Establishing an Effective State or Regional Testing Organization

Get Started

Contact test administrators from across the state or region to see if they would be interested in forming a testing organization. Ask for volunteers to serve on a steering committee to organize the group. Meet with steering committee members to arrange organizational meetings. Then invite all of the interested test administrators to the organizational meetings.

Get Support

Ask your supervisor and your institution's leadership for permission or approval to participate. This support will help make your organization stronger. To help support meeting and conference expenses, your organization should apply for an NCTA grant and seek corporate sponsorships from testing companies.

Determine the Purpose of the Organization

At the first meeting, determine the purpose or mission of the organization. There may be multiple purposes. Some examples are below:

Informal and Formal Organizations

Both informal and formal organizations will need to be considered. Select the format which works best for your group and the elements below.

Formal organizations will need to develop

Set Up Communication Channels

Effective organizations communicate well with their members, so it is important to have channels of communication, such as a website, Listserv, and a file sharing system.

Website

Websites may be sponsored by a member institution or by the organization. It would be helpful to conduct a search to ensure that the domain name the organization has chosen is not already used by another organization or company. Use the websites from Florida and Texas to help you develop one for your organization.

Florida Association of College Test Administrators (FACTA)
http://factatesting.org/

Texas Association of Collegiate Testing Personnel (TACTP)
http://tactp.org/mc/page.do?sitePageID=97779&orgld=tactp

Listserv/Mailing List

A Listserv is an electronic mailing list using the Listserv computer program, which differs from distribution lists used in email programs. With a Listserv, you can create a topic and distribute information or start a discussion with a list of subscribers. Google "how to create a Listserv."

File Sharing System

File sharing is the practice of distributing or providing access to digitally-stored information. A commonly used site is Dropbox.™

It is very important that the state or regional organization stay connected to the NCTA, so one or more of these channels should also provide updates from the NCTA.

For more information, contact a state and regional organizations committee member.

Chair: Silvio Rodriguez
silvio.rodriguez@mdc.edu

Member: Tammy Roach (Duddy)
t.roach@louisville.edu

Member: Amystique Harris Church
achurch@desu.edu

Member: Jim Kalna
jkalna@cscc.edu

Member: Leticia Martinez
Leticia.Martinez@azwestern.edu

Member: Marc Webb
mwebb@mdc.edu

Disclaimer

The NCTA supports and encourages the foundation of state and regional associations as autonomous, unique, and independent organizations. The NCTA will assist and guide these organizations in their development by providing resources and support. An affiliated title, such as "NCTA Chapter," should not be used in an SRO's title, mission, vision, or other organizational documents.