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2014 NATD Constitution Review Survey

Dearest NATD Member,

The 2013-2014 National Association of Test Directors (NATD) Presidency has formed an NATD Constitution Committee charged with reviewing and updating the NATD constitution.

The NATD Constitution, was developed and passed April 19, 1986, and amended April 6, 1988, April 5, 1994, and most recently, April 6, 2006. It is time to review the constitution. On behalf of our committee, we are interested in your feedback concerning possible changes in the NATD name, membership categories, Board configuration, and the purpose of the organization.

The 2013-2014 NATD Constitutional Review committee members include Mary Yakimowski(Chair), Sherry RoseBond, Steve Henry, Toni Stroter, Bonnie Swan, Trevor Mahlum and Sarah Newton.

Thank you in advance for agreeing to participate in this survey. It is an opinion poll/discussion opportunity. This is not a ballot however the data collected will be used to present to the NATD Board of Directors to construct a ballot. This survey will take 5 or 10 minutes to complete.

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* 1. We are considering changing the name of the organization to better represent our membership, the activities and tasks of the membership group, and the expanding roles and responsibilities of our target members.Some members have expressed a concern that the use of the word "Test" in the NATD name is out of date and is too narrow. They feel the word assessment is more current and better conveys the breadth of activities our members are concerned with.

Our Constitution states: Section 101:
The name of this organization shall be the National Association of Test Directors, a not-for-profit professional educational association hereinafter referred to as the Association.

I support changing the name of this organization to the following ...

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* 2. Some members have expressed a concern that the use of the word "Test" in the NATD name is out of date and is too narrow. They feel the word assessment is more current and better conveys the breadth of activities our members are concerned with.

Do you think we should replace "Test" with "Assessment" when appropriate throughout the NATD Constitution?

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* 3. We are considering amending the purpose (s) of the organization to better represent our membership, the activities and tasks of the membership group, and the expanding roles and responsibilities of our target members.

Our Constitution states: Section 102:
It shall be the purpose of this Association to: a. share information about testing in educational settings; b. encourage the appropriate use of testing in educational settings; c. improve the applications of measurement to students and educational programs; and d. encourage research in the area of elementary and secondary school testing and measurement.

I would consider changing the organization’s purpose statements in the following ways...

  Yes No
(a) To share information about assessments in educational and other professional settings.
(b) To encourage the appropriate use of assessments in educational and other professional settings.
(c) To improve the applications of assessment and measurement practices in educational and other professional programs.
(d) To encourage research in the areas of assessment and measurement.

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* 4. What, if any, do you propose to be additional purposes for the organization? Please type NA if you do not have any purposes to add.

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* 5. NATD is not a corporation, therefore we suggest removing "Corporation" and replacing it with "Organization" when appropriate, do you think this should be reflected throughout the NATD Constitution?

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* 6. We are considering amending/expanding the membership categories in the NATD Constitution...

In Membership and Meetings, Section 201:

1. Active Members shall include dues-paying individuals: a. With responsibility for educational testing programs; or b. From institutions involved in the construction or use of testing in settings not primarily for profit, including,but not limited to, school systems and school system research, assessment,testing, or evaluation departments.

2. Associate Members shall include dues-paying individuals: Who do not have direct responsibility for testing programs and/or who are involved in test development primarily for profit.

3. The Board of Directors of the Association may from time to time nominate for honorary Emeritus status an individual who has been an active or associate member for at least five years and who is no longer employed on a full time basis. Upon a majority vote of the active members casting written ballots this individual will be accorded Emeritus status for life and shall be exempt from paying Association dues.


Currently, we have three distinctions in membership: Active, Associate, and Emeritus. I would consider the suggested changes to the membership categories to include adding Graduate student and Honorary category ...

  Yes No
1. (Modified Category) Emeritus Members shall include individuals who have been active or associate members for at least five years and who is no longer employed on a full time basis.
2. (New Category) Honorary Members status must be nominated by the Board of Directors of the Association. The individuals must have been active or associate members for five years or more and is no longer employed on a full time basis. Upon a majority vote of the active members casting written ballots this individual will be accorded Honorary status for life..
3. (New Category) Graduate Student members shall be enrolled in higher education programs at the Master or Doctoral level in educational, assessment, evaluation, measurement, or related programs.

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* 7. We are considering additional amendments to the membership categories in the NATD Constitution...

In Membership and Meetings, Section 201:

Currently, we have three distinctions in membership: Active, Associate, and Emeritus. I would consider the suggested changes to the membership categories to consider adding Graduate student and Honorary category ...

  Dues Paying Voting Privileges
1. Active Member
2. Associate Member
3. Emeritus Member
4. Honorary Member
5. Graduate Student Member

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* 8. We are considering increasing the membership dues of the organization to account for the growing needs of the organization, the development and maintenance of our website, the expansion of our membership needs and demands, the changing economy, the expenses of the annual business meetings and the Board of Directors meetings etc....

Our Constitution states: Section 207:
The annual membership dues shall be determined by the Board of Directors and approved by the active members. At the discretion of the Board of Directors and by the vote of five Directors, a special assessment may be raised to pay for unusual costs incurred by the corporation in achieving its objectives. In the event that such an assessment is an amount in excess of five dollars, it will be subject to ratification by a majority of the members. The membership year shall begin on January 1.


If you support increasing the membership dues (currently $20) of the organization, how much of an increase in membership dues would you be willing to pay.

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* 9. If you support adding graduate student membership category to NATD, how much should graduate student members be expected to pay?

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* 10. We are considering amendments to the NATD Board of Directors..

Our Constitution states: Officers and Board of Directors, Section 301:
The Board of Directors shall consist of the President, Immediate Past President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and four additional elected Directors. The President shall serve as chair of the Board of Directors.

  Yes No
Do you feel the President, Vice-President, and Immediate Past President should serve one year terms each? (no change)
Do you feel the President and Vice-President should serve two year terms each and remove the Immediate Past president office?
Do you feel the Vice-President shall assume the role of serving as parliamentarian if we remove the remove the Immediate Past President?
Do you feel the Vice-President shall assume the role of chair of the nominating committee if we remove the Immediate Past President?
Do you feel that the elections of the office of the Vice-President should be changed to semi-annually if we extend the term of office to two year terms?

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* 11. Voting
Section 206:
Eligibility to vote shall be restricted to Active Members whose dues and any special assessments are currently paid at the time of the meeting or mail ballot.

We propose that all NATD membership categories be eligible to vote therefore we shall remove "Active" members "only" can vote, do you think this should be captured throughout the NATD Constitution?

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* 12. Do you have additional comments or suggested changes to the NATD constitution?

T