Assessment: A strategic key to improve compliance, decision making, and outcomes

© Wonderlic 2015

Agenda:• 3:00 – 3:05– Introduction

• 3:05 – 3:35– Amanda Opperman, Wonderlic

• 3:35 – 4:05–Dana Van Laeys, NCCT

• 4:05 – 4:15–Q & A

• Assessment is crucial to every stage of the student life cycle, from admissions to certification and job placement.

• Today, we will show how your institutional leaders, educators, administrative staff, and students can better utilize the assessment processes that are already in place on your campuses. 

Introduction:

• Today, we will cover:(1) Cognitive and non-cognitive measures for admissions (including Ability-to-Benefit testing);(2) Micro-credentials and digital badges for job placement;(3) Roles and value of certification, including Meaningful Use incentives for electronic healthcare records, regulations affecting scope of practice, recognition by employers, utility as an outcome measure, and more.

Introduction:

• Attendees can expect to leave the session with a greater understanding of how student assessment and graduate certification can do much more than just satisfy regulatory requirements by helping improve organizational and student outcomes, including job placement and loan repayment.

Introduction:

Nice to meet you!

Amanda Opperman, PhD ABDSenior Institutional Effectiveness Specialist, Wonderlic Amanda is a veteran higher education professional, with vast experience in and out of the classroom. Having held both faculty and administrative positions, Amanda most recently served as Assistant Dean for California University of Management and Sciences. She is currently finishing her dissertation toward a Ph.D. in Education.

• Incorporating basic skills assessment into the admissions exam:– Reading– Writing– Math

• Why measure basic skills? – Basic skills can be remediated– Knowledge of basic skills can help

instructors and student services– Measuring basic skills can help your

institution be more flexible in the admissions process

Trend in admissions assessment #1:

• Cognitive and non-cognitive measures• Why?– Cognitive ability is THE greatest

predictor of academic success, retention, and completion. (Also correlated to loan default!)

– Measuring non-cognitive ability allows your institution more FLEXIBILITY in the admissions process• Borderline cognitive ability + high non-

cognitive ability = ADMIT– Non-cognitive factors provide a platform

for INTERVENTION through holistic advising and student services

Trend in admissions assessment #2:

• Ability-to-Benefit:– Requires use of a Department of

Education-approved ATB test– Requires students to be enrolled in a

CAREER PATHWAY program• Did you know you can correlate cognitive ability to O-Net job descriptions?!

Trend in admissions assessment #3:

Note: the US Dept. of Ed. is hosting an ATB-

info webinar on Nov. 9

• With the right admissions assessment bundle, you can improve the following student outcomes:– Student retention– Student completion– Student achievement of learning

objectives– Job placement– Loan repayment

Admissions assessment & outcomes:

“CLIC

K!”

Digital Badges = Microcredentials for job placement:

Digital badge dashboard:

“CLIC

K!”

Digital badge descriptions:

Digital badges and assessment• Digital badges are only as good as the

assessments that award them:– Developed with the collaboration of

employers, educators, accrediting bodies, and programmatic boards

– Interactive, scenario-based assessments that test your students’ applied knowledge of competencies

– Competency-based application of knowledge» Questions that reflect real job activities» Innovative ways to measure

competencies

• Companies no longer consider grades in evaluation of prospects:– Ernst & Young Ditches Grades in Evaluating Potential Hires:

Internal study of over 400 graduates. No evidence that high university-level grades means a candidate will go on to achieve great things later on in life; Research suggested “that there are positive correlations between certain strengths and success in future professional qualifications”

– Ryan Craig, Managing Director of University Ventures: “Bridging the skills gap is not work that employers are prepared to do. And so the supposed skills gap is a byproduct of a trust gap. How can we get employers to trust new hires and engage in training and skill building?”

– Jim Nelson, VP of Illinois Manufacturers’ Association: “An academic certificate means nothing to me. I want an industry-recognized credential that proves what the graduate can DO.”

Skills gap or communication gap?

Bridging the communication gap:

Bridging the communication gap:

Students value career readiness:

Digital badges & outcomes:

• With the right digital badges, you can improve the following institutional outcomes:– Student retention– Student completion– Student achievement of learning

objectives– Job placement– Employer satisfaction

S t r e t c h!

Certification: A strategic key to helping

students transition to professionalsDana L. Van Laeys, MEd, MLS(ASCP)MBCM, CLSp(MB)

Vice President, Education DevelopmentNational Center for Competency Testing

Certification Defined

“Certification is a process, often voluntary, by which individuals who have demonstrated the level of knowledge and skill required in a profession, occupation, role, or skill are identified to the public and other stakeholders (ICE, 2007).” pg. 2

Institute for Credentialing Excellence A Look at the Value of Professional Certification

May 2012James Henderson, PhDMelissa Biel, DPA, RNLucinda Harman, PhD

John Wickett, PhDPatricia Young, MA

Certification Primary Stakeholders• Consumers (patients, clients)– Public safety (competent providers of services)

• Employers– Tend to favor certified over noncertified with

equal factors• Third-party payers• Certificants and their Professions

ICE- A Look at the Value of Professional Certification, 2012, p. 2, 4-5

Why Certify? • Public Safety• Gainful Employment– Job placement– Loan repayment

• Roles and Value of Certification– Promote professionalism– Satisfy regulatory requirements– Utility as outcome measure– Recognition by employers

Incentives for Electronic Healthcare Records

• Meaningful Use– Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE)

Meaningful Use• “Any licensed healthcare professionals and

credentialed medical assistants can enter orders into the medical record for purposes of including the order in the numerator for the objective of CPOE* if they can originate the order per state, local and professional guidelines. Credentialing for a medical assistant must come from an organization other than the organization employing the medical assistant.”

Excerpt from: Stage 2, Eligible Professional, Meaningful Use Core Measures, Measure 1 of 17. October, 2012. CMS Electronic Health Records Incentive Program. Pg. 3https://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Legislation/EHRIncentivePrograms/downloads/Stage2_EPCore_1_CPOE_MedicationOrders.pdf *Computerized Provider Order Entry

Regulations and Scope of Practice• California– NCPT certification exam has been approved for

phlebotomist use in seeking California state certification as a CPT1 practitioner.

• New Jersey– In order for MA’s to qualify to perform injections, they

must meet the educational specs and be certified by a named certifier.

• Washington– MA’s are required to be certified by a named certifier

to work in the state (MA-C) in addition to educational requirements.

Scope of Practice• Surgical Technologists that work in hospitals in

some states– Hospitals require to show continued competency

requirements (Joint Commission, etc.) • New York State- legislation governing Surg

Tech job entry– Hold and maintain a credential from a nationally

accredited surgical technologist credentialing organization

Value of Certification: Encouragement to take the next step

• Certification can lead to: – Higher earning potential • Certified Safety Professionals (CSPs) enjoy higher pay than

uncertified colleagues– 26.4% higher yearly salary on average(American Society of Engineers, 2004, p. 26-27)

– Marketablility- Employer Recognition• Can make certificant a more desirable candidate for a job• Opportunity for advancement

ICE- A Look at the Value of Professional Certification, 2012, p. 4

Value of Certification

• Motivator to stay in school– Incentive to finish and certify– Advantage to employment

Image from: http://www.funnypart.com/funny/failing-your-math-test.shtml

Certifying Body SelectionWhat to look for in a certifying body:

• Cost– Affordability for test candidates and schools– Other fees- rescheduling and no-show– Fees based on membership /association bias (i.e.

AAMA, etc.)• Convenience- Testing Location– on-site vs. nearest test site

• Quality- NCCA Accreditation– Are the certification programs accredited by NCCA

Certifying Body SelectionWhat to look for in a certifying body:

• Accreditation Limitations– Programmatic- e.g. ABHES, CAAHEP, or other

accreditation required?– Institutional- e.g. ACCET, ACICS, or others?

• Other Approval– State

• Work Force Development• Secondary Career Technical Education (CTE)

– Other Recognized/Programmatic Accreditor• NAACLS

Certifying Body SelectionWhat to look for in a certifying body:

• Preparatory Materials– Detailed Test Plan free of charge– Practice Tests– Review System

• Customer Service

Certifying BodyOutcome Measures

• Exam Scores Recognized and Accepted as Outcome Measures– e.g. ABHES, CAAHEP

Recognition

National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) Accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) of the Institute of Credentialing Excellence (ICE)

– Approved for use as an outcome measure by the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB) of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES)

Recognition

National Certified Phlebotomy Technician (NCPT) Accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) of the Institute of Credentialing Excellence (ICE)

– First exam approved for use in licensing phlebotomists (CPT1 category) in the state of California

– Approved certification provider in state of Georgia for phlebotomists who perform Point of Care testing as part of their role

Recognition

Tech in Surgery-Certified (TS-C) Accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) of the Institute of Credentialing Excellence (ICE)

– Has demonstrated its ability to meet the same robust NCCA Standards as any other surgical technologist certification program in the United States with the same accreditation

Image from: http://www.dreamcreatesucceed.org/technology-education-humor/

Certification Maintenance• Continuing Education– Key to staying current with the changing face of

each profession– The recertification process • demonstrates the reinforcement and expansion of

knowledge and skills • provides recognition to individuals who participate in

ongoing professional development• satisfies regulatory requirements

– JC, COLA, CAP, employer standards for CE, etc.