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NBCE to Administer Additional Acupuncture Exam in September 2010 in Ohio

June 30, 2010

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Greeley, Colo.—The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) will conduct a special administration of the NBCE Acupuncture examination in Columbus, Ohio, on September 10, 2010. The deadline for application is July 6, 2010.

The September exam will be the third administration in Ohio; nearly three years ago, the State of Ohio approved use of acupuncture by chiropractors with 300 hours of acupuncture training and upon passing the NBCE acupuncture exam with a score of 375 or above. To accommodate this change, the NBCE administered an acupuncture exam in Ohio in September 2008 and in March 2009.

The NBCE acupuncture exam is designed for doctors of chiropractic who use acupuncture as an adjunct to their chiropractic practice in states where acupuncture is a part of their scope of practice. NBCE eligibility guidelines include a requirement that the examinee has received 100+ hours of postgraduate study in meridian style (versus traditional Chinese style) acupuncture.

For more information, visit the NBCE Web site at www.nbce.org.

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Part IV Test Committee Selects Exams

June 28, 2010

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Part IV test committee members gathered on June 11-12, 2010, at the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners headquarters in Greeley, Colo.

NBCE Executive Vice President Horace Elliott welcomed the test committee members to Greeley. “Here we honor longevity and commitment. It is very good to see familiar faces.It’s also nice to see the new faces for some fresh input.”

NBCE Director-at-Large and Part IV Liaison Dr. Salvatore LaRusso shared how vital it is to have their participation. “It’s important to have input from you and the states. It makes these exams as top notch as they are.”

Twenty two participants from across the United States were named by their state boards to review patient case scenarios and select case-related questions for the Part IV Practical Examination to be administered in November 2010 and May 2011. Part IV assesses clinical skills in diagnostic imaging, chiropractic technique and case management for applicants seeking state licensure.

The NBCE Part IV Examination was administered for the first time in January 1996 and has been administered to more than 47,000 doctors. Part IV is presently accepted by 49 states and the District of Columbia for initial licensure in chiropractic.

Part IV attendees were:

Part IV

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Vernon Temple Concludes Term as President of the NBCE

June 10, 2010

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Greeley, Colo.—On April 30, Dr. Vernon R. Temple concluded his term as NBCE president, a position he has held since 2006.  Term limits  allow a president to serve up to four years.

Dr. Temple was first elected to serve the National Board as District III Director in the year 2000. During his tenure, Dr. Temple also served on the NBCE Executive Committee as secretary and vice president. He was elected as president of the board in 2007 and continued in that role until May 2010. 

During his time as NBCE president, Dr. Temple played an instrumental role in forging an agreement between the NBCE and the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB) to provide future funding for the FCLB.  In addition, Dr. Temple was resolute in his pursuit of board governance, transparency in board finances and communication, as well as working with other chiropractic associations towards unity of the profession.  At the annual meeting of delegates, Dr. Temple stated how proud he was to have had the opportunity to serve the NBCE, the state licensing boards and the profession at large. Dr. Temple thanked everyone for their unwavering support of the NBCE.  In expressing gratitude to Dr. Temple, NBCE President Dr. Theodore Scott said, “The entire board joins me in honoring the time, strength and dedication to service exemplified by Dr. Temple; we sincerely wish him the very best in his future endeavors.“

Dr. Temple is a graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, and has been in practice in Vermont since 1978.  He is a diplomate of the American Board of Chiropractic Orthopedists. He is a former chairman of the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards and has also served as president of the Vermont Board of Chiropractic Examination and Regulation.  Dr. Temple and his wife, Shelley, continue to reside in Saxtons River, and Dr. Temple will continue to practice in Bellows Falls, Vermont.  

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NBCE to Dedicate New Building on November 5, 2010

June 9, 2010

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Plans have been finalized to dedicate the new building on the campus of the NBCE on
Friday, November 5, 2010. An announcement was made earlier that the dedication would take place in August; however, after reviewing travel schedules and budgets, it was determined that a change to the November date would be necessary.

Building of the 15,000 square foot facility began on October 5th, 2009. In April 2010, the NBCE Board of Directors voted to name the new facility the Horace C. Elliott Center, after NBCE’s Executive Vice President, Horace C. Elliott. The new conference facility will primarily be used for test committee meetings and exam production and other meeting functions; it will contain state of the art meeting, sound and teleconferencing technology. It will also contain a business center for guests to check e-mail, print boarding passes and complete other tasks as needed. The building will be mostly utilized by the NBCE for its many test committee meetings, for secure storage and additional future offices.

The NBCE is hoping for a good turnout at the November 5 dedication and is therefore asking you to mark this date on your calendar.

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Former NBCE Board Members Receive Paul M. Tullio Award for Dedicated Service to the NBCE

May 7, 2010

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David Brown, D.C., of Charlottesville, Virginia, and Wayne Wolfson, D.C., of Winter Park, Florida were presented with the Paul M. Tullio Award for Dedicated Service to the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) by President Dr. Vernon Temple on April 30. The awards were presented at the NBCE Annual Business Meeting and Delegates Luncheon in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Tullio Award memorializes a leader in chiropractic, especially for contributions in testing, licensing and legislative issues for the benefit of the profession. Dr. Tullio, who passed away in 2000, demonstrated a passionate commitment to financial and organization stability that helped the NBCE achieve its reputation as the premier testing organization for chiropractic. Previous Tullio Awards have been presented to Dr. Frank Hideg and Dr. James Badge.

Dr. David Brown is a Doctor of Chiropractic, who earned his degree from Western States Chiropractic College in 1981. He has teaching experience from the University of Virginia Medical Center, Grand Rounds, Departments of Family Medicine, Neurology, Neurological Surgery, Orthopedics, Physical Medicine, Rheumatology and Student Health. He maintains his professional practice in Charlottesville, Virginia. Dr. Brown served on the Virginia Board of Medicine from 1989-1997 and served as FCLB’s Vice President from 1998-1999 and President from 2000-2001. He was on the board of the NBCE from 1998-2001.

Dr. Wayne Wolfson has spent his entire career devoted to chiropractic. He graduated from Palmer College in 1997. Dr. Wolfson is a Fellow of the American College of Chiropractic and the FCLB. He currently serves as Treasurer of the Florida Patient Safety Corporation and on the Board of Directors of NCMIC. Previously Dr. Wolfson served on the Florida Board of Chiropractic Medicine from 1993-2004 where he received the Distinguished Service Award in 2005 and 2007. He is a member of the Florida Chiropractic Association, and was named by the association as Chiropractor of the Year in 2002.

Dr. Wolfson was Vice President of the FCLB from 1999- 2001 and President from 2001-2003. He previously received their George Arvidson Award. He was on the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners Board of Directors from 1999-2005.

In presenting their awards, NBCE President Dr. Vernon Temple said, “Dr. Brown and Dr. Wolfson have dedicated years of service to chiropractic and significant contributions to licensing, regulation and specifically to the NBCE through their years of service.”

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David Brown, D.C., (center) receives the Tullio Award.

Wayne Wolfson, D.C., (center) receives the Tullio Award.

 

 

 

 

NBCE to Name New Meeting Facility After Horace Elliott

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May 6, 2010

The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) held its Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland where the board of directors voted to name the new NBCE meeting/office facility after long-time Executive Vice President Horace Elliott.

Since 1986, Horace Elliott has been the chief operating officer of the NBCE. In his duties as NBCE Executive Vice President, he is responsible for general and active supervision over exam administration, property, business, finances and other affairs of the corporation, as well as for the overall management of its full-time staff.

Mr. Elliott, a graduate of Lamar University, is also responsible for managing and executing the policies and goals of the corporation as established by an 11-member Board of Directors. During his time at the NBCE, Mr. Elliott has received two honorary doctorates, a Doctorate of Humanities from the Texas College of Chiropractic and a Doctorate of Human Letters from the American College of Chiropractors. He currently serves on the board of the Academic Consortium of Complementary and Alternative Health Care.

Prior to joining the NBCE, Mr. Elliott had 20 years of experience in progressively responsible administrative and executive management positions, including Manager of Communications and Scientific Affairs with the Bendix Corporation; Director of Administration with the Houston office of Price Waterhouse/Coopers, a national “big four” accounting firm; and Director of Administration at Susman, Godfrey and McGowan, a major Houston law firm.

In addition to his duties at the National Board, Mr. Elliott is actively involved in his community. He is a member of the Greeley/Weld Chamber of Commerce and was a Chamber representative to the City of Greeley Planning Commission for review of the City’s Comprehensive Plan. He is also a member of the Greeley Rotary International Club since 1986, and an active participant in the Rotary’s Silent Partners Program.

The nearly 15,000 square foot building is scheduled to be complete the end of May with a building dedication on August 6. The building will mainly serve as a meeting facility with state-of-the-art technology and audio visual equipment. It also holds space for storage and future staff offices.

Dr. N. Edwin Weathersby, Mr. Horace C. Elliott, and Dr. Vernon R. Temple.

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NBCE Seats Board and Elects Executive Committee at Annual Meeting

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May 5, 2010

The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) held its Annual Meeting on April 26-30, 2010, in Baltimore, Md., to seat new board members and to elect officers who make up the executive committee. Dr. Robin Lecy (SD) and Dr. Donna Craft (MI) were seated as District Directors for Districts I and II respectively. Dr. Salvatore LaRusso (FL) was elected and Dr. Richard Cole (TN) was re-elected to serve three-year terms as At-Large Directors. Dr. Daniel Saint Germain (Quebec) and Dr. Lawrence O’Connor (NJ) were seated as Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Board appointees. The Executive Committee was then chosen with Dr. Theodore Scott (UT) elected president of the
board; he also serves as District IV Director. Dr. Norman Ouzts, Jr. (SC) was elected vice-president;
he continues to serve as District V Director. Dr. Donna Craft (MI) was elected treasurer; she also
serves as District II Director. Dr. Paul Morin (ME) was elected secretary; he will continue to serve as
District III Director.

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LaRusso Elected to NBCE Board

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May 5, 2010

Salvatore D. LaRusso, D.C., of Wellington, Fla., was elected as an At-Large Director for a three-year term by the directors of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) at their annual meeting in Baltimore, Md., April 26-30, 2010. Dr. LaRusso previously served a one-year term on the NBCE board in 2008-2009.

Dr. LaRusso is a graduate of New York Chiropractic College and obtained his undergraduate degree in business administration from Seton Hall University. He has been active in many international, national, state and local organizations. In 1998, Dr. LaRusso was a gubernatorial appointee to the Florida Board of Chiropractic Medicine, serving as board chair in 2005, 2006 and 2007. From 2005 to present, he serves as chairman of the Florida Board’s Certified Chiropractic Physicians Assistant Committee. Dr. LaRusso is a long-standing member of both the Florida Chiropractic Association and the Florida Chiropractic Society (FCS) serving as president of the FCS from 1992-1993 and chairman from 1993-1997. The FCS named Dr. LaRusso Chiropractor of the Year in 1994, awarded him the Gavel Award in 1993 and honored him for Distinguished Service to the FCS in 1992.

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Craft Re-Elected as District I Director

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May 5, 2010

Donna L. Craft, D.C., of Brooklyn, Mich., was re-elected to a three-year term as District II Director of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) during the Annual Meeting on April 30, 2010 in Baltimore, Md. Dr. Craft has served the NBCE since 2004 when she was first elected Director-at-Large. District II includes the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Later, at the organizational meeting of the NBCE board, Dr. Craft was elected by acclamation to serve as NBCE Treasurer for a one-year period.

A graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic, Dr. Craft is a former Chairperson of the Michigan Board of Chiropractic for eight years, and is a member of the American Chiropractic Association, the Palmer College of Chiropractic Association, Florida Chiropractic Association, and Ohio Chiropractic Association. She is also 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.

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Lecy Re-Elected as District I Director

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May 5, 2010

Robin R. Lecy, D.C., of Rapid City, S.D., was re-elected to a three-year term as District I Director of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) during the organization’s Annual Meeting of State Delegates on April 30, 2010, in Baltimore, Md. The district includes the states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington and Wyoming.

Dr. Lecy is a 1979 graduate of Northwestern College of Chiropractic and is a private practitioner in Rapid City. He is past president of the South Dakota Board of Chiropractic Examiners. Dr. Lecy is nvolved in the American Chiropractic Association, the South Dakota Chiropractic Association and has served as President of the Black Hills Chiropractic Association. In 2007, Dr. Lecy was named Chiropractor of the Year by the South Dakota Board of Chiropractic Examiners.

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Part I and Acupuncture Test Committees Meet

Printable version (PDF file)

April 22, 2010

The Part I and Acupuncture test committee meetings were held on April 16-17, 2010 at the headquarters of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) in Greeley.

NBCE Executive Vice President Mr. Horace Elliott, NBCE President Dr. Vernon Temple and NBCE District Director Dr. Robin Lecy, welcomed the test committee members. Dr. Lecy and Mr. Elliott thanked the members for taking the time to be part of the selection committee.

Dr. Temple also thanked the members and said, “We don’t just have the best chiropractic exams, we have a gold standard in testing and you are the contributors to that. Thank you for your commitment.”

During the two-day meeting, the test committees selected items that they felt would best assess an examinee's knowledge.   

To ensure the fairness of the examinations, the test committees are composed of college instructors, subject matter experts and state licensing board members.  These individuals are selected based on their expert knowledge of the subject matter.

The NBCE examinations are offered twice yearly at chiropractic colleges across the United States and in several foreign countries. The Part I Examination is part of a battery of tests that candidates must pass prior to becoming licensed doctors of chiropractic.  Part I consists of 110 standard multiple-choice questions in each of the six basic science areas: general anatomy, spinal anatomy, physiology, chemistry, pathology, as well as microbiology and public health.  NBCE written examinations are accepted for initial licensure in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The Acupuncture exam consists of 200 multiple-choice questions. Individuals who have received at least 100 hours of instruction in acupuncture while enrolled at a chiropractic college or after graduating from chiropractic college may take this exam to demonstrate their knowledge of the subject matter.

Part I attendees were:
General Anatomy:
Julie Scott, D.C., NBCE Moderator
Georgina Pearson, M.B.B.S., Parker College of Chiropractic
Kim L. Swineheart, D.C., Northwestern Health Sciences University
Guangming Wu, Ph.D., Sherman College of Chiropractic

Spinal Anatomy:
John K. Hyland, D.C., NBCE Senior Chiropractic Specialist and Moderator
Paul B. Barlett, Ph.D., Cleveland Chiropractic College-Kansas City
James R. Carollo, M.S., University of Western States
Patricia Rogers, D.C., Southern California University of Health Sciences

Physiology:
Kathleen Jones, Ph.D., NBCE Moderator
Kashif A. Ahmad, Ph.D., Northwestern Health Sciences University
Louis J. Freedman, D.C., Palmer College of Chiropractic, Davenport Campus
Christopher A. Meseke, Ph.D., Palmer College of Chiropractic, Florida Campus

Chemistry:
Jim Schreck, Ph.D., NBCE Moderator
John L. Gutweiler, Ph.D., Logan College of Chiropractic
Marc P. McRae, D.C., National University of Health Sciences
Bert Silverman, Ph.D., Life University, College of Chiropractic

Pathology:
Greg Crawford, D.C., NBCE Moderator
Ilija Arar, D.C., New York Chiropractic College
Robert Cooperstein, D.C., Palmer College of Chiropractic, West Campus
Veronica M. Dishman, Ph.D., Palmer College of Chiropractic, Florida Campus

Microbiology and Public Health:
Tony Schountz, Ph.D., NBCE Moderator
Sameh A. Awad, M.D., Southern California University of Health Sciences
Gyan P. Khare, Ph.D., Cleveland Chiropractic College-Los Angeles
Veronica L. Mittak, D.H.Ed., New York Chiropractic College

Acupuncture attendees were:
Bruce Shots, D.C., NBCE Chiropractic Specialist and Moderator
Andrew Gow, D.C., NBCE Chiropractic Specialist and Moderator
Jeff Bos, D.C., Florida Practitioner
Karen M. Dishauzi, D.C., Logan College of Chiropractic
Kim A.F. Dorsey, D.C., Utah Practitioner
Manuel A. Duarte, D.C., National University of Health Sciences
Michael D. Jacklitch, D.C., North Dakota Practitioner
Tricia F. Schwartz, D.C., South Dakota Practitioner
Patrick J. Thomas, D.C., Texas Board of Chiropractic Examiners

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Changes to the NBCE Microbiology Exam and the Chiropractic Practice Exam

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April 13, 2010

The NBCE Board of Directors has approved the move of public health exam content from the Microbiology and Public Health examination in the basic sciences battery of exams (Part I) to the Chiropractic Practice examination of clinical sciences series of exams (Part II).  The new Microbiology exam will be administered with the September 2010 Written Examinations, while the changes to the Chiropractic Practice exam will be instated with the March 2011 administration.  This change increases the weighting of the public health content of the NBCE exams, a change made to better reflect current chiropractic educational and practice standards and is based on a recent Delphi study that elicited feedback from chiropractic colleges on their curriculum.   

The new Microbiology test plan weightings are:

The weightings of the Chiropractic Practice exam will be adjusted as follows:

These exam updates have been reported to academic officers and college presidents at recent meetings and college officials have expressed support for the change.  NBCE staff are now working to update reference texts and exam content for the revised exams. The NBCE web site and Examination Information Brochure will be updated soon. 
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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.

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:

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:

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.

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