Alabama Fire College

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Alabama Fire College

• Skills Evaluator Course

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Skills Testing

• ProBoard and IFSAC require that we have a method
  of testing every JPR
• ProBoard and IFSAC require that the evaluator of
  the skills be someone other than the instructor
  for that skill
• ProBoard and IFSAC required that evaluators have
  training

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Alabama Fire Service Terminology

• Proctors
• Employees of Alabama Fire College who monitor
  field courses
• Evaluators
• Local fire department or EMS agency staff who are
  trained to evaluate skills testing

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Skills Testing

• Skill performance involves the translation of
  knowledge into action
• Learning is defined as a change in behavior and
  skills allow a person to demonstrate that changed
  behavior
• REMEMBER We are teaching candidates to perform
  in one of the most hazardous jobs in the world

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ProBoard Criteria M

• M-20
• When certification testing is accomplished with
  written or skills testing methodologies, the
  tests may sample the candidates competencies
  of a standard or level.

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ProBoard Criteria M

• Describe the agencys policy that determines how
  required skills are selected for testing,
  including those skills that are required for all
  certification tests.

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The Four Roles of the Evaluator

• Observing the candidate
• Making a judgment on performance
• Documentation of the results
• Ensure fair and safe testing environment
• Fair testing procedures
• Professionalism
• Standard performance guidelines

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Fair Testing Procedures

• Before starting ask if there are any questions
• Test the complete station
• When the test is over, advise the candidate to
  return to the waiting area or staging area
• DO NOT TEACH AT THE STATION

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Fair Testing Procedures

• The testing station is a chance for the candidate
  to demonstrate what they know, not a time to trip
  them up

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Evaluator Professionalism

• Respect for others
• Self-confident but not superior
• Competent
• Willing to listen
• Dresses appropriately for the work to be done

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Concept of Skill Development

• Stages of candidate skill mastery
• Non-readiness stage
• Readiness stage
• Development stage
• Practice stage
• Demonstration stage
• Maintenance stage

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Skill Development

• As an evaluator, what stage of the skill
  development will you be grading?
• Recruits
• Rescue technician refreshers (future
  credentialing)

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You as an Evaluator

• You will make judgments about a candidate based
  on
• Your knowledge of the skill
• The actual performance of the skill by the
  candidate

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You as an Evaluator

• You may be influenced by several factors
• Sex of the candidate
• Ethnic background
• Appearance
• Demeanor of the candidate
• His or her home department
• It was NOT done to meet your idea of how it
  should be done

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Skills Sheets

• Skill sheets are designed to limit influences
• Must compare performance to the standard
• Detailed documentation of what the candidate did
  incorrectly will be invaluable in an appeals
  process
• Evaluate the candidate on what you observe not
  what you feel about the candidate

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Documentation

• Poor example
• Did not properly don the SCBA
• Did not properly don the SCBA while adjusting
  straps
• Good example
• The candidate placed the cylinder/harness on top
  of their back and tightened the side straps
  before attaching the two straps together at the
  regulator

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General Guidelines

• Candidates should be rated or evaluated to the
  requirements on the skill sheet and not each
  other.
• Your evaluation should be of the candidates
  performance and not on your opinion

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Guidelines for Evaluators

• Prepare yourself before each exercise
• Do you know all the forms?
• Do you know who and how many to evaluate?
• Do you know the location?
• Do you know what skills you are evaluating?

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Guidelines for Evaluators

• Position yourself so that you can observe the
  candidate you are assigned to evaluate
• Be totally acquainted with what you are testing
• Adhere to the skills directions

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Guidelines for Evaluators

• Carefully record your observations
• Make accurate observations
• Record comments on what the individual failed to
  do
• Do not allow early observations to bias later
  observations.
• Observe with an open mind

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Guidelines for Evaluators

• Do not form final opinions until the exercise is
  completed
• Never indicate to candidates during an exercise
  how well or how poorly they are doing
• Avoid smiling, nodding, etc.
• Candidates will be looking for clues

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Rating Problems

• Halo error
• Central tendency error
• Leniency error
• Stereotype error

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Summary

• Accreditation requires that the students have a
  fair, safe, and equal opportunity when testing in
  both the cognitive and psychomotor environment
• We try to eliminate any issue or obstruction to
  fair testing

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Comments
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Questions