Testing

InitiativesGoalMeans of AchievingOutcomeMethods of AssessmentResultsResult Use
DiversityDisability Awareness Cross-Training with Services for Students with Disabilities.Training of all Testing proctors on principles of Disability Services, as presented by Angela McLean from that office. Also, cross-training of all Disability employees on Testing Center protocol and policies to be presented by Tracey Smith. More meetings between the two departments that will make each more of an extension of each other. Student workers in both Testing and Disability Services will learn of policy and laws that should alter their perception and awareness. Tracking of training sessions particularly with Chi Tester based quizzes that will measure student workers' understanding. A record will be kept, which will be a factor in student workers' raises. All Finals debrief meetings are now joint meetings with Disability Services. Angie McLean and I still need to meet to work out joint training sessions and to even set policy about some gray areas. Disability's staff did attend our IRTA conference at USU. Enter Use of Result
AccessSuccessful Opening of the Library Testing Center with 86 Stations and Testing Hours Open on Sunday.We plan to advertise the center in the Signpost, particularly the availability of Sunday testing. We also plan to reach out to faculty through Chi Tester email. NAThe usage numbers on Sundays will be the main measurement of whether we made the right decision to be open the extra day. The overall numbers for the Library Testing Center will also be a measurement factor on the use of space and staff.So far, the Library Testing Center is off to a strong start. We have had enthusiasm from deans and faculty about Sundays hours, especially from Health Professions. Sundays are strong, but Saturdays are still fairly weak. The center has only been completely filled twice as of January 2018. Our poster advertising before finals made a difference. Enter Use of Result
DiversityOutreach to ESL/LEAP to Deal with Language and Cultural Challenges with ESL Students Including the Fact that Testing Centers Can Be New and Frightening.Alex Brown met with LEAP/ESL Dept Chair Debi Sheridan in July 2017. Testing representatives will meet with LEAP faculty at the first faculty meeting in September. The goal is to implement procedures that can make ESL students' Testing Center visits more fruitful and less confusing. We want to implement online resources for that population, work with faculty about training them to use the Testing Center and what to ask for, syllabus blurbs, Testing Center tours, and training for those students early in a semester. ESL students will learn to negotiate the policies and procedures of all testing centers, setting them at ease. This is the population that struggles the most with Testing Services, often leaving the testing center without knowing what they were even asking for, that they should have their identification, or the name of their instructor. Assessment will have to come from future meetings with ESL/LEAP faculty to find out if the extra effort has alleviated some of the angst associated with testing center visits. We can also watch for anecdotal evidence from testing center staff and proctors. Asa of January 2018, LEAP faculty voice their support. We have had approximately three meetings with the faculty. NO measurable results at this point. Enter Use of Result
DiversityThe Hiring of Spanish-Speaking Proctors to be On-Staff at All Centers on the Ogden Campus at All Times. Preference given to Spanish-Speaking applicants in the proctor hiring process. Recruitment may have to happen. The goal is to aid Spanish speaking students who are confused when they come to the counter and could be better aided by a fluent Spanish speaker. Spanish-speaking students who have a spoken-language barrier would find better aid at the Testing counter. This would help their apprehension at coming to a Testing Center and also ensure that communication issues do not get in the way of their performance on an exam. I will create a statistic on what percentage of workday hours at Testing have a Spanish-speaker on duty. The goal will be to have 100% of the hours covered. As of January 2018, we are hovering around 78% of the time having a Spanish-speaker available. Already we have seen anecdotal dividends from this, such as aid with phone calls and directions for confused students. Enter Use of Result