Fall 2024 Quarterly Meeting – Join Us Friday, September 13th!

Kindly send in your RSVP by tomorrow, September 6th!

Joint Meeting of GED® Test Administrators and MCTA Members
Date: September 13, 2024
Time: 9-11:30 AM
Location: Anne Arundel Community College, CADE 207, 101 College Parkway Arnold, MD 21012

(This meeting will be in hybrid format: in-person and Zoom!)

Join us for an informative and collaborative meeting focused on the latest updates and best practices in GED® testing. We will have a special presentation from Pearson VUE’s Accommodations Manager, Debbie Bergtholdt. Following the presentation, the MCTA will conduct its quarterly business meeting.

Light refreshments served in the morning. An interest meeting for those desiring to learn about and being a part of the MCTA will be held during lunch.

RSVP by Friday, September 6th. Zoom links will be embedded in the agenda emailed to all who sent in RSVP.

Save the Date for our MCTA Fall Quarterly Meeting!

Joint Meeting of GED Test Administrators and MCTA Members

Date: September 13, 2024

Time: 9am-2:30pm

Location: Anne Arundel Community College, CADE 207 (Hybrid format: in-person and Zoom)

Join us for an informative and collaborative meeting focused on the latest updates and best practices in GED testing. We will have a special presentation from PearsonVUE’s Accommodations department. Following the presentation, Maryland College Testing Association (MCTA) will conduct its quarterly business meeting.

Light refreshments served in the morning. An interest meeting for those interested in learning about and being a part of the Maryland College Testing Association (MCTA) will be held during lunch.

More details, including RSVP form, Zoom links, and agenda, to follow.

MCTA members participate in inaugural Community of Practice meeting for GED Test Administrators

On June 7, 2024, members of the Maryland College Testing Association (MCTA) attended the inaugural Community of Practice meeting for GED® Test Administrators hosted by our partners at the Maryland Department of Labor. The meeting brought together test administrators from colleges and county correctional facilities, as well as representatives from GED Testing Services, LLC. and Pearson VUE for a day of professional development and networking. We received updates and solutions to pre-submitted inquiries, shared valuable strategies and best practices, and explored ways to bridge equity gaps so that we may advance the quality of our work to support adult learners.

Image Description: Member of the MCTA in attendance for the GED Test Administrators meeting stand in a line in front of large television screens for a group photo with a representative from the Maryland Department of Labor’s Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning.

Some members of the Maryland College Testing Association stand with members of the Department of Labor at the inaugural GED Test Administrators Community of Practice meeting.

Virtual Mini Conference

October 20, 2023

Intersection of Testing and Disabilities

Agenda

10:00 am Join Virtual Meeting
10:15 am Ice Breaker
10:30 am When They Come In Our Door: Customer Service Skills and Accessibility for All
11:15 am Let’s Talk Accommodations!
12:15 pm Break
12:30 pm Both/And NOT Either/Or
2:00 pm Student Panel
3:30 pm Closing

Session Descriptions

10:30am – When They Come In Our Door: Customer Service Skills and Accessibility for All
This presentation will cover how test center professionals can meet students where they are when they come into a test center, through a lens of disability awareness. We emphasize that it is not important to know a student’s diagnosis, but rather to focus on internal mindfulness and universal accessibility practices.
Presented by Howard Community College
Emily Drechsler, Disability Support Services Counselor and Virginia Licona, Assistive Technology and Accommodated Testing Specialist

11:15am – Let’s Talk Accommodations
Open Discussion/ Q&A: discussion of our testing center’s space, services, equipment, and/or space adaptations. Open discussion for testing center design supporting students with disabilities.
Presented by University of Kentucky
Lindsay Jansen, Accommodated Exam Coordinator, Manager Disability Resource Center and Helen Richardson, Assistant Exam Coordinator

12:30pm – Both/And, NOT Either/ Or
This conversation will center around individuals with disabilities in post-secondary education environment while taking a closer look at the intersections of ableism with other systems of oppression that create barriers for individuals with disabilities in this setting. We will discuss how to move forward and move past the injustices through a better understanding of the historical and continual context, what we can do to support effective change, and how to advocate for the change individuals with disabilities deserve.
Presented by Anne Arundel Community College
Dana Kieran, Director of Disability Support Services

2pm – Student Panel Discussion
Students from local institutions answer questions about their experiences using testing center services. Students will talk about how they have been supported and offer considerations for improving services and engaging with others on campus to better connect with students with disabilities.

Hosted by Frederick Community College

Upcoming MCTA Meetings

The MCTA virtual mini conference will be held on October 20, 2023. The meeting will be hosted by Alesha Rosen, MCTA President.

Call for Presentations – this is a form to share with your team or colleagues who may want to present on topics related to this year’s theme. Perhaps sharing with your institution’s disability office, DEI, or professional development area to solicit ready-made presentations that they would want to widely share with testing professionals across the state.

 MCTA Officers Bios

President –Alesha Rosen  

Alesha serves as the  Director of Testing Center Services at Frederick Community College as well as an adjunct instructor in Adult Education. She is an active member for about 8 years and would love to see this organization thrive. She is determined to create the right conditions to make things happen with the help of an enthusiastic Executive Board.

Vice President – Marilu Garcia-Yellin

Marilu serves as the Associate Director of Testing at Howard Community College. Thank you for your nomination. She is an alumnus of Howard Community College and hold a Bachelors of English Literature from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Higher Education Administration. Her goal is to listen and support her testing administration peers through the challenges arising in higher education today.

Secretary – Natasha Williams

Natasha serves as the Director of Testing at Baltimore City Community College and her educational accolades include a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Science in Marketing as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Management and Political Science. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) with a focus in Executive Coaching. With over a decade of experience in the higher education field, she has developed a reputation as a dedicated and knowledgeable professional with a passion for accessibility, equity and inclusion, organizational development, student success, coaching and mentorship, professional development, advocating for underrepresented populations and addressing barriers individuals may experience in the institution. She brings a wealth of skills and knowledge to the role, including exceptional organizational and communication abilities, a keen eye for detail, and a strong commitment to moving the organization forward.

Treasurer – Kelly Fay

Kelly Fay is currently completing her 6th year as the Off Campus Testing Coordinator for Anne Arundel Community College. During this time, she has been a regular attendee and contributor to MCTA, and been active in committee service within the AACC Community. Her committee service has included leading the PSSO Employee Engagement Committee, Organizing the Student Leadership Conference, as well as serving on the Staff Compensation and Employee Grievance Policy drafting committee. In her free time Kelly founded, runs, and leads the executive board for a Nonprofit High School Girls Rugby Program. Skilled in organization, time management, and communication Kelly looks forward to seeing how she can assist MCTA if elected onto the executive board.

Technology Officer – Vacant

Welcome Back to the MCTA Website

Let’s jumpstart the MCTA to promote professional development, collaboration, and leadership.

New MCTA Officers – May 23, 2023

Please join us in congratulating our new MCTA Officers!  They will take on their new roles on July 1st.   Many thanks to these individuals for stepping up to usher MCTA into a new era!

President – Alesha Rosen, Frederick Community College

Vice President –  Marilu Garcia-Yellin, Howard Community College

Secretary – Natasha Williams, Baltimore City Community College

Treasurer – Kelly Fay, Anne Arundel Community College

Technology Officer – Jahmal McNair, Prince George’s Community College