IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...

NEW WORLD OF TESTING

2021 ARCHIVES

 

Held October 21, 2021 : Best of Both Worlds: The Practical Benefits and Astounding Brilliance of Choice

Sponsored by Examity and will be available soon on the ATP Hub.

Over the past eighteen months, testing programs have adapted to using a combination of online and test center delivery methods. As programs map out what the future may hold, a growing number are embracing a “best of both worlds” approach: adopting hybrid approaches to test delivery that draw on best practices from both the online and test center models. 

As programs shift from reactionary to a strategic planning mode, the option to design exams and exam processes for multiple delivery methods is ripe with opportunity and practical benefits. Enhance program flexibility, redundancy, and reach, while simultaneously caring for your test-taker and the fairness of your exam underscores the brilliance of choice.

Join industry leaders to discuss the opportunities of hybrid assessment. Together, we will explore case studies and emerging best practices, plus learn how having the choice of online test center offerings can benefit test-takers and assessment programs alike.

Speakers:

Moderator - Rachel Shoenig, Cornerstone Strategies

  • Panelist – Maxim Morin, CEO Medical Council of Canada
  • Panelist – Ashok Sarathy, VP Product Management, GMAC
  • Panelist – Ada Woo, Ph.D., Senior Director, Assessment Services, Ascend Learning
  • Panelist – Bill West, Senior Vice President Business Development, Examity 

Held August 18, 2021: The Future is Now: Change and innovation in exam delivery  

Sponsored by Meazure Learning and now available for viewing on the ATP Digital Hub

As the world emerges from the pandemic, many things are different. Most notably, it seems as if overnight the world became digitized and the world of high stakes testing is no exception. Every high stakes program made changes over the last 12-18 months to adapt and many were not only substantive but have become new and enhanced ways of operating.  

All high stakes testing programs share common concerns about exam security, validity, reliability, equity, accessibility, and the user experience. In many cases, programs were quick and efficient at adapting to changes in test delivery so they could continue to provide access for in demand credentials and admissions exams. Continuity of service and test-taker safety became of paramount importance. Now that more than a year has passed, testing programs have been able to evaluate the impact of these changes on their program in terms of security, performance, accessibility and reach. And their findings may surprise you.

Join four industry leaders from high-stakes testing programs, Educational Testing Service (ETS), Law School Admission Council (LSAC), Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) and National Restaurant Association (NRA), in a panel discussion to hear about the innovative changes they made to their testing programs, not just to manage through the pandemic, but as long-term solutions. They will share data regarding the results they have seen across critical areas like security, access, test-taker satisfaction, psychometrics and modality equivalency. Hear their stories about the difficult decisions they had to make, the risk they took and most importantly, the impact these decisions had on their programs. Finally, the panel will share where they see the future of testing in the new world headed, what innovations are here to stay and maybe even a little about what may be next. 

Presenters:

Moderator: Jarrod Morgan, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Meazure Learning, [email protected]

Held July 22nd 2021: Increased Automation in Our Industry. How Not to Get it Wrong.

Sponsored by Alpine Testing now available for viewing on the  ATP Digital Hub 

Impressive advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language processing, and similar technologies offer exciting opportunities to positively affect our day-to-day lives. However, prior applications of such tools (for example, facial recognition) provide cautionary tales regarding the limitations of this technology and the risks of unintentional outcomes. In the assessment industry, we need to strike a careful balance between incorporating these tools to innovate our field and improve measurement while vetting the technology in ways that protect our stakeholders. This is particularly important in our field today, where the fairness and utility of measurement has already been questioned. For example, consider the recent increase in testing-optional and test-blind college admissions policies. How do we incorporate technological advances and innovate our field without the missteps experienced in other industries? The esteemed panel gathered for this discussion will provide insights based on their extensive experience in testing across a variety of markets. This webinar provides an opportunity for experts in our field to collaborate and contribute to a shared interest of innovation with integrity. 

Panelists: 

  • Alina von Davier, Chief of Assessment, Duolingo 
  • Liberty Munson, Director of Psychometrics, Microsoft 
  • Susan Lottridge, Senior Director of Automated Scoring, Cambium Assessment
  • Tracey Hembry, Director, Education and Senior Psychometrician, Alpine Testing Solutions (Moderator)

Held June 24, 2021: Education Policy in the United States: The Pandemic & Impacts on Testing

Sponsored by Curriculum Associates and now available for viewing on the ATP Digital Hub 

With billions of federal dollars allocated to address education gaps and inequities further heightened by the pandemic, there is increased attention on assessment policy in the United States.  During the webinar you will hear from a panel of educational policy experts discussing: 
  • the questions policymakers are asking
  • the questions policymakers should be asking 
  • the impacts past and current policy decisions have on testing  

 Panelists include:

  • Debbie Smith - Vice President, Government Relations, Curriculum Associates 
  • Lesley Muldoon - Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board 
  • Michelle Exstrom - Group Director, Education Programs, National Conference of State Legislators
  • Scott Marion - Executive Director, Center for Assessment 

Held May 20, 2021: Test Centers are Dead, Long Live Test Centers!  Are the rumors around the demise of test centers real? Or just….rumors, sponsored by Pearson VUE,  and now available for viewing on the ATP Digital Hub 

Over the past year online proctored exam delivery has experienced exponential growth, yet demand for in-person exam delivery at test centers remains as high as ever for high-stakes credentialing programs. Even during the pandemic, most high-stakes, accredited programs have preferred exam delivery through test centers over the compelling option of online proctoring. The disruptions of COVID-19 have not only revealed the challenges that online proctoring platforms need to address in order to remain a long-term viable option for high-stakes programs, but it also has highlighted the stringent operational adjustments that brick and mortar test centers are required to implement.

In this session, you’ll hear from respected panelists with experience in large-scale program management, psychometrics and measurement, and test delivery technology. Together, they share their diverse insights and learnings around the advantages, disadvantages, operational differences, and trade-offs of modalities with respect to:

  • Security Risks and mitigation strategies across modalities
  • Date privacy considerations
  • Impacts to test design and item development
  • Accommodations—compliance challenges, exam length, and scheduled breaks

This webinar will help participants better evaluate what modality their program is best suited for: in-person or remote proctored delivery and will outline what changes must be considered if they wish to fully or partially migrate to online test delivery.

Speakers: Dr. Cynthia D. Woodley, Chief Operations Officer of Professional Testing; Pat Ward, President & Founder of Internet Testing Systems (ITS); Phil Dickison, NCSBN

 

Held February 11, 2021, Highlighting Your Value: How Can Standardized Testing Programs More Effectively Demonstrate Their Importance, Relevance and Purpose, sponsored by Pearson VUE,  is now available for viewing on the  ATP Digital Hub 

The session, which was moderated by Eric D'Astolfo of Pearson VUE, featured a panel of experts from the Law School Admissions Council, Graduate Management Admissions Council and the National Conference of Bar Examiners sharing their experiences of defending the purpose and the value of their programs and offering lessons and guidance on how other programs can do the same, whether during challenging circumstances or during more “normal” times. 

 Held March 18, 2021, A Conversation on Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Pedagogy in Assessment and Instruction, sponsored by Curriculum Associates is now available for viewing on the ATP Digital Hub

Educating our students has to be a cohesive ecosystem that involves teachers, state leader, assessment developers, curriculum developers, and thought leaders to openly discuss how to engage students through Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Pedagogy. This panel conversation involves individuals that have a place in the educational ecosystem.
Speakers:
  • Dr. Sharroky Hollie, Executive Director, The Center for Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning (CCRTL)
  • Mayra Valtierrez, Director, Language and Culture, New Mexico PED
  • Claudia Salinas, VP of English Learning, Curriculum Associates
  • Bob Williams, Acting CEO, National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY)

 

Thank you to our 2021 Sponsors