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CDR’s Entry-Level Registration Examinations for Dietitians & Dietetic Technicians: Dietetics Practice Audit & Test Specification Development. DEP Area Meeting Presentation Spring 2011. Questions you may be asking…. Why a certification examination? What should be on the test?.
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CDR’s Entry-Level Registration Examinations for Dietitians & Dietetic Technicians: Dietetics Practice Audit & Test Specification Development DEP Area Meeting Presentation Spring 2011
Questions you may be asking… • Why a certification examination? • What should be on the test?
Questions you may be asking… • Why a certification examination? • What should be on the test, anyway?
First Step……………. Practice Analysis, Practice Audit, Job Analysis
What is a Dietetics Practice Audit (DPA)? • Quantitative measure of what dietitians and dietetic technicians actually do in practice • Comparisons of those measures with previous practice audits
What is a Dietetics Practice Audit (DPA)? • Identification of distinctions between entry-level RD and DTR practice • Empirically investigate adequacy of “entry-level” operationally defined in the past as the first three years following registration
Dietetics Practice AuditSample Size and Response Rate Sample Response RD 4,285 74% DTR 855 69%
The Audit Questionnaire - RD 166 Activity Statements Ways Involved Frequency Risk 7 Demographic Questions
The Audit Questionnaire - DTR 142 Activity Statements Ways Involved Frequency Risk 7 Demographic Questions
Application & Implementation of the Dietetics Practice Audit Results
Computer Weightings • ACT psychomatricians combined the two scales of data: Frequency & Risk • Result is: Ordinal Data
Scale Values RiskFrequency High = 5 Daily = 4 Moderate = 3, 4 Weekly = 3 Low = 1, 2 Monthly = 2 Less = 1 Risk is more important than Frequency
Risk, Frequency Recoding Scale Risk Frequency Rank
Procedure • The Ordinal Data were evaluated using a test specification development software package • Each task was assigned a specific weight
Test Specification Development Meeting February 2011 Test Specification Update Panel including Employers of Entry-Level RDs/DTRs met to evaluate data presented by ACT.
Registration Examination For Dietitians Test Specifications – effective January 1, 2012
Sub-Score Comparison for the Registration Examination for Dietitians for 2007 and 2012
Registration Examination For Dietetic Technicians Test Specifications effective January 1, 2012
Sub-Score Comparison for the Registration Examination for Dietetic Technicians 2007 and 2012
Reclassification • Current items are re- classified according to the new domain/topic • Topic areas that need additional questions to fulfill the new content outline are identified • Item writer assignments are made
Next Steps Study Guides (September 2011) www.cdrnet.org Journal Article to be Published June 2011
Future CDR Sponsored Webinars • Test Specifications – The Development Process • Passing Score Studies – How the Process Works • Exam Candidate Eligibility and the Testing Experience • Examination Candidate Scores Reports • Registration Examination 5-Year Summary Reports: How to Use Data and Track Trends and Evaluate Program Success
Item Writer Volunteers Needed • Access the form on CDR’s web site and make a copy http://www.cdrnet.org/PDFs/itemwritingvolunteerform.pdf • Fill it out and mail it to: Kay Manger-Hague at CDR, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, 60606-6995 • Or fax it to 312/899-4772 to Kay’s attention