AGENCY TESTIMONY
Response to proposed legislation on workforce data and exam readability
0:54:11
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124 sec
Porter addresses two pieces of proposed legislation: Intro 75 and Intro 212-A, outlining DCAS's current practices and concerns.
- Intro 75: DCAS already provides extensive workforce data through an online interactive tool
- Concerns raised about the bill's mandated 2-week refresh rate and twice-annual reporting requirements
- Intro 212-A: DCAS emphasizes that exam readability and accessibility are already core functions of their exam development process
- Details provided on the current exam development process involving subject matter experts
Katrina Porter
0:54:11
Before concluding, I would like to address intro 75.
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As part of our work on the government workforce profile report, DCAS develops and developed an online interactive tool that provides extensive information including nearly all of the data required by the proposed legislation.
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The task involved in producing the report such as data collection, merging various datasets, cleaning data, data analysis, and checking for errors, all require a significant amount of time.
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Allowing interagency stakeholders the opportunity to verify the data further lengthens the timeline.
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DCAS is concerned, among other things, that this bill's mandated 2 week refresh rate as well as, twice the annual reporting requirements are too challenging to fulfill.
0:55:02
However, we would welcome a dialogue with the council about these provisions.
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With regard to intro 212 a, ensuring that exams are readable and accessible are a core function of DCAS's exam development process.
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When formulating, questions for an exam, DCAS works with agency subject matter experts who are permanent incumbents serving in the relevant title to craft questions that, will accurately test a candidate's knowledge of the title's work.
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DCAS's exams bureau brings together 2 separate panels of 3 to 5 subject matter experts depending on, availability of staff.
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One writing one, question writing panel and the other a separate panel of experts, who review the first panel's work.
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The question, writing SMEs craft questions specific to the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the title, while the 2nd panel reviews the 1st panel's content for appropriateness to the work of the title.
0:56:07
So to be clear, exam readability and accessibility are two areas, we already actively undertake when developing examinations.
