The ATC Coordinator acts as the NOCTI liaison to carry out the needed services for the Area Test Center. Specific responsibilities are described below and include:
Oversee Test Administration
As the ATC Coordinator, you are responsible for the overall assessment program at the site and serve as the liaison between the center's administration, proctors/evaluators, participants, and NOCTI.
Order Test Materials
The ATC Coordinator is in charge of ordering all assessment materials and supplies.
Maintain Security
Maintaining security is a critical piece of the assessment program. All assessment materials received must be accounted for and be kept in a secure location until the assessment session. Further details about security are described in the NOCTI Security Policy available on the Client Services Center in the Resources section.
Select and Train Proctors and Evaluators
Knowledge-based Assessment - Proctors selected for the knowledge-based test administration need not be skilled in a particular technical area, but should be:
- Knowledgeable regarding administration of objective-type assessments
- Detail-oriented and able to monitor groups of people
- Capable of speaking and reading directions clearly and audibly
Skill-based Assessment - Experience has shown that training evaluators with proper focus on the items to be evaluated and rating scales can produce agreement among different evaluators. A high degree of reliability between evaluations of the skill-based assessments has been proven when these conditions have been met. Third party individuals must be selected when identifying evaluators and may include the following individuals:
- Advisory committee members trained or working in the occupation being assessed
- Private contractors and local businesspersons working in the occupation being assessed
- Military personnel trained and working in the occupation being assessed
- Qualified staff working in the occupation being assessed (e.g., school nurse, maintenance staff)
Skill-based test evaluators should be experts in their fields and must be available for training and for the scheduled test session. Each evaluator should be:
- Knowledgeable in the particular occupation being assessed
- Qualified to evaluate each participant’s performance objectively
- Capable of setting up the necessary machines, equipment, and supplies according to directions provided
- Able to follow directions for conducting evaluations
- Experienced in the administration of skill-based assessments
Training Proctors and Evaluators - Training sessions for all individuals selected as proctors or evaluators should be scheduled well in advance of the assessment session. The purpose of the training session is to:
- Explain the purpose of the assessment program
- Review the schedule for administration
- Outline the duties of proctors and evaluators (review NOCTI Proctor Guides https://clientservices.nocti.org/resources/documents)
- Advise on the handling and disposition of testing materials
- Review the Evaluator Guide that accompanies the skill-based test materials for specific details on the administration of the assessment
Participant Ratio - For the Written (Knowledge-based) Assessment, experience has shown that one proctor can monitor up to 25 participants in one room. Participants should be arranged with sufficient space for security of the assessment. Written assessments for more than one area may be administered on the same date, at the same place and time, if feasible. The number of participants for online administration may be limited based on available computer stations. Online administration must be proctored and an onsite technical support person should be available for assistance.
For the skill-based assessment, the nature of performance evaluation limits the number of participants an evaluator can effectively observe. Experience has shown that, for most occupations, the number of participants that can be observed effectively by one evaluator is four to six. The ATC Coordinator should discuss the ratio with the evaluator(s) prior to the assessment session.
Factors to consider are complexity of the assessment, comfort level of the evaluator, size of facility, etc.
Approve Test Sites and Labs
The ATC Coordinator is responsible for approving administration sites and labs and for ensuring that the appropriate materials, equipment, and supplies are available.
Prepare for Score Processing
The ATC Coordinator is responsible for verifying that answer sheets (paper/pencil testing) are prepared completely and accurately for score processing before returning them to NOCTI. Incomplete or inaccurate information will cause score processing delays and may incur service fees for corrections.
When using the online system for performance assessments, the ATC Coordinator is responsible for ensuring the performance ratings are entered into the online system.
Once all online administrations, including performance ratings are completed, the ATC Coordinator must release the user codes for official score processing.
Distribute Score Information
The ATC Coordinator is responsible for the dissemination of participant scores and related materials (e.g., certificates).
Maintain Assessment Records
ATC Coordinators should maintain records of each assessment session. This may include a list of test participants, performance evaluation worksheets (if applicable), supplemental materials that were used during administration, and score reports.