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Faculty Newsletter: First Quarter 2021

In this issue:

    Testing Windows for April and July NPTE Administrations

    Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, FSBPT will continue to add testing windows to the scheduled NPTE fixed-date administrations in April and July. Some Prometric sites will continue to operate at reduced capacity and some test centers may not be open depending on the status of the outbreak in different locations. In order to help candidates who are unable to find a seat on the fixed dates, FSBPT will add two-week windows to all administrations through July. 

    • April PT and PTA candidates received an updated Authorization to Test (ATT) letter, including the testing window, the week of January 18. 
    • Registration for the July PT and PTA will be open soon.
    • FSBPT will make a determination on the October exam administrations in the coming months.

     

    FSBPT will continue to post up-to-date information to the COVID-19 page on our website.

    2021 FSBPT Webinar Series

    The 2021 Webinar Series covers topics such as ethics, implicit bias, legal cases, and other important regulatory issues. Watch recent webinars and register for upcoming sessions on the FSBPT website. Additionally, we are accepting presentation ideas and proposals. If you have a topic of interest but you do not have suggested speakers or an official proposal, please share the topic with us. We welcome ideas!

    Candidate Resources

    In order to help students through the NPTE registration process, it can be useful to know what resources students have and what communication they receive.

    • The process can be complicated, which is why we have created a Journey Map to illustrate the registration process depending on a candidate’s school and the jurisdiction in which they intend to practice. This map shows the steps in the registration process, who does what, and has additional information available by clicking on the “?” icon.
    • We also developed the NPTE Candidate Handbook, an essential source of information for those individuals who are preparing to take the physical therapist or physical therapist assistant licensure exams. It provides all the information a candidate will need to successfully and easily register, sit for, and obtain results for the NPTE.
    • The customer dashboard provides candidates with the ability to register for an exam, purchase a PEAT, and do other useful tasks. When registering for the NPTE, students will also have an NPTE Registration Status widget on their dashboard that tells them where they are in the process and what remains to do. Click here to see an example of the NPTE Registration Status widget.
    • Lastly, on your school interface dashboard under “Resources,” there are PDFs with examples of the emails your students receive both after a cohort has been confirmed and after their graduation has been validated. In addition, students receive email reminders when deadlines are near if they haven’t paid for the exam or haven’t scheduled an appointment with Prometric.

     

    We hope you, and your students, find these resources helpful! If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact us at schools@fsbpt.org.

    This Quarter's Question: What do Schools Need to do to Comply with the Federal Regulations per 34 CFR 668.43(a)(5)(v) and (c)?

    The U.S. Department of Education implemented new regulations effective July 1, 2020, that entry-level PT and PTA programs that lead to professional licensure or certification must adhere to if they participate in Title IV HEA funding and if they are “designed to meet educational requirements for a specific professional license or certification that is required for employment in an occupation, or is advertised as meeting such requirements, information regarding whether completion of that program would be sufficient to meet licensure requirements in a State for that occupation.”

    This new regulation requires programs to provide the following:

    • A list of all States for which the institution has determined that its curriculum meets the State educational requirements for licensure or certification;
    • A list of all States for which the institution has determined that its curriculum does not meet the State educational requirements for licensure or certification; and
    • A list of all States for which the institution has not made a determination that its curriculum meets the State educational requirements for licensure or certification.

     

    FSBPT has licensure requirements for each jurisdiction in the FSBPT Licensure Reference Guide, including initial licensure requirements for graduates of CAPTE accredited programs.

    FSBPT also maintains a list of licensing boards' contact information. However, this list does not include American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, or Guam. This information is available on our website.

    What Students Need to Know: Rescoring Services

    Reporting accurate scores is essential to FSBPT's mission, and we spare no effort to ensure that the NPTE exam scores are processed and reported accurately every time. 

    FSBPT scores exam results independently in three different systems, and we compare these scores to verify that they are the same. Any mismatch in scores automatically triggers an additional review by an FSBPT employee. In addition, each examination record is reviewed for several other quality assurance indicators, such as high rates of omitted responses or a mismatch in candidate information. Only when we have confirmed the accuracy of the entire examination record do we release the score. 

    Because of these extensive quality control processes, FSBPT no longer offers any additional rescoring or score verification service.

    If candidates intend to test again, FSBPT has compiled some helpful resources to help them prepare. In particular, a Performance Feedback Report will give candidates in-depth information about their performance in each content area and section of the exam.

    Get Involved: Learn, Grow, Write—Be an NPTE Item Writer!

    Item writing for the NPTE is a great way to gain expertise in crafting multiple-choice questions, share your knowledge of the profession, work with and learn from colleagues, and have fun! FSBPT is currently holding Basic Item Writing Workshops virtually through WebEx due to COVID-19. Participants produce seven items during the workshop followed by an additional thirty-three items over three to four months following the workshop.

    The 2021 Basic Item Writing Workshops will be held

    • Friday, March 19–Sunday, March 21, 2021
    • Friday, May 14–Sunday, May 16, 2021
    • Friday, August 13–Sunday, August 15, 2021

     

    If you or someone you know would like to be a participant in an Item Writing Workshop, apply online or send an inquiry to volunteer@fsbpt.org.

    Useful Pages

    Visit the FSBPT website for information on a range of topics.

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    If you have questions, challenges or ideas, we want to hear from you!
    FSBPT (703) 299-3100 | FCCPT (703) 684-8406
    (Call FSBPT unless otherwise noted after name)

    Contact Person

    Title

    Topics

    William A. Hatherill

    Chief Executive Officer

    FSBPT Issues

    Susan Layton
    Rich Woolf

    Chief Operating Officer
    Chief Professional Officer

    General questions and feedback; research questions

    Lorin Mueller, PhD

    Managing Director of Assessment

    Psychometrics, test development and construction

    Christine Sousa

    Managing Director of Exam Services

    Exam administration issues, ADA

    Jamie Nolan, FCCPT

    Managing Director of the Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT)

    Foreign educated graduates

    Rhonda Collins

    Administrative Assistant

    School reports: schoolreports@fsbpt.org

    Practice Exam and Assessment Tool (PEAT): peat@fsbpt.org

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