2014 Conference Sessions
Session 1
1A Empowered by Psychometrics: The Fundamentals of Psychometrics
Presenter:
Jim Wollack, University of Wisconsin - Madison
This session is the second in the Empowered by Psychometrics series, which began at last year’s conference. The goal of this series is to help campus testing offices transition towards becoming campus assessment centers which, in addition to providing testing services, also actively offer expertise to the faculty and administration on test development and educational measurement. This session serves as an introduction to psychometrics. In particular, it will provide in-depth coverage of both reliability and validity, the foundation on which all tests are built. It will also cover the basics of scaling and norming, two critical concepts in understanding how to interpret test scores correctly. Time will be provided at the end for audience members to ask questions.
1B Challenge Exams: How to Remove Road Blocks for Students by Creating Effective Policies
Presenter:
Deborah Anderson, Front Range Community College (retired) (CO)
Numerous students across the nation can take advantage of challenge exams, yet too few are given the information in a timely manner to help them save money and graduate on time. This session will focus on communication with students as well as policy development and implementation. How do institutions inform students of their opportunities to gain college credit in a more timely and cost effective way? Who is responsible for setting policy? How do students process Credit for Prior Learning transcripts? In this session we will begin the discussion and provide participants an opportunity to network with others across the nation about best practices.
1C A Comprehensive Testing Center Management Portal
Presenter:
Sharon Broere, North Carolina State University-DELTA
This program will focus on the creation of the Testing Center Management Portal used at North Carolina State University. This software is used to coordinate all facets of testing center operation, including gathering test information from the instructors, coordinating remote proctor tests, monitoring check-in/out times for student testing, and performing intensive live reporting functions. This software for our testing centers has helped to facilitate the change from an appointment-based system to walk-in only testing for over 30,000 tests per year.
1E Change the Message, Change the Path, Change a Future
Presenters:
Suzanne McGurk, The College Board
Amy Schakat, South-Western City Schools (OH)
Kathie Montognese, The College Board
With so much emphasis placed on benchmark scores for college readiness, we sometimes forget about the message we are sending to students who are college eligible but fall below college readiness benchmarks. This session will discuss alternate messaging to guide students into certificate and diploma credentials with minimal or no developmental courses required to get them into an engaging pathway that will lead to success.
Session 2
2A Ensuring Academic Integrity with Online Proctoring
Presenters:
Patrick Ochoa, ProctorU
Ben Stafford, Lamar State College – Port Arthur (TX)
This presentation will demonstrate a number of strategies educators can use to prevent cheating, ensure the academic integrity of distance learning programs, and advance policies designed to reduce incidents of dishonesty. The presenters will also share industry research and best practices. Attendees can expect to hear about topics such as the differences between identity authentication and attendance verification, the major sources of online plagiarism, ways to develop secure exam structures, and how to tighten proctoring requirements.
2B Mining Gems for Testing Finance – Program Choice and Management
Presenters:
Leah Chavez, The University of Arizona
Dafne Johnson, The University of Arizona
Guy Edwards, IELTS USA
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 the center's revenue growth, bringing an approximate gross income of $400,000 in fiscal year 2012-2013. This workshop will provide an in-depth financial look at the University of Arizona Testing Office in terms of its program choice (e.g. collaboration with the College of Medicine and the Tucson United School District) and management, as well as the inner workings of the IELTS administration. We will explore strategies to operate a self-sustaining testing center and to maintain its solvency against budget decreases on campuses across the nation.
2C Customer Service: From the Ordinary to the Extraordinary
Presenter:
Verneice Wright , Oakwood University (AL)
In this workshop we will explore principles that will allow you to move from providing "ordinary" to "extraordinary" customer service. Consumer Affairs reports that poor customer service represents 69% of the reasons customers leave a business. What is good customer service? It is the employee going above and beyond his job description to help a customer. It is the customer happy after having been served. Good customer service skills help us keep our customers and prevent customers from becoming unhappy and frustrated. When we deliver good customer service, we experience less stress, hassle, and grief. Come hear the transformative true story of Fred and his method of providing extraordinary customer service.
2D CLEP Trending Topics
Presenters:
Brett Felder, The College Board
Seth Herz, The College Board
Suzanne McGurk, The College Board
Cynthia Takacs, Educational Testing Service
Diane Rdesinski, Educational Testing Service
Robert Raimond, Educational Testing Service
This session will address trending topics in CLEP testing from ID requirements and My Account enhancements to iBT testing. There will be plenty of time for Q&A from the audience.
2E NCTA Special Interest Groups—Launching of a New Initiative (Repeated as 10E)
Presenters:
Heidi Pettyjohn, University of Cincinnati (OH)
Jim Wollack, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Special Interest Groups (SIGs) provide an opportunity for members with specialized interests in a particular topic to network, engage in discussions, and develop shared resources. SIGs are common within professional organizations and allow members to connect with others of similar professional interests, thereby allowing everyone to more easily identify their peer group within an otherwise large, heterogeneous organization. This informational meeting will provide an overview of SIGs and the value they offer to members, allow attendees to help identify topics around which NCTA may develop SIGs, and offer members an opportunity to become active in shaping and leading the inaugural set of NCTA SIGs.
Session 3
3A Current Developments and Future Directions in Testing
Presenter:
Louis Woodruff, Bucks County Community College (PA)
This presentation will provide an overview of emerging new directions in testing and future innovations that will alter current practices in the testing industry. Topics include recent application of social media strategies that change how tests are developed, real time creation of exams through item cloning on the fly, future use of examinee-owned devices for high stakes off-line testing, alternate test administration models that will challenge the current test delivery paradigm, future advances in measuring human behavior that could create a new focus for psychometrics, application of psychopharmacology to mitigate test security risks, and emerging standards that will guide future directions for on-line remote proctoring. The implications of these trends and innovations will be considered along with their potential impact on college testing.
3B CLEP and STEM: Acronyms for Student Success
Presenter:
Kent Seaver, North Lake College (TX)
This presentation will focus on data compiled by North Lake College (NLC) during a study that determined whether or not students taking College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests, as well as other Prior Learning Assessments (PLAs), would be better prepared for various STEM majors when compared to students who did not. A compare/contrast style will be used to show the ways in which students with various prior learning skills (such as Spanish language and science/mathematic proficiency) use their knowledge on CLEP and other exams to achieve college credit before they enroll in STEM specific courses at NLC.
3C ETS High School Equivalency Testing (HiSET) Program
Presenter:
Jason Carter, Educational Testing Service
Attendees will learn about the ETS HiSET assessment 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. The ETS HiSET test, which launched January 2014, is compatible with current professional development materials used for high school equivalency assessment and covers five core areas: Language Arts-Reading, Language Arts-Writing, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies.
3D Student Success: How Can We Help Students Do Better on Assessments?
Presenter:
Maria Shimel, Boise State University (ID)
The Online Testing Center at Boise State University is unique in that it proctors online exams (set up on Blackboard) for BSU academic tests only. This year we have started our own Student Success Initiative with the goal of transforming the "old" way we proctored exams by seeking out methods so that we can, in our own small way, help students to do better. This includes actions as basic as adjusting the aesthetics of the testing room and reaching out to students with study tips in the campus newspaper to starting workshops with professors to assist them in writing better test questions. We are just at the beginning of our exploration but would like to share our journey with the group and see if we can inspire conversation, ideas, and change.
3E Searching for Gold in Every Student
Presenters:
Martha Key, Shelton State Community College (AL)
Debbie Barton, Shelton State Community College (AL)
Can small changes produce large results? Shelton State Community College Testing and Assessment and Advising staff will discuss the ways that innovative changes in student testing and advising procedures have yielded large results for our students. Participants will engage in discussions on issues including mandatory placement testing, efficient freshmen advising, and how positive one-day encounters can make a big difference in course placement, enrollment, and student success.
Session 4
4A Ten Years of Test Security: The Road Traveled and the Road Ahead
Presenters:
Jim Wollack, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Rachel Schoenig , ACT, Inc.
Steve Addicott, Caveon Test Security
In the past ten years, incredible changes in test security, both good and bad, have occurred. While new technologies have created ever-greater risks to reliable test results, other innovations have empowered test program leaders with new tools to better protect the tests. As we look ahead, the challenges will not only be different but also tougher. Meeting these challenges will require creativity, technology, and, of course, funding to invent new methods and tactics in the ongoing battle to achieve test results that matter. This session will explore answers to the question, “What will test security look like in the coming years?” A panel of test security veterans from across the testing industry will look back over the last ten years and give us a glimpse into the future of test security over the next ten years. During this session, panelists will offer their perspectives on the major challenges facing the testing industry, and the audience will have an opportunity to reflect on the comments and discuss the implications of these changes on campus testing offices and the future of NCTA.
4B Mining for the Gold in Your Test Center Data
Presenters:
Kay Alford, Coastal Carolina University (SC)
Dwight Pittman, RegisterBlast
In an effort to avoid the rock-slide of candidates attempting to check in at one time, our center worked with RegisterBlast to develop an online check-in program. Not only did this aid in streamlining our check-in process, but the data collected was a vein of wealthy information to validate our center in terms of assessment. This check-in package created a process that runs as smoothly as a mountain stream.
4C Accommodated Testing – Experiences from Two Institutions
Presenters:
David Griffith, Temple University (PA)
Rachel Hample, Temple University (PA)
William Thelen, Central Washington University
In the summer of 2012, Central Washington University Testing Services was asked to take over accommodated testing for the university. Short on staff and space, our test center still managed this huge addition to our workload, including additional paperwork and working with students unhappy with the change. Temple University's testing center has also had an experience where there was a need for large-scale accommodated student testing. In partnership with Disability Resource Services (DRS), Temple's test center addressed this need, which has since evolved into a large-scale institutional service.

Join Central Washington and Temple universities as we discuss our different approaches to providing testing services for students with disabilities.
4D Feeling Barricaded by Distance Learning Exams? Learn Ways to Break Through the High Wall
Presenters:
Angela Zippin, University of Cincinnati (OH)
Tabatha Phillips, Western Kentucky University
Due to the increased popularity of distance learning courses and the rising number of students being required to use professional proctoring sites, testing center services are in high demand. Both the coordination and administration of these exams require careful organization and time management. The purpose of our presentation is to facilitate a dialogue between the test centers that coordinate distance learning exams and those that proctor the exams. With representatives from both 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 among all parties (sending institution, receiving institution, student, and faculty), the consequences of failed communication, and best practices for creating a seamless testing process.
4E A Diamond in the Rough: The Gems to a Healthier You with the 4 Well Rules
Presenter:
Juliana Calhoun, University of Southern California
As flight attendants always say during the airplane safety spiel, "Please put on your own mask before assisting others." This can also apply to the testing world as we are always helping others, but it is of the utmost importance to take care of ourselves. However, sometimes this is easier said than done with work, family, and life responsibilities. This presentation will show how I have personally come to a balance of being healthy by following my 4 Well Rules: Eat Well, Sleep Well, Exercise Well, and Be Well. We will tackle these categories with scientific information, activities, and discussions along with websites, blogs, books, and other references to help you balance your health as well.
Session 5
5A How Computer Skills Testing Improved Gateway's Student Success Rates
Presenters:
Raymond Koukari, Jr., Gateway Technical College (WI)
Jodi Noll, Labyrinth Learning
Gateway Technical College used a combination of computer skills testing and targeted courses to significantly reduce student failure rates in less than a year. During this presentation, you will follow Gateway's journey from goal setting, obtaining institutional support, engaging multiple departments, establishing new processes, and selecting and implementing Labyrinth Learning's computer skills assessment technology (eLab Skills Evaluation Tool) to measuring results. Learn from Gateway's experience as you hear about the unexpected challenges that we encountered and how we ultimately achieved outstanding results.
5B The Golden Rule: Using Management Theory in the Testing Center (Repeated as 9D)
Presenter:
Theresa Beebe Novotny, Georgia Southern University
This session will introduce participants to the principles of management theory as these relate to operating your testing center and managing its staff. Introducing participants to management theory (including Fayol's principles of management) and applying this to the day-to-day operations of your testing center--as well as maintaining the motivation of your staff and sustaining the strict security standards of your center--are the focus of this session.
5C Distance Education Proctoring Services Turns 1! A Year in Program Review and Assessment
Presenter:
Arrayon Farlough, University of Arkansas-Little Rock
With the push to move more courses and programs online, colleges and universities are constantly seeking ways to maintain academic integrity. The Office of Testing Services and Student Life Research at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock was able to answer the call by implementing the Distance Education Proctoring Services Program (D.E.P.S.). We invite you to join us as we recap our whirlwind review of the program and share our assessment after a year and a half of the program's existence. We will also show how the assessment was created and how we utilized survey information to implement changes to make the program stronger.
5D Fanning the Flames: Using an NCTA Grant to Blaze a Trail to Success!
Presenters:
Jarret Dyer, College of DuPage (IL)
Lea Brown, East Tennessee State University
Kim McCrackin, Oklahoma State University - Tulsa
Michiel Davis, Austin Community College (TX)
Roberto Voci, University of Oklahoma
Wendy Shirey, Bellevue University (WA)
William Thelen, Central Washington University
The NCTA Grants Program Committee will give an overview of the updated grants program beginning with a discussion to warm attendees up to the program and spark interest in the types of applications we are looking for. This discussion will include best practices to add some heat to your grant proposal. In addition, we will discuss the complete process and timeline including how to apply, the application review process, how and when the grants are awarded, how the committee will track and account for a recipient's expenditures, and the recipient's reporting requirements. There will be plenty of opportunity for questions from session attendees.
Session 6
6A Hitting "Pay Dirt" in Your Test Center
Presenters:
Linda Ensch, California State University, Fresno
R. Joey Darby, California State University, Fresno
Fresno State's Academic Test Centers proctor full classroom exams for faculty and provide a secure location, score reports, item analysis, proctoring for both make-up exams and department exams, and are now piloting new computer testing for online faculty. Our testing lab will be used for online proctoring for distance learning exams, certification exams, and entrance exams, all for a fee, on weekends and some evenings. During this session we will discuss funding, procedures, advertising, and security.
6B Smooth Students' Transition to College: Add Non-cognitive Information to the Placement Equation
Presenter:
Ronald Gordon, Gordon Associates, LLC
Every few years, faculty complain that the placement examination is not working and that it needs to be replaced or overhauled. This session will discuss how to address those concerns by adding non-cognitive data to the placement equation, thus making the placement system more effective in terms of placing students into the appropriate courses for their skills and backgrounds. References will be presented to demonstrate the influence non-cognitive information may have on students' performance. Information will be presented on selecting non-cognitive measures and indicating what works and what does not. Successfully implemented methods to automatically include both test scores and non-cognitive data in the placement equation will be demonstrated. Handouts will include a list of background questions that can provide the non-cognitive information necessary.
6C Best Practices in Test Accommodations: Creating Resources to help with Test Accessibility
Presenters:
Tim O'Connor, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Juliana Calhoun, University of Southern California
Katie Featherston, ACT, Inc.
Marci Miller, Fort Lewis College (CO)
Two years ago, the NCTA Non-Standard Test Accommodations Committee (now called the Universal Access in Testing Committee) surveyed our membership, and one of the outcomes of this survey was the discovery that members would like resources to help them better understand best practices in test accommodations. Therefore, a subcommittee was formed to create resources that would help meet this need. This presentation will focus on what has been accomplished so far and future directions on this topic. The presenters will solicit audience feedback in moving forward.
6D High School/Home School Students: The Fastest Growing Segment of CLEP Test Takers
Presenters:
Sue Schmitz, Hennepin Technical College (MN)
Suzanne McGurk, The College Board
This will be a collaborative session between a hands-on test center administrator with extensive experience in working with high school-level test takers and a College Board Senior Assessment manager. The data for this cohort will be shared, outreach efforts will be discussed, and trends in state policy and legislation will covered. The short and long-term benefits to both students and institutions will also be discussed.
Session 7
7A Surviving the Human Zoo
Presenter:
Ollie Mannino, Pikes Peak Community College (CO)
The day-to- day challenges of working with students, faculty, and co-workers can some days feel like a "zoo." Often it is not the processes and procedures that can drive you crazy –it's the PEOPLE! This session, designed to be motivational and uplifting, will focus on the importance of good communication (internally and externally) and selecting the right means of communication. Participants will take a brief inventory profile to better understand their communication style. Emphasis will be on building and maintaining a cohesive testing team while recognizing the importance of motivation and a sense of humor in the workplace.
7B Is Computer-based GED Testing a Concern for Examinees?
Presenter:
Deedee Thomas, Ogeechee Technical College (GA)
Computer based GED testing was designed for the benefit of the educational system rather than the examinee, and there are concerns that examinees lack the appropriate computer self-efficacy to be successful on the computer based GED exam. Will this be a concern for your test takers?
7C Striking Gold: Becoming a Certified Testing Center
Presenters:
Juliana Calhoun, University of Southern Colorado
Diane Patterson, Three Rivers College (MO)
Michelle Teasley, Columbus State Community College (OH)
Gayle Veltman, Wichita State University (KS)
Sue Schmitz, Hennepin Technical College (MN)
Kristen Vickery, Anne Arundel Community College (MD)
Grab your pick as we head down into the mine to find out what others are saying about Test Center Certification! Along with the jewels of information presented, there will be time for an excavating discussion about the riches of becoming certified. Presenting will be emeralds (newly certified) and rubies (committee members) ready to offer their quarry of ideas. Coal (challenges) and diamonds (accomplishments) will all be covered at this digging presentation, along with time for polishing up your riches (Q&A). Are you ready to come on down, strike it rich, and join the ranks of NCTA Certified Test Centers?
7D Getting CLEP Transcripts Sooner
Presenters:
Marc Webb, Miami Dade College (FL)
Silvio Rodriguez, Miami Dade College (FL)
How many times have you had to tell examinees that it takes 2-3 weeks after taking a CLEP exam for an official CLEP transcript to arrive? This does not include the interoffice mail delivery process at your institution, nor does it include the transcript evaluation process. Wouldn't it be great to get CLEP transcripts delivered in an electronic format in days instead of weeks? This is a very real possibility for any institution. The College Board offers an Electronic Score Reporting (ESR) service through Educational Testing Service to any institution wishing to use it. Miami Dade College is now automatically downloading CLEP transcripts into our student record keeping system on a daily basis using a scheduled batch job with scores available at MDC approximately two days after the student's test date. If you are interested in learning more about the ESR service, please plan on attending this session.
7E iPad or iFad - Review of Student Testing on iPads
Presenters:
Andrea Gordon, University of North Texas Science Center
Rebel Jones, University of North Texas Science Center
As the everyday classroom quickly changes, we feel it is important to find vital solutions for our students and their learning environments. This past year, we implemented iPad testing utilizing Examsoft's secure testing application: SofTest-M. In the first phase of implementation, we launched this platform for low-stakes assessments: quizzes (both classroom and lab settings) and lab practicals. We quickly learned, from experience and student feedback, the value of this solution for varying assessment types and environments. In this presentation, we will share what we have learned through this process. Individuals exploring the possibility of using iPads for student testing may obtain ideas to fit the unique needs of their institution. We will also share our future plans using SofTest-M.
Session 8
8A Confessions of a Testaholic
Presenter:
Francesca Taylor, University of West Georgia
If you grew up knowing that your professional career goal was to work in a testing center and you have been preparing your whole life for that opportunity, this is NOT the session for you. If, on the other hand, you have found yourself in a testing position and are not quite sure how you got there, what you need to do now that you are there, and what hints or tricks of the trade could make your job easier, this is the session for you. It is a chance for testing newbies to ask questions, seek and receive advice, have a few laughs, and realize they are not alone. A light-hearted supervisor's "recipe for survival" kit will be provided to the first 50 session attendees, and all others will receive the recipe to make their own kit. While this session may not change your life dramatically, it will provide insights regarding the varied challenges testing centers face daily and how to handle them.
8B Breaking the Bedrock, Finding Gold
Presenter:
David Ehrenreich, Anne Arundel Community College (MD)
This program will help current TSiS (Testing Sign-in System) users find new ways to connect and report on their test center usage data using Microsoft Excel. The presentation will also focus on offering information to potential new users on how TSiS can help their test center manage students and usage data. Additionally, this session will cover other technologies that can help within testing centers.
8C Hitting the Mother Lode: How to Make Accommodated Testing Work for You
Presenters:
Regina Beach, Morehead State University (KY)
Michele Hosaka, Community College of Denver (CO)
This program will look at how accommodated testing services came about at Morehead State University and the Community College of Denver and how each of these testing centers has created processes and positions to handle increased testing services. We will share what works well and provide handouts and ideas that can help create more organization and less fear when dealing with accommodated testing requests.
8D Women, Leadership and Higher Education: Making Choices for Better Balance
Presenters:
Heidi Pettyjohn, University of Cincinnati (OH)
Sally Frazee, Temple University (PA)
Amystique Harris-Church, Delaware State University
Angela Zippin, University of Cincinnati (OH)
In recent years, there have been a number of books directed at women, such as Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, Bossy Pants by Tina Fey, and Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office by Lois P. Frankel. Their popularity has led to increased awareness and conversation around the many issues and obstacles that women face in the workplace. The session presenters will share personal stories and draw from books like these to define common barriers that women in higher education face as they pursue leadership opportunities and advancement, including authentic professional relationships, the myth of the work/life balance, and social and cultural perceptions of women. Strategies and tools will be presented that allow women to strengthen their leadership qualities while maintaining boundaries and authenticity. Small group discussion will help attendees identify barriers that may be most relevant to their life circumstances and career goals.
8E The Changing Landscape of Disability in Higher Education: Intersections with Testing
Presenter:
Stephan Smith, Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD)
As we consider the impact of changing federal regulations related to disability in postsecondary education, the unique challenges increasingly presented by the presence and use of educational technology, and the increasing numbers of students with disabilities accessing higher education, the landscape of accommodated and inclusive testing is shifting quickly. During this session, we will delve into the latest legal, regulatory, and technological aspects affecting this work and discuss in-depth the intersection of disability and testing in theory and in practice.
Session 9
9A Hub & Spokes Model - Supporting Testing Centers on Branch Campuses
Presenters:
Kellie Smith, Central Oregon Community College
Cara Junghans, Davenport University (MI)
Joyce Smith, Marian University of Wisconsin
Kathryn Quillen, Pensacola State University (FL)
Bob Watson, Central New Mexico Community College
Nancy O’Shea, Brookdale Community College (NJ)
As branch campuses pop up throughout the service district for your college, how does your staff provide security, capture space, and market to ALL students in need of testing? This round-table will have the following topics: hiring/training/supervising staff, constituencies to serve, testing programs/ certifications to offer, space allocation, dealing with unique institutional cultures on each campus, security/accountability, and assessment.
9B ACT Compass Update: News You Can Use
Presenter:
Tim Osborn, ACT
ACT staff will give an update on ACT Compass. Participants will be introduced to new features, capabilities, and enhancements incorporated in Compass 5 as well as planned enhancements for the future. The presentation will include a live demonstration. Time will be allocated to allow participants to have their questions about COMPASS answered in person by experienced ACT staff.
9C Bringing Assessments to the 21st Century
Presenters:
Seth Deming, BYU-Idaho
Nate Borsella, BYU-Idaho
Anita McPherson, BYU-Idaho
For centuries in education we have utilized the same types of questions on assessments. Bubble sheets or simply paper/pencil exams have been widely used for decades, despite advances in technology. Though these test materials have proven effective, technological innovations have given us the ability to assess knowledge and facilitate learning in ways never before imagined. Through the use of new tools, we are in the process of improving the way we facilitate the assessments at BYU-Idaho and would love to share with others the breakthroughs we are having in this journey. We will also discuss how to use student employees in the administration of exams, as well as their professional development and management.
9D The Golden Rule: Using Management Theory in the Testing Center (Repeat of 5B)
Presenter:
Theresa Beebe Novotny, Georgia Southern University
This session will introduce participants to the principles of management theory as these relate to operating your testing center and managing its staff. Introducing participants to management theory (including Fayol's principles of management) and applying this to the day-to-day operations of your testing center--as well as maintaining the motivation of your staff and sustaining the strict security standards of your center--are the focus of this session.
9E Proctoring for Students of Other Schools - Good or Bad Idea?
Presenter:
Mac Adkins, SmarterServices, LLC
Distance learning continues to grow and be respected as an educational delivery system. Add to this the exploding popularity of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), and you have masses of students who live hours from the schools in which they are enrolled needing to take high-stakes exams in their courses. Many testing centers are being approached by students from other institutions requesting that they proctor these exams. While this does present an opportunity to generate extra revenue for the testing center, it also presents new challenges that need to be addressed. In this session we will identify and explore various issues associated with proctoring exams from students of other institutions. We will also explore tools and practices for providing this service. Examples of good practices will be shared by peer institutions. The audience will be encouraged to share their issues and practices as well.
Session 10
10A Striking It Rich: How to Get to the Goldmine of Being and Staying Organized!
Presenter:
Juliana Calhoun, University of Southern California
Testing offices have many different aspects: proctors, placement tests, computer tests, paper tests, make-up exams, national tests, and so on. Getting pulled in so many different directions, what can testing offices do to streamline all processes? This presentation will review the importance of getting organized in your office, examples of ways to achieve that goal, and how to continue the organization to make your office run efficiently in the future. I will provide examples of how I re-organized all of our testing procedures, streamlined our hiring and training process, and keep everything running efficiently.
10B Survey Says...
Presenters:
Marc Webb, Miami Dade College (FL)
Silvio Rodriguez, Miami Dade College (FL)
As we move into a more consumer driven paradigm in higher education, it is important to stay current with the latest tools used to survey students, faculty, and staff. Where will our institutions look for support with incorporating survey items into various online instruments? It may very well be the testing and assessment department. Whether you have a formal background with survey writing or not, it is an area where our departments can find a natural fit. We are used to online platforms that we have to "set-up," maintain, and report on. Today there are free and/or inexpensive online resources that can be used by almost anyone to create, conduct, and report a survey. There are also videos on YouTube explaining how to write reliable survey questions. These online tools can also be used to meet needs in other ways as well, such as online forms, data collection tools, and more. If you are interested in learning more about using online survey tools, please plan on attending our breakout session.
10C Evolution of a Testing Center: Blazing Our Own Trail
Presenters:
Lori Lach, College of DuPage (IL)
Sherry Machacek, College of DuPage (IL)
Jarret Dyer, College of DuPage (IL)
Marilyn Ortiz, College of DuPage (IL)
We have all heard it: "Nothing is permanent except change." Is it time for your Testing Center to make some changes? How would you go about it? Is it the right thing to do? Transforming a testing center can mean a major adjustment. At College of DuPage, we were excited but apprehensive. Yet over a two year span our testing center not only moved from a drab, windowless location to a more accessible environment overlooking a courtyard but also split our testing services into two separate operations, academic and specialized, a major undertaking. This evolution has involved construction, organizational changes, operational changes, management oversight, major IT involvement, and a vision for the future. Please join us as we discuss how we made this process work.
10D Helping Students Strike Gold with Information Technology Certifications
Presenter:
Lynn Brown, Bossier Parish Community College (LA)
Many students graduate with excellent GPAs in computer-related fields, but their resumes lack the sparkle necessary to catch the eye of potential employers. At Bossier Parish Community College, industry-based certifications required as final exams for many IT courses help students earn resume-enhancing "gold nugget" IT certifications. With over $60,000 in student exam vouchers purchased during 2012-2013, IT Final Exam Testing is an asset to students, requires teamwork with the Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Division, and serves as a surprisingly golden source of testing revenue. Please come and learn more about IT Final Exam Testing at Bossier Parish Community College.
10E NCTA Special Interest Groups—Launching of a New Initiative (Repeat of 2E)
Presenters:
Heidi Pettyjohn, University of Cincinnati (OH)
Jim Wollack, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Special Interest Groups (SIGs) provide an opportunity for members with specialized interests on a particular topic to network, engage in discussions, and develop shared resources centered around the subject. SIGs are very common within professional organizations and allow members to more easily connect with others with similar professional interests, thereby allowing everyone to more easily identify their peer group within an otherwise large, heterogeneous organization. This informational meeting will provide an overview of SIGs and the value they offer to members, allow attendees to help identify topics around which NCTA may develop SIGs, and offer members an opportunity to become active in shaping and leading the inaugural set of NCTA SIGs.
Other Sessions
Closing Panel Discussion, Farewell Brunch, and Giveaways: Looking into the Crystal Ball—How Should Testing Offices Prepare for the Future of Testing?
Moderator:
Presenters:
Jim Wollack, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Steve Saladin, University of Idaho
David Espinoza, University of Oregon
Heidi Pettyjohn, University of Cincinnati (OH)
Michelle Teasley, Columbus State Community College (OH)
Raymond Nicosia, Educational Testing Service
Changes in technology, education delivery models, educational accessibility, state funding, PK-12 education, student demographics, legislative priorities, educational and professional accountability, testing stakes, and legal decisions have revolutionized the way tests and testing services are delivered. As we look forward, these and other factors are likely to continue to force the testing industry to evolve. In light of the blistering pace at which this change is happening, testing offices can no longer afford to take a wait-and-see approach to dealing with that change. Instead, testing offices must engage in ongoing assessments of both the industry and institutional priorities so that we may fluidly and proactively adapt. In this session, the panelists, which include both a current and a past NCTA president, current NCTA board and committee members, and a testing manager at one of the leading testing companies in the world, share their insights on the changes they are envisioning to the testing industry in the next 5-10 years, what the implications of these changes will be for NCTA, and the changes testing offices must begin making now to best prepare for what awaits us. At the end of the session, panelists will respond to questions from the audience.
President's Welcome