Wednesday September 13Registration 8:00 am-5:00 pmSponsor Workshops: 8:30 am-9:30 am ETS Our workshop is by Invitation Only for our Test Administrators that deliver ETS test in their current testing environment. The information pertains to ETS testing programs, updates, changes and new information. SmarterServices Sponsor Workshops 9:45 am-11:15 am RegisterBlast RegisterBlast is excited to release our new Accommodations module. This product is designed to be an end-to-end solution for disability services departments to enroll and track students throughout their time at a school. It is fully integrated with our core scheduling functionality. Students' needs for extra time, special equipment or locations, breaks, etc. are accounted for without requiring testing staff to individually interact with the accommodated students. Sign-up instructions: Email [email protected] if you plan to attend the workshop. LSAC What’s New in Newtown— Join us for a panel discussion for our LSAT supervisors. We’ll be chatting about our research project—the Digital LSAT, the Test Administration Info Center, and recent changes and improvements at LSAC. Please RSVP by sending an email to [email protected] Sponsor Workshops 10:00 am-10:30 am McGraw Hill (virtual conference) Sponsor Workshops 10:45 am-11:15 am Castle Worldwide (virtual conference) Tailwind Placement Exams combines over 40 years of placement testing experience from the University of Wisconsin System with the unparalleled test delivery engine and customer service of Castle Worldwide. At Tailwind, our unique combination of applying rigorous psychometrics to exams that are developed for faculty, by faculty allows us to provide campuses with high quality assessments that are valuable to the placement process. With a comprehensive, 3-in-1 mathematics exam, a combined Reading and Writing exam, and exams in three foreign languages, Tailwind Placement Exams offer a complete placement package for colleges and universities. Come learn more about the Tailwind advantage! Sponsor Workshops 11:30 am-12:30 pm Castle Worldwide (virtual conference) A Behind-the-Scenes Look into the Technology Driving the Testing Industry This will be a unique opportunity to hear directly from Castle’s Chief Technology Officer, Bryan Reel, regarding the existing and future landscape of the technology that facilitates the testing industry. Bryan’s experience building highly secure systems with the Department of Defense prior to arriving at Castle 7 years ago has guided his team in their approach to building and enhancing Castle’s technology platform. We hope you enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at the test delivery infrastructure within the testing industry and what drives Bryan’s team to be a preferred technology partner. Come and learn why Castle’s single-platform technology system provides testing organizations with a considerably greater level of reliability and system up-time. Pearson VUE/Certifport/GED Initiatives Enhancements for Test Administrators GED Testing Service’s commitment to provide a quality testing experience to adult learners is successful because it is aligned with our commitment to partner with test administrators and adult educators. In this session, we will review results from a recent survey by our GED Testing Service Technology Operations Team and as well as key tips for test-taking. In addition we will review changes to our GED Analytics data tool that allows for a wider audience to access this valuable tool as well as our new Class Proficiency Report and a review our GED Manager system. Participants will interact with recently developed tools and resources to support their work to guide the adult learner to a successful outcome and have greater access to aggregate data specific to your program.
If people are our greatest resource in business and in work, then communication is our most critical asset---the essential component driving our human needs, wants and demands. As administrators, we coordinate testing activities with proctors who in turn schedule clients seeking credential-based testing opportunities. These same clients engage with teachers, faculty members, and administrators. Add vendors and companies as well as managers, subordinates, and colleagues to the mix and you have a hectic world where upward, downward and lateral exchanges are facilitated at the speed of light. No matter how distinct or different our roles, communication through social media and emails brings us even closer together. However, at a moment’s notice, our utopia could be shattered by vague instructions, an incomplete text or email, an ill-advised response to message transforming our world of efficiency, productivity and mutual respect into a place of hostility, ineffectiveness, and ambiguity. Our capacity to inform, direct, lead and inspire could decline in an instant. People are speaking but are we listening? Are we really communicating? If it can happen to us, then what about the rest of the world? Join us as we explore the power of engagement as we learn and develop The Art of Communication. Conference Track: Professional Development 1B. Newcomer Orientation Newcomer Orientation welcomes those new to NCTA or the testing community. We will provide knowledge about the organization, as well as, provide an opportunity to meet others within NCTA and ways to become connected. Conference Track: Orientation 1C. E-books, E-notes, E-frustration for Testing Offices More and more of our testers have grown up in a world of nothing but e-books. They use them for notes, study, etc. If a professor allows books and notes for testing, how do we accommodate this with our restrictions on what materials can be taken into the testing lab? This presentation was prompted by an email I sent out a few days ago and this topic was suggested for the upcoming conference. It is meant to be a springboard for discussion. Conference Track: Test Security 1D. Credit Where Credit is Due: How CLEP and Prior Learning Increase Student Success This presentation will encourage audience participation by examining data compiled from North Lake College’s (NLC) Prior Learning (PLA) study. That data will consist of the numbers of PLA students that were part of the study, their overall scores, as well as a GPA comparison between them and other students. A compare/contrast style of delivery will be used to show how various student cohort use PLA exams (including CLEP) to achieve college credit during and before enrollment. This success creates a stronger sense of individual success, and this success leads to higher retention rates and overall persistence in the college. For first generation students, students from the military, homeschooled students, as well as students who have the aptitude for prior learning, CLEP and other Credit By Exam mechanisms are advantageous for both two and four year colleges. CLEP candidates on average earn a half grade point higher in the subsequent course than do non-PLA students. By accurately placing prepared and motivated students, prior learning creates a more dynamic classroom experience and increases retention. On top of that, PLA makes it easier for students to afford tuition and fees. From a pedagogical perspective, various writings dealing with prior learning have focused on “baskets” of knowledge that students bring to college. What is in one student’s “basket” can be different from another student. The contents of the basket will influence what will engage the student, as well as how the student approaches their academic career. From a cognitive standpoint, when artifacts such as CLEP, and other prior learning tools are introduced, it is important to know “What is this and why is it important to us?” Every student who engages in these assessments accesses prior knowledge regardless of skill level, and the same can be said for the audience viewing this presentation. While there will be slides with information, that information can be decimated to create individual models of prior learning aimed at student and institutional success. Conference Track: Prior Learning Assessment 1E. Improving and Streamlining Proctor Training Through National Proctor Certification Thoroughly trained proctors are critical to maintaining test standardization and protecting exam security. Currently, every testing program develops its own training and proctors are required to separately become certified for each unique test they administer. While it is necessary for proctors to gain familiarity with certain aspects of each program prior to administering the test, many of the core elements and underlying principles are identical across programs. However, because programs currently have no way of ensuring that proctors possess the requisite knowledge, they have no choice but to develop their own extensive training materials, and proctors have no choice but to undergo lengthy certification and re-certification processes for each program. NCTA has recently begun working on a proctor certification process that aims to ensure that certified individuals are well versed in industry best practices for test administration, test security principles and strategies, and approaches to best manage the nuances of interpersonal dynamics in highly stressful testing environments. Come learn about the value of certification (to proctors, test centers, and testing programs) and NCTA’s vision for how test certification might help shape the testing landscape. We will discuss our work to date on this project, including what a certified proctor might be expected to know, and discuss next steps. We will also recap what we learned from others in the industry during our presentation (in early September) at the Conference on Test Security. We will conclude with an open forum for participants to ask questions and share their thoughts about the concept of proctor certification, how to get involved in the project, and how to best build support within the testing industry. Conference Track: Proctoring Session 2 2:15 pm-3:15 pm 2A. Testing Centers and OCR: Gaining a Better Understanding of the Issues in Providing Testing Accommodations Many NCTA testing centers have become part of the support network on their campuses for students with disabilities. The provision of non-standard testing accommodations through our testing centers requires testing professionals to provide access and facilities that respond to a range of circumstances. Training for testing professionals in this area can be spotty or inconsistent. Using scenarios derived from complaint resolutions issued by the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) this session will present examples that highlight issues relevant to testing centers and their staffs. The session will attempt to provide participants with a better sense of the types of complaints that have resulted in an OCR investigation and how OCR frames the issues. The intent of the session is to be interactive. The presenters will offer participants an opportunity to gain insight into how to improve their professional practice, how to better communicate with students and disability services professionals on their campus, and gain a better understanding of the types of issues students raise. Conference Track: Accessibility in Testing 2B. What Do We Really Know About Cheating? Surveys and cheating studies are helping us better understand cheaters, the impact of cheating on others, and how we can better address it. The Workforce Skills Division recently conducted a survey of employers, employees, credential issuers and test publishers concerning cheating and credential authentication. Join presenters to review survey results as well as other studies that help us better understand the cheating landscape. What do employers and employees really think about security? How important is it to them? What do they think are the negative consequences of cheating and forged credentials? How good are credential issuers and test publishers at predicting the perspectives of employer and employees? What can we do with the information we learn to better address cheating? With survey data from individuals across the globe and studies across the testing spectrum, the answers to these questions may just surprise you! Conference Track: Test Security 2C. Using Student Workers in Your Testing Center Frequently our testing centers get busy and staff can feel stretched too thin. Meager testing center budgets often do not allow for the hiring of a new staff member when the need arises. Student workers can be a great way to boost your testing center staff inexpensively and effectively. This presentation will be a panel discussion including testing center professionals from four different institutions with varying operations discussing the ways in which they have utilized student workers to run some of the basic functions of the testing center. The panel members reflect a wide variety of ways in which student workers can be used, ranging from a very limited capacity all the way up to student workers performing most of the tasks of a professional proctor. The panel will also discuss the benefits and disadvantages of hiring student employees along with advice about how to keep exam information secure and maintain a professional environment. Those who attend this session will come away with ideas about how to use student workers in their offices to alleviate some of the burdens of fully staffing a testing center. Conference Track: Test Center Management and Staff Training 2D. HiSET Test Administration Best Practices The HiSET exam is an affordable, more accessible high school equivalency test. Now the fastest-growing exam on the market, it has been adopted in over 27 states and territories. This session will provide a program overview as well as some of the best practices for HiSET test administration. Presenters will highlight the advantages of computer-based testing and discuss the ease of converting from paper-based to computer-based testing. Participants will also learn about the HiSET informational website, free instructional materials and have an opportunity to speak with ETS Directors working on HiSETConference Track: High School Equivalency Testing 2E. Scheduling Exams Shouldn’t Be So Hard! Learn How RegisterBlast Can Solve Your Scheduling Wows! Have you heard from your NCTA colleagues about their online appointment system and need to know what questions to ask to make a choice for your institution? Are you struggling to keep up with the myriad of testing related responsibilities that your institution continues to heap on? Do you need help making the most of your limited staffing? Do you want your test candidates to have the ability to pay online before taking their test? Or are you simply looking for an organized way to track your testing business? If you answered yes to any of these, this session will show you how RegisterBlast is being used at various institutions including Miami Dade College to deal with these very issues. You will learn about real scenarios and solutions that can help you to make the best decision for your institution. You will also learn about the latest enhancement to RegisterBlast as well as what is on the horizon. This session is designed for the novice and seasoned testing professionals alike who have an interest in online appointment Systems for testing. Conference Track: Testing Technology Popcorn/IC Break (Newcomer-Ambassadors connection) 3:15 pm-3:45 pm Session 3 3:45 pm-4:45 pm Cheating is a problem that has plagued the testing industry for centuries. Test administrators are all too familiar with the ways examinees cheat and strategies to prevent and detect cheating on exam day; however, efforts to combat cheating extend well beyond the day of the exam. This session gives a comprehensive overview of cheating, including describing the context for cheating, examining a variety of strategies to prevent, deter, and impede cheating (during test administration and beyond), discussing numerous statistical and non-statistical approaches to detect cheating, and deciding how to address cheating, including investigating and determining consequences. Conference Track: Test Security 3B. Master Your Branching Profiles Crafting efficient Branching Profiles is an art, and, when mastered, can reduce the over testing of your students and improve your bottom line financially. The ACCUPLACER platform allows for robust customization based on your institution's needs. This session will begin with the basics of branching profile set up to include the use of test settings, background questions, test scores and the use of different tests. A current testing director and Post-Secondary counselor will focus on placement testing and branching profiles for student success. Conference Track: Placement Testing 3C. The Next Phase of Higher Education Assessment The current method of assessment in Higher Education has been relatively unchanged for hundreds of years, though the minds today are far different than they used to be. Why do we then make the assumption that we can assess the same way as we used to and the results be reliable? We will review empirical evidence that suggests there is a better way to gauge the competencies of our students, help them to learn more effectively, have greater learning gains and retention as well as the challenges in changing such a deeply rooted exam centric culture within Higher Education. Conference Track: Assessment Design and Psychometrics 3D. Selecting an affordable and accessible online proctoring solution Come join as a cross-divisional team from the University of Cincinnati (UC) presents an overview of their selection process for a single online proctoring service (Examity) that supports all fully online programs at the institution. Approximately 5,700 students at UC are enrolled in a fully online program. Members of UC’s Testing Services, Center for Excellence in eLearning, and Accessibility program partnered with faculty to evaluate the leading test integrity solutions in the marketplace. This robust evaluation considered data security, accessibility, funding, faculty and student training, etc. During this session, we will share an overview of the process, selection criteria, solutions explored, and lessons learned. Conference Track: Proctoring 3E. POD 1: E-Books POD’s are a format designed to foster collaboration and networking opportunities around a central theme of interest to NCTA members. Please come and join your NCTA colleagues in an open conversation and information sharing session about the designated topic.
4A. Developing your Test Center Business Plan Temple University’s testing unit created a business plan outlining the development of their test center. Since completing the plan, the test center has seen tremendous growth and interest in testing services, and has accomplished many of the goals outlined in the plan, including increasing testing services and revenue as well as developing collaborative relationships with other departments at the University. Drawing upon Temple University’s successful implementation of their test center business plan, this workshop-style session will discuss the uses of a business plan, how developing one can benefit your test center, and walk you through the steps to creating your own! Conference Track: Test Center Management and Staff Training 4B.What Do You Mean I Am Not College Ready? Since the 2006 reauthorization of the Perkin’s act, the academic demands in technical education have become a new and often overlooked challenge. This session will focus on the evolution of CTE and the integration of academic content and its effect on initial student placement into CTE programs of study. We will discuss initial course placement challenges and how to address the negative ‘not ready’ message students may receive after placement testing by adopting a supportive advising model. Specific strategies for developing a placement program designed to meet the academic and technical demands of CTE will be discussed. Participants will leave understanding the importance of a quality placement program, positive advising model, and tools to evaluate their institution’s program. Conference Track: Placement Testing 4C. Making Testing Services a Priority on Your CampusPresenter: Arrayon Farlough, Pulaski Technical College Do you feel as if the testing center is the forgotten student service on your campus? How can you stand out, be heard, and get funding?! This session will provide best practices in Testing to garner the positive attention of your administration and hopefully assist your staff and testing center to become one of the "go to" places for information on your campus.
Thursday September 14Breakfast 7:30 am-8:30 am Session 5 10:15 am-11:45 am 5A. Five Things You Need to Know About Placement Testing Have you ever had questions about placement testing, but were unsure whom to ask? Have your colleagues come to you with questions such as: • What should our placement testing retest policy be? If so, then join us for a session focused on increasing the general understanding about a range of topics that are critical to the world of placement testing, including validity, subscores, retesting, proctoring, standardized writing tests, cutscores, and fairness. Offered as a series of “Top 5” lists, the presenters will discuss their top five things you need to know about placement testing as it relates to each of these overarching topics. Emphasis will be placed upon why the top five things are important and how they may manifest within an actual placement testing program. Come get answers to these questions and more! Conference Track: Placement Testing
5B. Generation Z Town Hall: Continuing the Conversation with Our Keynote Speaker Conference Track: Professional Development 5C. Setting the Standards of Professional Development with the Help of an NCTA Grant Applying for an NCTA Grant to help you set the standard of professional development within your Test Center or organization? We will take you through the Grant Application process, give you examples of applications that have been accepted and rejected...and clarify the reasons for each. If you have a special project and want to know if it fits the standards, we urge you to come by to listen, learn, and ask questions. Then you will be able to set the standard with the help of an approval-ready NCTA Grant application. Conference Track: Certification, Grants, and Standards 5D. On-Boarding & Beyond: Creating Testing Professionals through Training and Engagement Training shouldn’t end after the on-boarding process. Your training plan is a critical piece of the NCTA Test Center Certification process, and for a good reason. Setting the standards early and enforcing integrity in your new hires is important. This session will review the planning, implementation, documentation and follow-up steps for training as required for certification, but then we will take it the next level. Learn how we can transform an individual from “just employees” to “testing professionals.” Come and discover how to engage and support your staff so that they grow into more professional, courteous and knowledgeable testing team members. Lunch 11:45 am-1:30 pm Session 6 1:30 pm-2:30 pm 6A. Learning Through Crisis: One School's Response and Lessons Learned In November 2016, an active aggressor attack occurred at The Ohio State University which led to the immediate evacuation of the testing center and a lock-down of the campus. This presentation will focus on our responses to the events of the day. We will cover both what we did, as well as what we should have done. The lessons learned have resulted in new and improved measures for disaster preparedness that will apply to your campus and testing center as well. Conference Track: Test Center Management and Staff Training 6B. Statistical Detection of Cheating: Where Do I Start? How can statistical detection of test fraud be better directed? This presentation will begin by outlining various types of analysis into a functional framework. We will then provide some real examples by applying these to real data sets. In the first section, we will start by identifying the common hypotheses to be tested, including: examinee copying, brain dump makers, brain dump takers, proctor/teacher involvement, low motivation, and compromised locations. Next, we will match up the analyses to the hypotheses. This will assist in explaining how collusion indices are designed to shine a light on cheating. We will also provide deeper explanations on the specific analyses. In the second section, we will apply this framework to the analysis of real data sets. This will show how the framework can be useful in directing data forensics work rather than aimlessly poking around. It will also demonstrate usage of the statistical analyses, facilitating learning of the approaches as well as driving discussions of practical issues faced by attendees. Conference Track: Test Security 6C. Innovative Practices in Marketing CLEP and Other PLA Options With the continuous changes in education and institutions, it is important to assure that frontline faculty and staff are aware of prior learning assessment (PLA) options to properly advise students. This requires a streamlined and consistent process to disseminate comprehensive information informing faculty, staff, and students of the various PLA options. At Broward College, the Testing and Assessment Services Area has implemented numerous CLEP initiatives including an innovative marketing plan to help improve overall student retention and completion. This session will discuss the various methods and strategies employed by a large state college to market CLEP and other PLA options. Conference Track: Prior Learning Assessment 6D. Connecting the Dots: Improving the GED® Test-taker Experience GED® Test Administrators share the culminating activity of the test-takers’ journey to success through the delivery of the GED® Test. This session will provide an update of the national data, student outcomes, and crucial feedback from GED® Test Administrators and adult educators that drive the decisions to develop new programs that enhance the student journey and provide valuable tools to administrators and educators. The programs and tools we will focus on in this session are our new GEDPrep Connect ™ tool, our employer partnership called GEDWorks® and our career navigation tool PathSource. These innovative programs help connect the dots for a successful test-taker experience from inquiring, to preparing, and successfully passing the GED® test. Conference Track: High School Equivalency Testing 6E. POD 2 Campus Security POD’s are a format designed to foster collaboration and networking opportunities around a central theme of interest to NCTA members. Please come and join your NCTA colleagues in an open conversation and information sharing session about the designated topic. 7A. Sticky, Stinky Situations Sometimes standardized testing is anything but standard. Situations arise that require proctors to be prepared to address a whole host of unusual or disruptive behavior. What if candidates want to bring guns in the testing room, an examinee has strong body odor, or test takers are sampling illegal drugs? What do you do with disruptive cheaters, angry parents, inappropriate clothing, and unusual exemption requests? How do testing organizations seek to address these issues and how can testing professionals best prepare their staff to handle these anything-but-standard situations? Join us for a candid and informative discussion on sticky, stinky situations! Conference Track: Test Security 7B. Session on Campus Security (University of Cincinnati Police Department) Campus Safety- Active Shooter/Emergency Training
8A. Remote Proctoring: Methods, Challenges, and Partnership Opportunities While a number of presentations have been given on remote proctoring, few have covered the breadth of options that exist in the remote proctoring market, while also noting which present opportunities or challenges for independent test centers. This presentation will discuss the various remote proctoring methodologies that exist, and their strengths and weakness in security and the candidate experience. In addition, the presenter will discuss how colleges and universities can leverage these methods, and how they either present challenges to or create potential partnerships between remote proctoring vendors and test center organizations. Examples of these partnerships will be provided as well. The goal of the presentation is to increase awareness as the world of remote proctoring has evolved, while having an open discussion about the concerns this can create for college/university test centers. Conference Track: Proctoring 8B. If You Tweet It, They Will Come! Word of mouth is no longer a sufficient way to let people know where you stand. Millions rely on social media and other electronic communication means to reach the public. This session will explore how DELTA Testing Services at NC State University is taking on the task of communicating with this new generation of social media experts while simultaneously maintaining a grassroots footing. We will also discuss resources that we found effective in reaching all of our customers with helpful hints, policy updates and marketing materials. By the end of the session, participants will feel that they can replicate our success and avoid our pitfalls in their own testing centers. Conference Track: Test Center Management and Staff Training 8C. E-Accessibility Basics: Creating a Universal, Accessible Online Testing Environment In recent years, post-secondary institutions across the country were contacted by the Office of Civil Rights about the accessibility of their online environments for persons with disabilities. Learn how the University of Cincinnati has committed to "eAccessibility" by creating a cross-functional team of more than 70 faculty and staff dedicated to the creation and sustainment of an accessible, inclusive university online environment, and hear how those changes impact the work of delivering tests both in a test center environment, and through online proctoring. Conference Track: Accessibility in Testing 8D. Emotional Intelligence and the Workplace Have you ever had to work with someone that is very experienced, highly intelligent, has a terrific analytical mind and great ideas, but is still difficult to get along with? How about the test candidate with high anxiety who does not wish to follow policy or has decided that it is your Proctors fault their ID has expired? While many people have advanced degrees and high levels of academic intelligence, some struggle with the concept of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence has to do with a person’s ability to recognize, understand, and manage his or her own emotions and the emotions of others. Emotions can help us solve problems and guide our relationships, both at work and in life! If you want to increase your odds for success at work and in life, you do not want to miss this session! Conference Track: Professional Development NCTA Reception w/Exhibitors 5:15 pm-6:30pm
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| Sponsor Workshop: SmarterServices The New & Improved SmarterProctoring Sean Doty, Engagement Manager & Jason Fill, CTO/Lead Software Engineer Out with the old and in with new…don’t miss our special session to see the new rebuild and release of the new and improved features in SmarterProctoring. Sean Doty, Engagement Manager and Jason Fill, CTO (product architect), will be highlighting some benefits of our proctoring management system. The new design is user-friendly and intuitive, seamlessly integrates with the LMS, and continues to organize and manage all proctoring tasks viewable on a convenient dashboard. |