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- Côté Elected NBCE District I Director
- Grossman Named to NBCE Board
- Ouzts Re-elected NBCE President
- Craft Re-elected District II Director and NBCE Vice President
- Morin Re-elected NBCE Treasurer
- O’Connor Elected At-large Director to the NBCE Board
- Former Directors Receive Paul M. Tullio Award for Distinguished Service to the NBCE
- NBCE Seats Board and Elects Officers at Annual Meeting
- Horace Elliott to Retire from National Board of Chiropractic Examiners
- NBCE Hosts Student Leadeship Forum
- Founding Member of NBCE Passes Away
- Setting Cut Scores: How the NBCE Determines Passing Scores
Côté Elected NBCE District I Director
May 2013
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Greeley, Colo. — Daniel M. Côté, D.C., of Silverton, Oregon, was elected District I Director at the Annual Meeting of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) in San Francisco on May 3, 2013. District I covers the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Dr. Côté will serve a term of three years.
A graduate of Parker College of Chiropractic in 1995, Dr. Côté was appointed to the Oregon Board of Chiropractic Examiners in 2010. He was elected vice president of that board in 2011-2012, and president in 2013. Dr. Côté has previously participated in NBCE’s Part III and Part IV test committees and the committee that developed the Certified Chiropractic Clinical Assistant examination for the FCLB. He has also served as a chiropractic examiner for Part IV.
Grossman Named to NBCE Board
May 2013
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Greeley, Colo. — Farrel Grossman, D.C., of Charleston, South Carolina, was appointed by the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB) to serve on the board of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE). Dr. Grossman was elected vice president of the FCLB at its annual meeting on May 4, 2013, in San Francisco, California.
Dr. Grossman graduated from Sherman Chiropractic College in 1985. He was previously a member of the South Carolina Board of Chiropractic Examiners and served as vice chairman and chairman of that board. Dr. Grossman served two terms on the South Carolina Chiropractic Association (SCCA) Board of Directors and served as president of the association from 2007 to 2008.
In 2006 Dr. Grossman was awarded the Presidential Pillar by his colleagues in South Carolina. The SCCA awarded him Chiropractor of the Year in 2008 and Chiropractor of the Decade in 2010. He received the Distinguished Service award from Sherman College in 2008. Dr. Grossman was in private practice until 2008, at which time he dedicated his efforts to F.I.G. Consulting where he serves as President and C.E.O.
Ouzts Re-elected NBCE President
May 2013
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Greeley, Colo. -- At its May 2013 meeting, the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) Board of Directors re-elected Dr. Norman E. Ouzts, Jr., president. Dr. Ouzts previously served as president from 2012-2013 and as vice president of the NBCE from 2010-2012.
Norman Ouzts, Jr., D.C., of Greenwood, S.C., also currently serves as District V director, with his current three-year term beginning in 2012. He was first elected as a district director in 2006. District V includes the states of Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida and Puerto Rico.
Dr. Ouzts is a member of the South Carolina Chiropractic Association Board of Directors, serving as president from 2005 to 2006. That association awarded him a Distinguished Service Award in 2003, a Presidential Pillar of Strength Award in 2005, named him Chiropractor of the Year in 2006, awarded him the President’s Cup in 2008, 2010, and 2011, and named him Chiropractor of the Decade in 2010. In 2006, Dr. Ouzts was recognized by the South Carolina Senate for his service to the chiropractic profession; and in 2010, he was commissioned a Palmetto Patriot by the South Carolina Lieutenant Governor.
A graduate of Life University in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Ouzts has been in practice in Greenwood since 1992. Dr. Ouzts formerly served as District V Director of the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards. During his two terms of service on the South Carolina Board of Chiropractic Examiners, he served as vice chair from 2002 to 2004 and as chair from 2004 to 2006.
Craft Re-elected District II Director and NBCE Vice President
May 2013
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Greeley, Colo.—Donna L. Craft, D.C., of Brooklyn, Mich., was re-elected District II Director by delegates at the annual meeting of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) in San Francisco on May 3, 2013; this position carries a three-year term. Dr. Craft was first elected to the NBCE Board in 2004 when she was elected At-large Director. In 2007 she was elected (and re-elected in 2010) as District II Director, which includes the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Later, after seating new board members at the first meeting of the 2013 board, Dr. Craft was elected to serve as vice president, a position she has held since 2012. Dr. Craft formerly served as secretary of the NBCE Board in 2005-2006 and treasurer in 2010-2011.
A graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic, Dr. Craft served on the Michigan Board of Chiropractic for eight years; she served as chairperson from 2001-2003. She is a member of the American Chiropractic Association, the Palmer College of Chiropractic Alumni Association, Florida Chiropractic Association, and Ohio Chiropractic Association. Dr. Craft was awarded a Diplomate in Chiropractic Pediatrics from Palmer College of Chiropractic and the International Chiropractic Association in 1996. She is a founding member of the International Chiropractors Association Council on Chiropractic Pediatrics. In 2002, Dr. Craft was named Michigan Chiropractor of the Year by the Michigan Chiropractic Society.
Dr. Craft recently headed the transition of the NBCE’s Ethics and Boundaries Examination from a multiple-choice format to an essay type exam.
Morin Re-elected NBCE Treasurer
May 2013
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Greeley, Colo.—Paul N. Morin, D.C., of Auburn, Maine, who is currently serving his second term as NBCE District III Director, was re-elected as Treasurer, and a member of NBCE’s Executive Committee.
Dr. Morin received his B.S. from Bates College in 1981 and attended Palmer College of Chiropractic, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1984. He has been in chiropractic practice in Maine since 1984. In 1996, Dr. Morin was appointed by Maine’s Governor to serve as a member of Maine’s Chiropractic Licensing Board. He received the Maine Chiropractic Association’s Legislative Award in 1999, the President’s Award in 2000, and he was named Chiropractor of the Year in 2009.
O’Connor Elected At-large Director to the NBCE Board
May 2013
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Greeley, Colo.--Lawrence O’Connor, D.C., of Westwood, New Jersey, was elected as an at-large director to the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) at their annual meeting in San Francisco, California, on May 4, 2013. Dr. O’Connor will serve a two-year term.
Dr. O’Connor is a graduate of Sherman College of Chiropractic. He began his service to the NBCE board in 2009 when he was appointed as a representative to the NBCE Board of Directors by the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB). Dr. O’Connor is immediate past president of the FCLB and the New Jersey Board of Chiropractic Examiners. He currently serves as the New Jersey representative to the U.S. Presidential Business Committee. Dr. O’Connor was named United States Congressional Physician of the Year in New Jersey in 2002 and 2003.
Former Directors Receive Paul M. Tullio Award for Distinguished Service to the NBCE
May 2013
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Greeley, Colo.— Dr. Richard Vincent and Dr. Titus Plomaritis were presented with the Paul M. Tullio Award for Distinguished Service to the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) at the NBCE Annual Business Meeting and Delegates Luncheon in San Francisco on May 3, 2013. This year’s award honored two former directors who were instrumental in assuring NBCE’s current and future accountability. In presenting the award, NBCE President Dr. Norman Ouzts congratulated Drs. Vincent and Plomaritis saying, “Truly these gentlemen are legendary leaders in chiropractic and in the history of the NBCE and we are proud to honor them today.”
The Tullio Award memorializes a leader in chiropractic, whose contributions in testing, licensing and legislative issues have benefitted the profession. Dr. Tullio, who passed away in 2000, demonstrated a passionate commitment to financial and organizational stability that helped the NBCE achieve its reputation as the premier testing organization for chiropractic. He was a devoted board member who clearly saw the need for setting aside a percentage of revenues to shield the organization from fluctuations in the economy and in chiropractic college student enrollments.
Dr. Richard Vincent came to the NBCE as an FCLB-appointed director in 1973 and served a two-year term. In 1976, he was elected as District III Director and served in that role until 1982. Dr. Vincent was part of the board that made a pivotal decision to move the NBCE offices from Cheyenne, Wyoming, to Greeley, Colorado, to afford easier access to psychometricians and statisticians at the University of Northern Colorado.
For the last three years of his term, Dr. Vincent served as president of the board. During his term as
president, the National Board, based on an initiative from Dr. Paul Tullio, voted to restrict five percent of revenues in a reserve fund to be used only with full board approval and a further three percent fund to be established for legal actions. These initiatives proved to be visionary and financially stabilizing, and continue today.
Dr. Titus Plomaritis was also honored for his distinguished service to the NBCE. He served 18 years on
the board (1982-2000), first serving as District III Director. In 1988, he was elected as an At-Large Director where he served until 2000. Dr. Plomaritis was president of the NBCE from 1986-1992. During the time of Dr. Plomaritis’ presidency, many noteworthy goals were accomplished: land was
purchased and a new office facility constructed in Greeley, and NBCE administered its exams for the first time internationally. Most importantly, during Dr. Plomaritis’ tenure, Part III was introduced in the fall of 1987 to replace the written portions of states’ licensing exams. Additional plans were initiated to develop chiropractic’s first practical exam. The Part IV practical exam was first administered in 1996.
Horace Elliott, NBCE Executive Vice President; Dr. Richard Vincent; Dr. Titus Plomaritis;
Dr. Norman Ouzts, Jr., NBCE President
NBCE Seats Board and Elects Officers at Annual Meeting
May 2013
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Greeley, Co.--The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) held its annual meeting on April 29 to May 3, 2013, in San Francisco, California.
At the annual meeting, which took place on Friday, May 3, two minor changes were made to bylaws that enable board members to hold meetings by electronic meeting systems and to enable the board to communicate with state boards electronically. State delegates elected Dr. Daniel Côteˊ of Oregon as District I Director, replacing Dr. Robin Lecy from South Dakota, who did not run for re-election. Dr. Donna Craft of Michigan was re-elected as District II Director, a position she has held since 2007. All district directors serve three-year terms.
Three remaining district directors will continue their terms on the NBCE board. They are Dr. Paul Morin (Maine) in District III, Dr. Ronald Tripp, Jr. (Oklahoma) in District IV, and Dr. Norman Ouzts, Jr. (South Carolina) in District V.
The board also has four at-large positions: Dr. Salvatore D. LaRusso (Florida) was re-elected and Dr.
Lawrence O’Connor (New Jersey) was elected as an at-large director. Dr. LaRusso and Dr. O'Connor will each will serve two-year terms. Dr. Daniel Saint-Germain (Quebec) and Dr. Steven Conway (Wisconsin), who were elected in 2012, will continue their terms.
Two positions are filled by the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards. This year, they appointed FCLB President Dr. LeRoy Otto (Minnesota) and FCLB Vice President Dr. Farrel Grossman (South Carolina) to serve on the NBCE board.
Once the 11-member board was complete, officers were chosen: Dr. Norman E. Ouzts, Jr., was re-elected president of the board, Dr. Donna L. Craft was re-elected vice president, Dr. Steven Conway was elected secretary, and Dr. Paul N. Morin was re-elected treasurer. The four officers will make up the Executive Committee of the NBCE.
Headquartered in Greeley, Colo., the NBCE is the international testing organization for the chiropractic profession. Established in 1963, the NBCE develops, administers and scores legally defensible, standardized written and practical examinations for candidates seeking chiropractic licensure throughout the United States and in many foreign countries.
Horace Elliott to Retire from the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners
February 2013
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Greeley, Colo.— After serving 27 years as Executive Vice President of the NBCE, Horace C. Elliott has announced that he will retire effective February 28, 2014. The early announcement is timed to provide the NBCE board ample time to conduct a national search to fill the position and to ensure organizational stability during a transition.
The board has selected Summit Search Solutions to conduct a nationwide search to fill Elliott’s position. Summit is a national search firm, specializing in placements in the educational and non-profit sectors. For more information about position requirements or to make nominations, please contact Stephanie Fowler at sfowler@summitsearchsolutions.com or by phone at 530-677-9945.
Horace Elliott joined the NBCE in 1986. During his tenure and with guidance from strong boards of directors, the NBCE enjoyed considerable growth. Among his many accomplishments as NBCE Executive Vice President, Elliott says he is "extremely proud of the great team of staff and management assembled over the years at the NBCE. With their expertise and dedicated board support, we have been able to carry out board initiatives in an environment of financial stability.”
Speaking on behalf of the board of directors, NBCE President Dr. Norman Ouzts, Jr., praised Elliott, saying, “The NBCE’s high level of professionalism and integrity, now a well-respected trademark of the organization, are indicative of the leadership and dedication of Horace Elliott at the NBCE. Of course, we will miss Horace, but we respect his decision."
Elliott has been widely honored for his leadership in the chiropractic profession. In 2001 he was honored with the George Arvidson Award for Meritorious Service to Chiropractic Licensure from the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards. He is also the recipient of an honorary doctorate in humanities from Texas Chiropractic College and an honorary doctor of humane letters degree and fellowship in the American College of Chiropractic. Elliott was elected to the board of Academic Consortium for Complementary and Alternative Health Care in 2012. At the local level, Elliott serves on the board of directors of the Greeley Chamber of Commerce and the board of the Greeley Rotary Club.
The 77-year-old Elliott said that his retirement is part of his personal long-range plan. Along with Sue, his wife of 56 years, Elliott will return to Texas, where they can be near family and old friends.
Headquartered in Greeley, Colorado, and established in 1963, the NBCE is the international testing organization for the chiropractic profession. The NBCE develops, administers and scores standardized written and practical examinations for candidates seeking chiropractic licensure throughout the United States and in several foreign countries.
NBCE Hosts Student Leadership Forum
January 2013
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Greeley, Colo.--The tenth annual student leadership forum was held at the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) on January 18, 2013. This year’s group represented twelve student leaders, ten chiropractic colleges, four student organizations, and three continents.
The students were welcomed by NBCE President Dr. Norman E. Ouzts, Jr., who thanked them for their commitment to leadership within the chiropractic profession. Dr. Ouzts described his own path to leadership in the profession as well as described the benefits of a national exam. In introducing the agenda, Dr. Ouzts assured attendees that, “We hope to learn from you today and that you will learn from us. We ask only that you put aside preconceived notions about the NBCE. The day offers many opportunities to ask questions of NBCE senior management, and we hope you will take advantage of our willingness to share with you.”
As in past years, the students were introduced to the foundations of testing including the chiropractic practice analysis and the Delphi study; written exam development process and the importance of test committees; the design, development and scoring process for the Part IV practical exam; international activities; examinee services, security, exam administration, and test accommodations.
Dr. Lawrence J O’Connor, president of the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (and NBCE Director), also presented a short overview of the FCLB and its role in gathering and sharing information on regulatory matters.
The student leaders toured the NBCE facilities and observed all facets of operations including a demonstration of the computer answer sheet scanning process.
Attendees included:
American Black Chiropractic Association
- Jannise Nathaniel, National Representative, Cleveland Chiropractic College-Kansas City
- Kwame Jenkins, Eastern Region Representative, Life University
- Domonique Stewart, Central Region Representative, Logan College of Chiropractic
- Arthur Lewis, Western Region Representative, Southern California University of Health Sciences
Student American Chiropractic Association
- Baljinder Gill, National Vice-Chair, Palmer College of Chiropractic West
- Bryan Knipfer, National Legislative Chair, Northwestern Health Sciences University
- Lacey Ebert, National Legislative Vice-Chair, National University of Health Sciences
Student International Chiropractors Association
- Addison Bulosan, Life Chiropractic College West
- Sydne Pomin, Student Chapter President, Life Chiropractic College West
World Congress of Chiropractic Students
- Sharni Meyer, Vice President, Macquarie University
- Kate Kelly, Secretary, University of Johannesburg
- Dr. Ryan Garcia, Americas Regional Director, Southern California University of Health Sciences
Headquartered in Greeley, Colo., the NBCE is the international testing organization for the chiropractic profession. Established in 1963, the NBCE develops, administers and scores legally defensible, standardized written and practical examinations for candidates seeking chiropractic licensure throughout the United States and in many foreign countries.
Founding Member of the NBCE Passes Away
January 2013
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Greeley, Colo.—The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) has learned of the passing of one of its founding members, Dr. Robert I. Runnells, of Greeley, Colo. Dr. Runnells died at age 94 on January 2, 2013.
Dr. Runnells, who practiced chiropractic in Greeley until his retirement in 1986, proved to be an important link in the legacy of the NBCE. While serving as one of the 12 members of the Council of State Chiropractic Examining Boards, Dr. Runnells offered a motion that was the first step in creating the NBCE in 1963; * he later signed the original Articles of Incorporation. Subsequently, Dr. Runnells was elected to three terms (from 1964-1967) on the Board of the NBCE, serving as Vice President from 1965-1966.
Dr. Runnells’ service to the chiropractic profession included more than 20 years on the Colorado State Board of Chiropractic Examiners.
Headquartered in Greeley, Colo., the NBCE is now in its 50th year. The NBCE has become the international testing organization for the chiropractic profession. Established in 1963, the NBCE develops, administers and scores legally defensible, standardized written and practical examinations for candidates seeking chiropractic licensure throughout the United States and in many foreign countries.
Setting Cut Scores: How the NBCE Determines Passing Scores
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Introduction
In many professions, the fair and accurate assessment of a candidate seeking licensure holds significant importance for the public as well as for the candidate.
Providing exams that accurately identify those candidates who do or do not meet entry-level standards for safe and effective practice is the work of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE). The NBCE follows testing standards that were developed by the American Educational Research Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Council on Measurement in Education in determining the passing scores for their licensing exams. Our continual adherence to these professional testing standards has given us a strong record of success in this area.
Cut Scores (or Passing Scores)
The first step we use in determining the cut score is to gather a team of chiropractic experts. The experts then define what competent entry-level chiropractors should know and do in practice to effectively address patient health conditions and to protect the welfare of their patients. The cut score is based on these experts’ judgments. In essence the experts determine what minimum score is necessary to demonstrate adequate knowledge, skills and abilities required for entry-level practice. In the experts’ opinion those who score below the cut score are not qualified for practice and are more likely to make serious errors due to insufficient knowledge or skills. This standard setting requires a structured process with clear documentation; the NBCE uses a version of the most widely accepted process, known as the Angoff method.
In addition to setting the cut score, the NBCE prepares exams based on documented evidence of test validity and reliability to ensure the accurate measurement of a candidate’s knowledge, skills and ability.
Test Validity
Test validity means that a test score can be interpreted as an accurate evaluation of the knowledge, skills and abilities the test is designed to measure.
Test validity is critical for states to be able to base their licensure decisions on NBCE test results. The NBCE accumulates evidence of test validity in a variety of ways.
- Delphi studies, which are designed to reach consensus among multiple stakeholders, are conducted with chiropractic college instructors that validate the content of the written Part I & II examinations.
- Content experts review and document all test questions before they appear on NBCE exams.
- The NBCE Chiropractic Practice Analysis Survey provides the foundation for test validity for the Parts III & IV examinations. We link the content of these examinations to the knowledge and skills required for safe entry-level practice as revealed through this national survey.
What evidence does the NBCE have that Parts I and II test scores are valid indications of a person’s ability in the basic and clinical sciences? The evidence of test validity comes from several sources:
- First, the test outlines for Parts I and II are determined by the input of college faculty from each of the chiropractic colleges;
- Second, the questions that appear on the exams are written by instructors on the various campuses and are put in a standard format by the NBCE;
- Third, scores on the Parts I and II exams are highly correlated with course grades.
The validity of the Parts III and IV exams is directly related to how well scores in those exams measure a person’s knowledge, skills and abilities required for safe and effective practice. Evidence of the validity of the Part III and IV exams stems from several sources:
- First, the content of these exams is based upon an extensive study of chiropractors in practice (the Practice Analysis Survey). Several thousand chiropractors have completed an extensive survey indicating the conditions they see and the professional tasks they perform;
- Second, all of the test questions for the Parts III and IV are selected by licensed chiropractors;
- Third, the assessment of examinees in the Part IV exam is conducted by licensed chiropractors;
- Fourth, Parts III and IV scores are highly correlated with clinical grades.
Test Reliability
Credentialing examinations must also be reliable, meaning that they provide
a consistent measure on repeated administrations of the test. Many issues can influence reliability including too few questions to adequately address the knowledge, skills and abilities in the test domain; exams that are too difficult or too easy; inadequate overall exam length; and factors unique to performance testing, such as rater inconsistency, etc. In order to ensure that our exams fairly and accurately assess candidates’ knowledge, skills and abilities, the NBCE psychometrician performs a statistical analysis of the difficulty and relevance of each question. The relevance of right versus wrong answers is estimated. The statistical performance of each question is determined and documented over time so that if an item shows a significant change in difficulty and/or relevance, the question is retired. Finally, the NBCE psychometrician calculates the overall reliability for each examination.
Cut Scores Effect on State Boards
It has been the practice of the NBCE to set rigorous standards that meet or exceed state-legislated requirements for an acceptable level of achievement. The NBCE complies with Standard 14.17 of the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing developed by the American Educational Research Association, the American Psychological Association, and the National Council on Measurement in Education. Standard 14.17 states, “The level of performance required for passing a credentialing test should depend on the knowledge and skills necessary for acceptable performance in the occupation or profession and should not be adjusted to regulate the number or proportion of persons passing the test.”
As a result, state boards and the public should feel confident that examinees whose performance falls below the recommended cut scores (NBCE has standardized the cut score for each of its examinations at 375) are at higher risk of making serious errors due to a lack of knowledge or skills and should therefore be denied practice privileges.
Although individual state boards have the right to specify their own minimum passing scores on a licensing test, departure from the psychometrically sound and legally defensible standards established by the NBCE may result in an increase of false positive errors or false negative errors. In other words, decreasing the standard below 375 may result in more incompetent candidates being declared eligible for licensure; conversely, increasing the standard above 375 may result in the denial of licensure to candidates who in truth have competence to practice safely and effectively.
Summary
Consistent with what has been stated in this report, establishing appropriate and legally defensible cut scores, calculating reliability coefficients, and documenting evidence for the validity of examinations are complex and demanding procedures and processes. The NBCE is confident that our approaches and methods are thorough and appropriate to validly determine who is ready for practice.