both CTA and DSP are working together to make beautiful music.
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6B |
Distance Education Proctoring Services: Maintaining Academic Integrity in the Online Environment |
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With the push to move more courses online, colleges and universities are constantly seeking ways to maintain academic integrity. What can college testing professionals do to fill that need? Come and see how the Office of Testing Services and Student Life Research at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock was able to answer the call of faculty and administration by expanding many of the services it was already offering. Its new Distance Education Proctoring Services Program (D.E.P.S.) has established the office as fundamental to the university and become a model for collaborative efforts among faculty and staff.
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6C |
A Holistic Approach to Student Success with ENGAGE |
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Will your incoming students persist to a second year, or even a second semester, at your institution? Although there are many pieces to the student persistence and degree completion "puzzle," examining non-cognitive factors can provide one more piece of data to help you help your students. ACT’s ENGAGE assessment helps postsecondary educators evaluate students’ psychosocial and study skill attributes, determine their levels of academic risk, and apply specific interventions to help them persist in their studies and achieve academic success. Saint Louis Community College – Florissant Valley, an Achieving the Dream institution, is using ENGAGE for a new special program, Bridge to Life Sciences, to identify students’ persistence as they pursue a biotechnical degree at the college. Join us to learn more about ENGAGE and how Saint Louis Community College is using the tool to help its students succeed.
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6D |
High School Equivalency Testing Program |
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ETS and the University of Iowa are collaborating to develop a high school equivalency testing (HiSET™) program that will launch in January 2014 at the request of more than 25 states. The assessment is an alternative to the GED. Attendees will learn about the ETS HiSET program and the collaborative effort of many states and non-profit organizations working to deliver a fair and reliable high school equivalency assessment to the nation. Participants will gain understanding of the ETS HiSET assessment and the collaboration with stakeholders; they will also participate in a question and answer session with Amy Riker, Director of ETS High School Equivalency Test (HiSET™).
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6E |
A Whole Lot of Testing Going On |
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Have you heard about UExcel®, the Excelsior College Credit-by-Exam Program? The Center for Educational Measurement at Excelsior College offers a cost-effective credit-by-examination (CBE) program that can help students achieve college credit. Students can prove their knowledge, gained through independent study or prior learning, by taking a proficiency exam. When students pass these exams, they earn college credit on a transcript from Excelsior College, a private, nonprofit institution of higher learning regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. That credit can be transferred into the institution of their choice.
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Session 7 |
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7A |
Become In-Tune with Training: Standardizing Your Training Program, Developing Performance Indicators, and Implementing Assessment Mechanisms |
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Are you tired of training binders? Is it hard to keep up with all of your training materials? Would you like a standardized training method with which you could assess your staff’s progress? If you answered "yes" to all of these questions, this session is for you. Every higher education testing center has training manuals and/or conducts routine training sessions for one of testing’s most essential components: the testing proctors. Our presentation will demonstrate the steps taken by our testing centers to develop a standardized proctor training program and the methods of assessing the program’s efficiency and proctor learning. Specifically, we will discuss how each center chose its training topics, the various modes of delivery, and ways each assesses their training program and proctors’ level of learning. We will also review the benefits of a standardized, assessment-driven proctor training program, especially useful to the testing department that has many different centers or proctoring locations: a standard training program and assessment ensuring that all proctors, regardless of location, receive the same training.
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7B |
The GED Testing Program on the Move: Great Things in Motion! |
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How will the new GED® test change? Why are these changes occurring? What does it mean for academic testing centers and their colleges? Learn how and why the GED® testing program is changing—not just in 2014 but also right now with the introduction of GED® testing on computer. This session will include an overview of the changes to the GED® test which have been designed to provide adults the opportunity not only to earn a high school credential but also receive enhanced information about the career- and college-readiness skills that are the focus of today’s curriculum and tomorrow’s success. Staff from college or university-based GED® testing programs will also share experiences with implementing testing on computer in preparation for the deployment of the 2014 GED® test.
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7C |
Marching Forward: Veterans, CLEP Initiatives, and Student Success |
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With the increased importance of student completion and retention, it is vital for test administrators to assess the various ways their testing program can be utilized to contribute to the overall college success of students and to take on an even more vital role at their institution. A compare/contrast style of delivery will be used to show how returning veterans as well as students with Spanish language skills use their knowledge on the CLEP exams to achieve college credit before they enroll at North Lake College (NLC). Data will consist of CLEP students who were part of the NLC studies. Also, Miami Dade College (MDC) is strategically implementing various initiatives to promote the use of CLEP. These initiatives serve to improve the overall CLEP process at MDC with the end goal of supporting student retention and completion. In our session, you will learn about both NLC’s and MDC’s CLEP initiatives and have a chance to collaborate with the presenters on even more innovative initiatives.
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7D |
Accommodated Testing: Furthering the Discussion |
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As a standing committee of NCTA, the Non-Standard Test Committee would like to continue a broad discussion about accommodated testing. In particular, we hope to build on previous presentations at the NCTA annual conference along with our on-going committee work in developing professional standards to meet the needs of the NCTA membership. With this roundtable, we hope to provide a forum for conference participants to enter into dialogue about meeting the challenges of accommodated testing.
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7E |
The Digital Experience |
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"The Digital Experience" walks assessment center managers and leaders through various low/no-cost technologies that can be used together to create a smooth, efficient, and effective testing experience for students. The presentation begins with online appointment scheduling, scheduling software that also automatically sends emails, and text messages with embedded videos and links. Upon a student’s arrival, digital advising sessions are administered. Through the use of digital advising, each student receives the exact same message and instructions, regardless of staffing and student-flow. These are short YouTube-style videos. During the testing session, through the use of monitoring software, students are placed in a locked-down, secure testing environment: all aspects of testing are controlled and recorded by the examination computers. Finally, the online customer satisfaction survey verifies the service students received in the assessment center. This presentation provides low/no-cost tools to increase and enhance communication to students while decreasing staff work-load, all the while exceeding the expectations of your student population.
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Session 8 |
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8A |
Your Cheating...Perceptions |
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Do students really define cheating in the same way instructors, administrators and testing professionals do? Could it be students and university professionals don't have the same definition of cheating? In my 20 item survey of undergraduates at Morehead State University, I attempt to clarify how students in one small, regional university define cheating. My hope is to find some common ground that might allow instructors, administrators, and, most importantly, testing professionals to understand why students might not lose sleep over actions most university professionals define as cheating.
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8B |
Using ACCUPLACER Preparation as an Enrollment Initiative |
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With college readiness a concern, Anne Arundel Community College has looked at innovative ways to engage students prior to their taking placement tests. With this in mind, Anne Arundel Community College is requiring ACCUPLACER Preparation as part of a four pronged enrollment requirement. This presentation will review our department’s efforts to develop an electronic ACCUPLACER preparation program linked to the college’s web page and required of every student prior to taking the ACCUPLACER placement test. This session will review the history of this program and the plans to increase student understanding of the ACCUPLACER exam and how it can be used as a tool in successful college planning and college-readiness. Collaborative efforts between admissions and advising will be reviewed along with costs, staffing needs, successes, and mis-steps.
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8C |
Curriculum Redesign and Customized Assessment: A Case Study from the Virginia CC System |
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Working with McCann Associates to develop a set of customized mathematics placement and diagnostic assessments launched in 2011, the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) launched a modularized math curriculum in 2012. Also in 2012, a set of customized assessments was launched for placement into the English Language Arts curriculum, incorporating both writing samples as well as assessment of the mechanics of writing and reading using multiple choice testing. The small module classes and complementing assessments provide an individualized and adaptive approach to education allowing students to self-remediate, thus reducing classroom time needed for developmental education. There are many advantages but also many unique challenges in implementation given the highly customization nature of this approach. This presentation will provide an overview of the current system in place for math, discuss how this system is working a year post-launch, and provide updates on lessons learned and some of the unique challenges faced by a system when implementing and maintaining a highly customized educational and assessment approach.
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8D |
Developing a Home-Grown Exam Scheduling Product |
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Ivy Tech Community College is Indiana's only community college system. With over 20 testing centers statewide, we needed an appointment scheduling tool that was flexible and customized to our specific needs. So, we built our own. This workshop will introduce the Ivy Tech Certification and Assessment Scheduling System (CASS) and how we use it in our system. This workshop is designed for those contemplating their own scheduling system and will cover establishing the need and getting support within your organization; developing a Business Requirements document; doing your research to see what is already out there; building/launching your system; and continual improvement and maintenance.
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8E |
Music to My Ears: Creating a Happy Customer |
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Even when students drive us CRAZY and you’re thinking to yourself TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT, keep in mind that students are experiencing an immense amount of stress. It is our job to keep smiles on our faces, show some empathy, and not allow them to FALL TO PIECES. Students are the customers, and we are not offering a product but rather a service; that service is testing. This is a reality that we often forget and in doing so forget that we must provide the same customer service that we would expect from any business we patronize. We must WALK THE LINE of keeping our customers happy while maintaining our centers’ integrity and upholding policies.
With that in mind, we will discuss how testing centers can provide excellent customer service, often when having to tell the customer NO! We will offer examples of situations we have had to deal with and how we were able to resolve the situations without calling on our FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES.
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Session 9 |
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9A |
Crisis Response: Lessons Learned from Two Testing Centers on the Front Lines |
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During the 2012 Spring Semester, the University of Pittsburgh received 145 bomb threats in the span of 67 days. In this presentation, we’ll discuss how two testing centers at Pitt maintained educational continuity despite daily evacuations and disruptions. This unprecedented experience uncovered surprising opportunities for innovation and collaboration, and the lessons learned have resulted in new and improved measures for disaster preparedness.
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9B |
Mission Accomplished: BPCC's BAFB National Test Center |
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When Barksdale Air Force Base’s Education Officer said he needed an on-base testing center for computer-based DANTES-funded testing, the thought of opening and maintaining a second test center on a military base initially sounded impossible. But, Barksdale is a large and beloved part of the Shreveport/Bossier community, and the opportunity to provide test services to thousands of Air Force personnel sounded like an exciting challenge and significant source of revenue. This presentation will explain how BPCC’s Testing Center opened and maintains its National Test Center and will cover areas such as test services, revenue, obstacles overcome, success stories, and plans for the future. If there is a military base in your state without an NTC, please join us to learn more.
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9C |
Laying Down Tracks: Tracking Test Data with an MS Access Database |
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Do you have trouble keeping track of multiple test-takers, each taking a different test with a different time limit? Do you need an easier way to record student test data? Do you need to be able to quickly and easily produce reports of how many students are testing, what they're taking, and when? Then this is the session for you! In order to solve these problems, the staff at Paradise Valley Community College developed the Test Tracking System, a custom-built MS Access database. This shareable file can be accessed by multiple users at once, making check-in/out a breeze at multiple proctor stations. The reporting capabilities within MS Access make data retrieval simple via saved reports or use the Report Wizard to easily design custom reports. This session will cover the basics of importing records to get started, using the database to check students in/out, and producing common reports. Bring a USB drive to get a copy of a blank database which you can use to start building your own Test Tracking System.
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9D |
Tuning into Testing Finance - Program Choice and Management |
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Since 2008, the University of Arizona has been administering the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) through its campus testing center. Over the last few years, the program has significantly contributed to its revenue growth and generated an approximate gross income of $300,000 in the fiscal year 2011-2012. This workshop will provide an in-depth look at the testing finance at the University of Arizona Testing Office in terms of its program choice and management, as well as the inner working of the IELTS administration. We will explore strategies to operate a self-sustaining testing center and to maintain its solvency against institutional budget decreases.
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9E |
Not Your Father's Accuplacer: Innovations for Student Success |
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This presentation will be PowerPoint driven (Q & A encouraged) detailing the newest additions to the ACCUPLACER platform and how these enhancements are related to, and reinforce, student success. ACCUPLACER has met the need for engaging student success by implementing new features, such as the ability to import additional student data (i.e. high school G.P.A. or Algebra II grade) as well as non-cognitive multiple measures which enhance the ability to accurately place students in classes. Combining those concepts with the actual test score gives educational institutions a better picture of a student’s ability to succeed in education.
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Other Sessions |
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General Session #2 (State & Regional Organizations) |
