What Every EMS Educator Should Know About

® 

Accreditation, Evaluation and Assessment in EMS Education . . . Tying it all together page 25 

UPDATE 

EDUCATOR 

Winter 2011 

The Official Publication of the National Association of EMS Educators 

Accreditation Resources Evaluating Evaluations 

CoAEMSP: The Site Visitors are Coming! Educators New Year Resolutions 

Plus: What Every EMS Educator Should Know About CECBEMS 

Quality 

Skill 

Excellent 

Performance 

Communication 

Teamwork 

Accreditation 

Evaluation & 

Assessment 

Domain 3 

Inside

IN THIS ISSUE 

Quality 

Skill 

Excellent 

Performance 

Communication 

Teamwork 

Also 

3 President’s Perspective 

5 Member News 

6 NAEMSE News 

7 New Year Resolutions 

8 Member Spotlight 

10 Corporate Partner Feature 

13 State Spotlight 

14 Blogging...A Good Idea? 

17 What Every EMS Educator Should Know 

About CECBEMS 

29 Evaluating Evaluations 

Domain 3 

21 CoAEMSP: The Site Visitors Are 

Coming! 

25 Accreditation, Evaluation and 

Assessment in EMS Education . . . 

Tying it all together 

27 Accreditation Resources 

2 | Educator Update | www.naemse.org

Giving and Taking 

Advice – 

The Cowboy Way 

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE 

By: Dr. Chris Nollette, NREMTP, LP 

As a member of NAEMSE 

I have served as a Committee 

Chair, Board of Director and cuurently 

President. One thing for 

sure– these positions have taught 

me life lessons which are blessings. 

One of the greatest blessings 

that I have learned centers 

around how to seek, sift, take 

and reject advice on personal and 

professional issues. Good advice 

is hard to come by and even 

harder to take once you receive 

it. Much of the advice points out 

flaws in our thinking or an action 

or lack of action that does not 

coincide with our values. In other 

words, we all say we want folks 

to tell us the truth but I believe 

that the truth while it can set us 

free it can also wound and convict 

us. So I have come to value the 

many friends who over the years 

have helped shape me for better 

or worse on my journey through 

life. They have had the courage 

to give me honest and heartfelt advice. Here are the four lessons that I have 

been taught that I want to pass on to each of you as we begin the New Year 

together. 

Cowboy Advice #1 – Don’t take it personally 

This has been the hardest thing for me to learn in my walk with all of you. 

I am a passionate man who has a fierce pride and love for many things in 

life – my family, my friends, my profession, my country, my home state of 

Texas and yes, my beloved Dallas Cowboys. It is hard to take advice on issues 

that are so close to one’s heart but I have learned that I must listen without 

defensiveness and think over the advice. I may choose not to take the advice 

but this decision should be based on great thought and should never be taken 

personally. Recently, I have had some advice on football and will agree with 

my friends that the Dallas Cowboys chances are slim for a 2011 trip to the 

Superbowl this year….but there’s always next year – Go Cowboys! 

Cowboy Advice #2 – Cultivate humility 

There is a saying in Texas that “he or she is all hat and no cattle.” How many 

National Association of EMS Educators 

250 Mount Lebanon Boulevard 

Suite 209 

Pittsburgh, PA 15234 

Phone: 412-343-4775 

Fax: 412-343-4770 

www.naemse.org 

2010-2011 Board of Directors 

Chris Nollette, EdD, NREMT-P, LP 

President 

Donna Tidwell, MS, RN, EMT-P 

President-Elect 

Joe Grafft, MS, NREMT 

Treasurer 

Tony Hartman, MEd, NCEE 

Secretary 

Angel Burba, MS, NREMT-P, NCEE 

Immediate Past President 

Michael Miller, BS, EMS, RN, NREMT-P 

Parliamentarian 

Scott Bourn, PhD, RN, NREMT-P 

Brenda Beasley, MS, RN, EMT-P 

Chris LeBaudour, MsEd, EMT 

Kim McKenna, RN, BSN, CEN, EMT-P 

Michael Frith, MS, EMT-P 

Madeleine O’Donnell, EdD 

John Todaro, REMT-P, RN, TNS, NCEE 

Richard Beebe, MS, RN, REMT-P 

National Office Staff 

Joann Freel, BS, CMP 

Executive Director, Editor 

Stephen Perdziola, BS 

Business Manager 

Laura Krawchyk, BA 

Educational Coordinator 

Beth Benson 

Membership Coordinator 

Lauren Stoecklein, BA 

Communications Coordinator 

Larissa Kocelko, BA 

Administrative Assistant 

William Raynovich, MPH, NREMT-P, Ed.D 

Editor, Domain 3 

Submission Guidelines 

Unsolicited submissions are welcomed. Members of the 

NAEMSE Publications Committee review Domain 3 

manuscripts. Acceptance of a manuscript for publication 

is contingent upon completion of the editing process. 

Manuscripts should be e-mailed to submissions@ 

naemse.org. Submit a cover letter with each manuscript 

indicating: Author name, credentials, title, and affiliation. 

A title letter should also be included disclosing any 

commercial associations that could post a conflict of 

interest. If you have an idea brewing that you’d like to 

submit, please contact us. We would be happy to discuss 

it. New authors are welcome and encouraged. 

www.naemse.org | Educator Update | 3

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE CONTINUED 

of us create a façade of who we are and upon closer inspection there is just no 

beef between the buns. What makes this even worse is that we fool ourselves into 

believing that we do not need advice – our pride overpowers our reason. Think 

of humility in terms of a wonderful garden filled with flowers and pride is the 

weed that chokes out the beauty and uniqueness of our lives. Good advice can 

become like the vigilant gardner who carefully keeps the weeds from overpowering 

the garden allowing the best part of our life to come through. If the truth be 

told – the biggest troublemaker you’ll probably every have to deal with watches 

you shave his face in the mirror every morning. 

Cowboy Advice #3 – Seek “Cowboy Up” kind of folks 

The hardest thing to do is to find those that you can really trust and let them 

know you want their honest advice on all matters. We all know that there are 

many folks who call themselves our friends but do not have friendly intentions. 

I received some good Texas advice from a friend “that one should never ask a 

barber if you need a haircut” and “do not be surprised when a snake bites you – it 

is the nature of the snake.” Everyone has an agenda and most people do not tell 

the truth – strong statements backed up with recent research. You have to find 

the really special people who will be honest with you and do have your interest 

at heart – their agenda is you – and they will cowboy up and tell you what you 

may not want to hear. These folks are critical to your growth and survival in the 

world. 

Cowboy Advice #4 – Thank God for the honest folks 

Thank God for those people who tell us the truth even though it wounds us (Proverbs 

27:6). In the cowboy world a true friend teaches you lessons – even when 

you lose, you don’t lose the lesson. So I am thankful for my wife who continues 

to teach me to drink upstream from the herd and that the best sermons in life 

are lived – not preached. I am thankful for my friends who have given me advice 

that I may have not taken and still continue to be my friends even when I have 

failed. I am thankful for all of you who write me, call me and stop me to give me 

some great advice – now and for the future. 

“A friend drops their plans when you’re 

in trouble, shares joy in your 

accomplishments, feels sad when you’re 

in pain. A friend encourages your 

dreams and offers advice – but when 

you don’t follow it, they still respect you 

and love you.” 

-George Washington 

So my friends, let us approach the New Year with a new commitment in seeking 

out those good people who love us enough to give us advice. Let their advice be 

a blessing to your life and may we understand that the greatest courage comes 

from telling it like it is – even when the advice is less than flattering to our egos. 

This is my little piece of advice to you for the coming year – seek advice. 

Simple Cowboy 

Advice…. 

•Never squat with your 

spurs on. 

•Live a good and 

honorable life. Then 

when you are old and 

think back, you’ll enjoy it 

a second time. 

•Some folks are all hat 

and no cattle. 

•Talk low, slow and don’t 

say too much. 

•Every trail has puddles. 

•Good judgment comes 

from experience and 

a lot of it comes from 

bad judgment. 

•It is better to be a has 

–been then a never-was. 

•Courage is being scared 

to death but saddling up 

anyway. 

•The quickest way to 

double your money is to 

fold it. 

•If you are riding ahead 

of the herd, take a look 

back and see if they are 

still with ya. 

•Don’t judge people by 

their relatives. 

•Never approach a bull 

from the front, a horse 

from the rear or a fool 

from any direction. 


•President Elect Donna Tidwell, MS, RN, has been 

appointed Director of the EMS Division for the state of 

Tennessee. 

s Division 

Donna Tidwell 

IN MEMORY OF... 

12 

•Austin Rinker former Program Director of the Hagerstown 

EMS Program lost his battle with cancer last month. 

He was the Program Director for many years and recently 

stepped down this past year as his condition deteriorated. 

He worked very hard to ensure there was as smooth of a 

transition at the Hagerstown CC as possible, and right up 

until the end he continued to express his firm desire that 

the program continue to grow and thrive. 

MEMBER NEWS 

Loyola Emergency Medical 

Services System announced 

the death of our colleague 

and friend, Ginger Worlds. 

Ginger passed away on 

November 2, 2010. Ginger 

was in the EMS community 

as an EMT-B, EMT-P and 

CCEMT-P for over 20 years. 

Her service to the various 

communities of the western 

suburbs was through Superior and Metro Paramedic 

Services. As a paramedic Ginger served as EMS Coordinator 

for Superior Ambulance Company and the last 

five years as EMS Instructor for the Loyola System. Her 

accomplishments include the assistance in implementation 

of the Zoll computer system for the pre-hospital 

providers, regional disaster preparedness and critical 

care training programs. She was a volunteer member of 

Illinois Medical Emergency Response Team (IMERT). 

She was an instructor and chairperson in the International 

Trauma Life Support program. Ginger is survived 

by her husband and daughter and family. 

. 

NAEM1012 

www.naemse.org | Educator Update | 

5

PRESIDENTIAL SURVEY 

Thank you to all who took the time to complete the online 

Presidential performance survey on Survey Monkey. 

We greatly appreciated your honest and helpful feedback 

to better serve the organization – now and in the future. 

BOARD OF DIRECTOR ELECTIONS 

The Nominating Committee is accepting nominations for 

the 2011 elections for the following positions: 

Member of the Board of Directors 

-Three (3) positions are open 

(This is a 3-year commitment commencing Sept. 2011) 

-President Elect 

(This is a 6-year commitment commencing Sept. 2011) 

-Treasurer 

(This is a 2- year commitment commencing Sept. 2011) 

Now is your chance to assist in leading the Association 

which is dedicated to furthering the profession of 

EMS education. If you would like to be considered for 

a position or feel strongly about a NAEMSE colleague, 

please use the nomination form found at: www.naemse. 

org. NOMINATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED FEB. 1 

- MARCH 1. If you have any questions, please contact 

the NAEMSE office at 412-343-4775. 

NEMSEC EXAM LOCATIONS 

NEMSEC is continuing to offer more exams in 2011. 

Seats are limited to 50 people at each exam site so 

register early to secure a seat for the exam. The exam 

consists of 100 multiple choice questions and will take 

approximately 2 hours. 

UPCOMING EXAM LOCATIONS 

Indianapolis, IN - Feburary 18, 2011 

Vincennes, IN - April 20, 2011 

MINI SYMPOSIUM 

If you couldn’t attend the 2010 Annual Symposium, come 

to the Mini Symposium to hear great presentations; network 

with your peers and enjoy the sunshine in Orlando, 

FL. The sessions will run consecutively over two full days 

and participants will have the opportunity to hear all of 

these dynamic presentations! CECBEMS credits have been 

approved for 14 hours. 

WHERE: Omni Resort at Champions Gate 

Orlando, FL 

WHEN: April 1-2, 2011 - 8am-5pm 

COST: NAEMSE Member Rate: $225 

Non-Member Rate: $295 

For registration please visit www.naemse.org 

For hotel reservations please call 1.800.843.6664. Book 

under code NAEMSE for special room rate of $149.00 

plus tax. Cut off date is March 15th. 

6 | Educator Update | www.naemse.org 

INSTRUCTOR COURSE 

NAEMSE continues to bring its heralded EMS instructor 

course to all corners of the country. If you haven’t yet 

attended, reserve your spot online. If you’re an instructor, 

spread the good news to your colleagues in the EMS 

community. This Winter and Spring, courses will be held 

in: 

Baltimore, MD - February 28 - March 2, 2011 

Held in partnership with EMS Today 

Bloomington, IL - March 18-20, 2011 

Held in partnership with McLean County Area EMS 

Plainfield, NJ - April 8-10, 2011 

Held in partnership with Union County College 

REPRESENTATION 

•Mike Miller represented NAEMSE at the National EMS 

Managers Association meeting in Las Vegas, NV 

•Joe Grafft and Lauren Stoecklein represented NAEMSE 

at the American Heart Association Conference in 

Chicago, IL 

•Tony Hartman represented NAEMSE at the NREMT 

Meeting in Columbus, OH 

•Joann Freel and Chris Nollette represented NAEMSE at 

the NAEMSEP conference in Bonita Springs, FL 

•Laura Krawchyk, Chris Nollette, Carol Ferguson, Jim 

Dinsch and Pauline VanMeurs represented NAEMSE at 

the Texas EMS Conference in Austin, TX 

•Lauren Stoecklein and Beth Benson attended the ASAE 

Technology Conference in Washington, DC 

INSTRUCTOR COURSE PART II 

If your program would like to parnter with NAEMSE to 

host the second level NAEMSE Instructor Course please 

contact laura.krawchyk@naemse.org. 

The NAEMSE Part II Instructor Course is geared towards 

the experienced instructor. Topics covered in this two day 

course include: Mentoring * Student Centered Learning * 

Lesson Plans * Program Evaluation * Social Intelligence 

* Research * Presentation Technologies * Leadership * 

Administrative Issues. 

1st INTERNATIONAL MINI SYMPOSIUM 

NAEMSE is pleased to announce that we will hold its first 

International Mini Symposium - June 11-12 in Toronto, 

Canada! In efforts to reach out to our international audience 

- we are presenting educational session in conjunction 

with the Canadian EMS Education Association in 

Ontario. Stay tuned for more details at www.naemse.org

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS 

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS FOR EMS 

EDUCATORS 

By: Joann Freel, BS, CMP - Executive Director, NAEMSE 

Exercise , Take Care of YOU – 

Well, another year has blown by and it’s the start 

of a new year. As we approach the New Year, I thought 

it would be fun to share a list of some potential new 

year resolutions. I hope you find them useful and that 

they encourage you to make some positive changes in 

2011. Happy New Year! 

Educator’s Top 5 New Year Resolutions... 

Continue Your Education – 

1. Keep up-to-date in your areas of study by reading at 

least one article each week, as a suggestion, the Educator 

Update/Domain 3 magazine has many educational 

articles that are helpful to you in the classroom. 

2. Finish your degree by registering with NAEMSE‘s 

Corporate Partner THE COLLEGE NETWORK. Take 

advantage of the discount offered to NAEMSE members. 

3. Need continuing education? NAEMSE in conjunction 

with CentreLearn, is offering all NAEMSE members 

2 free continuing education credits towards any 

online training material. 

4. Attend the NAEMSE Instructor Course and receive 

40 CEU’s. Early 2011 courses are coming to Baltimore, 

MD, Bloomington, IL and Plainfield, NJ. 

Read Up On Current Events – 

1. Find a unique and fun way to incorporate current 

events into your classroom. Visit NAEMSE’s webpage 

for current EMS events to use as discussion in the 

classroom. 

Green Your Classroom – 

1. Reuse paper, recycle cans, bottles and paper, encourage 

students to use reusable water bottles. Make 

it a class project to recycle and use the dollars returned 

for a class outing. 

1. Join a gym to exercise at least 20 minutes 3 -4 times a 

week. 

2. Eat healthy – no more fast foods; pack your lunch; 

incorporate the food pyramid into your classroom discussion. 

Lastly, don’t forget to plan on registering for the 2011 

NAEMSE Educational Symposium in Reno, NV, September 

13-18 where you can learn new educational techniques 

and network with your peers! 

If you selected ‘paper’ as way to receive NAEMSE publications 

program booklets will arrive in late February. If you 

are an ‘electronic’ member booklets will arrive via email. 

In the meantime check out the fabulous Peppermill Resort 

in Reno, NV. Go to their web site at http://www.peppermillreno.com/ 

Voted one of Reno’s best resort hotels year after year by 

many leading hospitality and gaming publications, 

Peppermill Reno Hotel offers: 

•Old-world hotel style, service, and aesthetics 

•Contemporary luxury hotel amenities 

•Hotel rooms and suites with comfortable accommodations 

and luxurious bedding with custom-made plush 

double-pillow-top mattresses. 

•42” wall-mounted LCD high-def televisions 

Get Involved – 

1. Find a way to encourage your students to get involved 

in a community service project. 

2. Join a committee at NAEMSE! There are many opportunities 

at NAEMSE that will open new avenues of 

awareness for you as an EMS educator! 

3. Renew your membership with the association. 

Thank you for your friendship and support of NAEMSE in 

2010 and best wishes for a safe and happy 2011. Hope to 

see you in Reno! 

Learn a New Skill – 

Learn how to sew, dance, play a sport, etc. and share 

your learning experience with your students. For 

example, learn to use Twitter or Facebook (C. LeBaudour’s 

example) and involve your students. 


7

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT 

NAEMSE Member Spotlight: David Scott Blevins 

Hardest job aspect: Understanding and utilizing 

multiple delivery methods to ensure understanding by 

the multiple generations entering the EMS career field. 

Most rewarding job: Receiving the phone calls from 

my prior students when they are hired or have just 

completed running a significant call. 

Reason you joined NAEMSE: To utilize the nationwide 

network of instructors and resources in an 

effort to ensure that I am prepared as an instructor to 

provide the most up to date information and deliver it 

with methods proven to be the most successful. 

Activities: Spending time with my family and coming 

up with new ways to provide outlets for their happiness. 

Name: David Scott Blevins 

Hometown: Jefferson City, Tennessee 

Organization: Roane State Community College 

Job title: Adjunct Professor of Emergency Medicine 

Personal Hobbies: Basketball (both watching and 

playing), and learning on different topics. 

Who would play you in a movie: Adam Sandler 

One thing your fridge is never without: Milk and 

leftovers 

Job scope: Administration and delivery of Emergency 

Medical Technician coursework. 

Did You Know... 

that AAOS Textbooks Now 

Include Audio Books? 

Now Available 

Coming in 2011 

Nancy Caroline’s Emergency Care in 

the Streets, Seventh Edition 

1-800-832-0034 | www.jblearning.com

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 

To The National Association of EMS Educators Members of the 

Association 

I want to sincerely thank you for the recognition I received at your annual conference in 2010 as a recipient 

of your highest award, the Lifetime Achievement in EMS Education. I am humbled to accept this award 

from an Association whose work I honor. As one of the people “who passed the hat,” many years ago that 

started NAEMSE, I remain amazed at the rapid maturity and success of the Association. The NAEMSE has 

advanced the knowledge base available to EMS educators, played a pinnacle role in development of EMS 

Education Standards and Advocated on behalf of EMS education and EMS delivery. You have sponsored 

accreditation and the EMS continuing education Board. Your members are active in promoting EMS at the 

local level and in bringing quality education to the classroom. I am proud of your accomplishments and 

honored to be a charter member. In my eyes the word “lifetime,” is very meaningful. Although I have been 

working in EMS since the late 60’s, in retrospect time has passed by quickly. I value these words I learned 

from my father, “as we only pass through life once, may we give back to everyone as much as we can, for we 

all will be accountable for our time on earth.” I hope I’ve been accountable. The honor you bestowed upon 

me validated the team work accomplished by the supporting cast I have enjoyed at the NREMT. On behalf 

of that team and my family, thank you for that recognition of work. May we always move forward on behalf 

of the patients we serve. 

Sincerely, 

William E. Brown, Jr. 

Wanted - 2011 Hero 

Award Nominations 

NAEMSE is proud to announce that nominations are now being accepted for the 2011 

Heroes Award. The NAEMSE Heroes Awards are comprised of three separate honors: 

Unsung Hero Award—this award is to recognize those unsung men and women who 

serve our profession each and every day with a commitment to excellence and reflect the 

very best characteristics of our profession in and out of the classroom. 

Fallen Hero Award-- in addition to honoring those heroes that are able to be with us today, it is equally important 

to honor those EMS Educators who have passed that exemplified the best attributes of the teaching profession. 

Legends That Walk Among Us—this award was created to honor those men and women who have moved our 

profession forward with their energy and talents at a state or national level. 

The recipients of the awards will be honored in a ceremony during the 2011 NAEMSE Symposium in Reno, NV. For 

more information, and to find nomination forms, please visit www.naemse.org, or contact Laura Krawchyk in the 

NAEMSE office at laura.krawchyk@naemse.org. NOMINATION DEADLINE: May 27, 2011 


9

CORPORATE PARTNER FEATURE 

MedicAlert® is a non-profit membership foundation with over 4 million members worldwide. Only MedicAlert provides 

the protection and life saving information people need in an emergency. Our 24-Hour Emergency Response 

Center gives first responders vital information on medical conditions, medicines, allergies, or other circumstances 

that can help avoid life threatening complications and help save lives. As our member is being treated, we reach out 

to their family members and let them know what has happened. In addition to live support, MedicAlert educates the 

medical community on the importance of medical identification and emergency service protection. Call MedicAlert 

at 800-432-5378 to protect yourself or someone you love. 

MedicAlert Testimonnial 

By: Eric Dotten, REMT-P, NCEE, National Association of EMS Educators Member since 2006 

I have been teaching for 15 years and have had the pleasure of working with some of the finest first responders in 

Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Florida where I have lived and worked. Last year, I met someone from MedicAlert 

Foundation and asked for material to use in our simulation lab training. MedicAlert Foundation provided everything 

I asked for, FREE, including some sample MedicAlert® ID bracelets to use on the manikins. I was surprised by the 

depth of the service they have and many of the students were shocked by the information available from the MedicAlert 

24-hour emergency response center when presented with a very probable scenario. 

Your crew responds to a call for a man down. The victim received smoke inhalation on a fire ground, no further information 

is available. Upon arrival on scene you find a middle aged man that is unconscious and unresponsive. The 

physical exam reveals that patient is unresponsive, but breathing and has a pulse. Based on signs and symptoms, you 

suspect cyanide and carbon monoxide poisoning. As you begin treatment with high flow oxygen and deployment of Cyanokit 

based on suspicion of cyanide, your partner continues the secondary assessment. There is no one around to give 

any information about your patient. Then your partner notices a silver MedicAlert ID bracelet on his left wrist. Everyone 

in EMS and public safety knows the bracelet as a valuable tool containing engraved medical history. Your partner 

looks at the bracelet and writes down the pertinent information but by only doing this, he failed to get all information 

available. This was the scenario that we recently used in our Simulation Lab in Orlando, Florida. 

The students were all asked to read everything on back of the bracelet. Like the crew in the scenario they read “diabetes, 

multiple food allergies, anaphylaxis to bees, and carries EpiPen.” All of this was engraved on the bracelet with 

an identification and telephone number as well. I instructed the paramedic to call the number on the back and they 

agreed, but stated they already had all the information. Upon being connected, they were greeted with “MedicAlert 

Emergency and Safe Return. How may I help you?” The conversation lasted only 3 minutes but the crew was stunned 

with the additional information about the heart valve replacement, allergies to morphine, and a list of ten other pertinent 

facts. When asked what facility we were transporting to we were again surprised, because a fax of the complete 

record on file would be sent to the receiving facility ahead of the patient arrival. When the crew hung up, they stated 

they never knew that MedicAlert is more than a bracelet, but a valuable resource. As a Nationally Certified EMS Educator 

and a Paramedic, I have made this training part of all our emergency medicine education programs and simulations. 

I believe we are doing our students and their patients a disservice if we don’t show the students how to access 

information even when the patient is unresponsive. 

MedicAlert Foundation has partnered with the National Association of EMS Educators to create an excellent and 

FREE education program for EMS, Fire Rescue, and Ambulance Operations. If you would like further information, 

email education@medicalert.org. 


keep firefighters safe from the silent killer — co poisoning 

Even though firefighters are trained to understand the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and 

to recognize potential signs and symptoms, CO poisoning can go unrecognized and untreated. Even moderate 

CO levels in the blood rob the heart and brain of oxygen, and nearly half of on-scene firefighter deaths are due 

to heart disease or stroke. Long term, a single severe CO poisoning or consistent exposure to moderate CO 

levels increases the risk of premature death and other health problems. That’s why the new NFPA 1584 rehab 

standards support the use of on-scene CO testing. Protect firefighters and victims through quick and noninvasive 

assessment of CO levels in the blood with the Masimo Rad-57. Recognition is the key to immediate on-scene 

treatment, which significantly reduces short- and long-term risk. 

To find out more, call 1.800.257.3810 or go to www.masimo.com/rad-57 

© 2010 Masimo Corporation. Rad-57 is a registered trademark of Masimo Corporation.

Join NAEMSE in Reno, NV this year for the 

16th Annual Educational Symposium & Trade Show 

September 13-18, 2011 

The Peppermill Hotel • Reno, Nevada 

-Network with other EMS Educators from around the country! 

-Earn CECBEMS approved CEU’s all in one place! 

-Attend sessions presented by nationally recognized faculty on 

educational tracks such as: Research, Simulation, CoAEMSP & 

Teaching Strategies! 

12 

Learn more at www.naemse.org 

| Educator Update | www.naemse.org 

(Exhibit Space Still Available)

STATE SPOTLIGHT 

STATE SPOTLIGHT: TEXAS 

By: Maxie Bishop, State EMS Director, Austin, TX 

We must also define and address online and distance EMS 

education to make sure these programs meet the needs of 

their students and expectations of the department and the 

health care industry. 

1. Briefly describe the EMS education programs in 

the State of Texas? 

Texas is the second largest state in the United States, covering 

a total area of 268,581 square miles. The state, made up 

of urban, rural and frontier counties, is divided into twentytwo 

(22) trauma service areas. The regulatory authority for 

EMS and trauma in the state is the Department of State 

Health Services. The department manages certification, 

compliance and enforcement of EMS ground and air ambulance 

providers, education programs, coordinators, instructors 

and EMS personnel. 

Texas is so big and diverse that we need to be mindful that 

resources and cultures vary tremendously from region to 

region. Unlike some states, college-based programs cannot 

meet all our EMS training needs; therefore, we are dependent 

on hospital-based, fire-based and private programs to 

fill that gap. More than one hundred and fifty (150) department-approved 

EMS educational programs across the state 

provide basic and advanced EMS initial education and 

continuing education for the more than 58,000 EMS-certified 

persons. The levels of certification recognized by the 

department are Emergency Care Attendants (ECA)/First 

Responder, EMT-B, EMT-I, Paramedic and Licensed Paramedic. 

The basic programs are allowed to teach ECA and 

EMT-B levels; our advanced programs can teach all levels 

of certification. 

2. What is the biggest challenge facing EMS education 

in Texas? 

Addressing the new NREMT educational standards and 

accreditation requirements is the biggest challenge. The 

national goal is to create consistency across all educational 

programs so that the students are equally qualified. Aligning 

the state with the EMS Agenda for the Future is another 

aspect of this challenge. 

3. What are some noteworthy accomplishments of 

EMS Education in Texas? 

The EMS Education Committee and stakeholders, working 

through the department’s Advisory Council, have helped 

resolve issues with the state’s criminal history statute. Previously, 

the statute did not address the certification of persons 

with specific convictions that stakeholders felt should not be 

allowable. The legislature has since passed regulations that 

will keep persons convicted of specific serious crimes and 

registered sex offenders from receiving a Texas EMS certification. 

The state of Texas does federal background checks on 

all initial applicants for EMS certification and persons seeking 

EMS reciprocity in Texas. 

Overall, there is a high level of cooperation within the EMS 

and trauma community in Texas. Many of our educational 

programs are leading the way toward accreditation by assisting 

other educational programs with the accreditation 

process; some are even offering consortiums to assist other 

programs that are not otherwise eligible for CoAEMSP accreditation. 

4. What are the long term goals – Texas would like to 

be executed in EMS education? 

I believe if EMS is going to become a profession on par with 

other allied health fields, we must make education the same 

priority it is in other allied health professions not just in 

Texas, but across the U.S. 

Every state needs to adopt and require teaching of the 

National Educational Standards and adopt the certification 

levels and all elements of the EMS Agenda for the Future. 

Distance learning is a very good method for training some 

EMS persons, especially in rural and frontier areas, but we 

must define it and set standards that match those of on-site 

programs. 

This is a great time to be a part of EMS; it is a time when 

we can shape our destiny, but to do that we must make 

education the highest priority. We can’t be afraid to look at 

ourselves, constantly revaluate ourselves and make changes 

based on research and best practices. 

Put Your State in the Spotlight 

NAEMSE wants to showcase EMS programs in your 

State. Email your answers to naemse@naemse.org 


13

BLOGGING....A GOOD IDEA? 

Blogging....A Good Idea? 

By: Zach Bieghler 

I am a paramedic in Kansas, and I have served with 

various EMS agencies in south central Kansas as well 

as for an educational institution. I’ve been a paramedic 

since September 2005 and in EMS since 2002. I’ve 

spent the last six years of my life dedicated to EMS and 

gaining knowledge and experience. I also took various 

EMS courses to be a better instructor for the students I 

taught. Life seemed like it was on the right track. Unfortunately, 

that dream came to a sudden stop, which came 

by no one else’s fault but my own. 

In April 2007, my EMS partner and I were called out for 

an inter-facility transfer. The patient had several medical 

complications, in addition to being severely obese. 

Several hours after the call and when the report was 

finished, I sat down at the computer, while on the clock, 

and entered Myspace.com. There I started a “blog,” 

which I wrote about the call I ran hours before. I’m not 

going to discuss what I wrote in the blog, but ashamedly, 

it was vulgar and offensive and related to the patient’s 

level of obesity. 

I wrote the blog for my friends to see only, most of 

which are in the EMS profession. I later discovered 

that I did not have adequate settings on Myspace.com 

to prevent the general public from viewing the blog. I 

wrote the blog to share my experiences and to make my 

friends laugh. As a healthcare provider, we all must be 

empathetic and sympathetic toward all patients regardless 

of the situation. As I wrote this blog, my empathy 

for this patient was absent. I didn’t think about the 

anger, humility, and mistrust that could manifest from 

the patient toward me, my agency, or my profession. 

Not to mention a legal preceding that could be initiated 

by the patient who could have damaged my agency’s trust 

and reputation. 

After I had written the blog, time went by as usual. As 

months went by I forgot that I had written the blog. I even 

cared for the same patient two more times after the blog 

for various reasons. As I continued caring for him, I grew 

to like the patient. I remember one time as I entered his 

residence, he greeted me by first name with a smile. A special 

bond is developed with a patient when they remember 

you by name and you remember them. At this point, I 

would have deleted the blog from my site, but as I said, I 

had forgotten all about it. 

In September 2007, a co-worker reported the blog to my 

employer. While participating in a mass casualty drill, I 

was pulled away and escorted to the vice president’s office. 

I knew it had to be a significant matter to pull me away 

from a training exercise. Completely oblivious as to what 

was going on, I found myself in the office with the vice 

president of operations and the director of EMS. I was 

immediately confronted with the blog that I had written. I 

had a rush of emotions, the most overpowering was sorrow 

for what I had done. I was instructed not to talk about it, 

delete all work related blogs immediately and was given a 

30-day unpaid suspension. My director also told me that 

he would more than likely be reporting the incident to the 

Kansas Board of EMS. 

In a state of complete devastation, I arrived home and 

immediately deleted every blog I had ever written. I found 

out that evening that two of my co-workers had also been 

suspended for 30 days without pay because of my blog and 

their return comments. I had never lived with such guilt in 

my life. 

I continued to work for an educational institution during 

the time I was suspended. After a week of my suspension, 

the Dean of Instruction at the educational institution 

received a letter accompanied by a copy of my blog. Now, 

this blog not only caused me problems at my EMS service, 

but my secondary job as well. This resulted in a very stern 

meeting between me and the EMS Program Director. The 

Program Director is my mentor, and I had really let him 

down. Not only did I let him down, I let down the entire 

staff and students at the educational institution. The guilt 

and disappointment in me was starting to become unbearable. 

Serving a 30-day suspension from my career and my 

primary source of income took its toll. I had to completely 

drain all of my savings to stay afloat. All of this resulted 

because of my poor choice of judgment. I soon found that 

things were just starting. 

I returned to work after my suspension and found myself 

working with others who were extremely disappointed in 

me. After a couple of days and a few talks with co-work- 

14 

| Educator Update | www.naemse.org

ers, things only improved by a little. I will never get 

back the respect that I had prior to the incident, and 

I wouldn’t ask for it either. What I did was wrong 

and hard for anyone to forgive. Still guilt-ridden and 

disappointed beyond words, I found myself having difficulty 

coping with what I had done and fell into a deep 

depression. 

February 2008 rolled around, and I was enrolled in 

an Instructor Coordinator class. I then found that my 

director had reported the incident to the Kansas Board 

of EMS. The Board’s Investigations Committee was 

meeting in just days. I contacted the Board, and they 

told me that a decision would be made later that week. 

The week passed slowly by as I waited in horror. I 

soon found out they decided to revoke my Paramedic 

certification. My world was soon spiraling out of control. 

As one could imagine, the process to revoke a license 

is not a quick and painless process. The process took 

months. Not knowing when my license would be 

revoked and trying to concentrate on my career was 

painstaking. One of the hardest things was to complete 

my Instructor Coordinator class, uncertain of my 

career’s future path. 

I had finally started to build my savings back up and 

was advised to seek an attorney. This was another 

financial hit from my original mistake. I hired an attorney 

to help me through the revocation process. A total 

of nine months passed since my original suspension. 

After nine months of guilt, anguish, disappointment 

and depression, I finally received a consent agreement. 

Given the options and willing to accept my mistake 

and consequences of my action, I signed the consent 

agreement. This agreement listed several things, but 

to summarize, I was being revoked for no less than 90 

days for professional misconduct emphasizing on a 

possible violation of patient confidentiality. 

Consequently, I resigned from my service and had 

to quit my passion of teaching. I then took a job as 

a vendor merchandiser, stocking shelves in grocery 

stores. Working alone everyday gave me a lot of time 

to think about what I had really done and who I had 

disappointed. Once again, the financial burden continually 

hung over my head. During this time I relied 

very heavily on my family, friends, and mentors. As I 

relied on them, they too suffered, feeling the ups and 

downs of the process. Also, during this time I sought 

counseling for my actions from a mental health hospital. 

Having completed the counseling, I learned more 

about empathy and its importance. It instilled in me 

the importance of patient confidentiality as I found 

myself as a patient in a mental health hospital. 

After barely struggling though my 90-day period, it 

was time to try and get reinstated. I knew that it was 

possible that the Board could extend my revocation or 

worse yet revoke my MICT indefinitely. I soon found 

BLOGGING....A GOOD IDEA? 

myself sitting in front of the Investigations Committee 

in Topeka, in a small room, crowded with people I didn’t 

know. I felt alone. As I stood out in the hallway with the 

panel during deliberation, I felt sick with emotions. “What 

if they say no?” was all I could think of. I thought about 

how much effort and time I had put into my career. For 

what? All for the chance to blog on Myspace.com? 

The group decided to reinstate my MICT! This was all I 

could ask for. There were two conditions that followed: 1) 

Write an article for the KEMSA Chronicle, which would 

also be published on the KSBEMS website, and 2) make 

myself available to any EMS agency across the state of 

Kansas to speak about what I did and the consequences. 

Having listed the conditions stated, I want to emphasize 

that I’m writing this article to educate other EMS professionals, 

not because I have to. What I did was wrong and 

should never happen to anyone. I want people to learn 

from my mistake. I have heard several of my colleagues 

talk about calls that they ran, some even in the same 

format as what I wrote. We in EMS all have to know that 

“blogging” has consequences. Each and every bit of electronic 

postings must edify the profession, other technicians, 

ourselves, and the patients we serve. I want my 

colleagues to think twice before saying or writing anything 

about the patients they care for. We have to be empathetic 

by putting ourselves in their shoes. Or as the hospital vice 

president asked me, “What if that patient was your mother, 

father, son or daughter?” 

As to the second condition listed, I would be more than 

happy to discuss my experience with your employees, 

co-workers, or students. This is free of charge as required. 

You can schedule this by contacting me by e-mail at emsmedic712@gmail.com. 

I would like to thank the Kansas Board of EMS for giving 

me the privilege and opportunity to share my experience 

with others. I would also like to thank KEMSA for publishing 

this article. Also thanks to all my family, friends, 

colleagues, and my counselor who have supported me 

through this trying experience. 

Editor’s Note: This article is being reprinted with 

permission from the KEMSA Chronicle, Vol. 4, Issue 

4, Winter 2008. The article was published by the 

KEMSA Chronicle in cooperation with the Kansas 

Board of EMS and Zach Bieghler. 


15

The Center for 

Emergency Response 

Learning 

Convenient – Flexible – Highly Interactive 

Online learning designed for your needs: 

• Continuing Education Programs 

• Industry Education Events 

• Clinical Resources 

• Product Information 

Become a PCU Student: www.physio-controluniversity.com 

©2011 Physio-Control, Inc. Redmond WA 98052. All rights reserved. 

16 


WHAT EVERY EMS EDUCATOR SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CECBEMS 

What Every EMS Educator 

Should Know About CECBEMS 

educators was convened. The result was a set of standards 

for distributed learning that forms the foundation of 

standards used currently for technology-based activities 

that have followed. 

By: Liz Sibley 

How Did CECBEMS Originate and What Does It Do? 

The Continuing Education Coordinating Board for EMS 

(CECBEMS) was chartered in 1992 by a group of organizations 

(see Table 1) that were stakeholders in the EMS 

community. These stakeholders believed that it was in 

the best interest of the EMS system and EMS providers 

nationwide to develop and implement policies to 

standardize the review and accreditation of EMS continuing 

education (CE) activities (Continuing Education 

Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Services 

[CECBEMS], 1993.) CECBEMS began by accrediting 

individual CE activities usually held in a conventional 

classroom or conference setting. Beginning in 2000, 

CECBEMS offered organizational accreditation, giving 

the accredited organization the ability to review and 

accredit its own activities through an in-house program 

committee and to review and accredit the activities of 

other organizations. 

CECBEMS’ standards and review processes continually 

evolve to keep pace with EMS practice and the technologies 

for delivering continuing education. This evolution 

is driven by CE providers dedicated to finding creative 

ways to use the information super highway; CECBEMS’ 

member organizations, each with an agenda that includes, 

in one way or another, making CE result in better 

patient care; EMS Medical Directors and supervisors 

who must address educational needs indicated by quality 

assurance reviews quickly and efficiently, and the end 

users, the EMS professionals working on the street whose 

comments are first-hand and to the point In the late 

1990’s when online activities began to appear, CECBEMS 

realized that distributed or distance, learning required 

its own set of standards the standards for traditional 

live activities did not apply to a distributed-learning 

activity. This educational format was embraced by CE 

providers and many in the EMS community as a way to 

make CE more accessible and affordable; however, there 

were concerns about the quality of these rapidly proliferating 

activities. In 2000, a panel of representatives 

of CECBEMS’ member organizations and other EMS 

CECBEMS endeavors to keep pace with technology-savvy 

CE providers. The Accreditation Management System 

(AMS), to which CE providers upload all records of course 

completions provides state EMS officials, NREMT, and 

training officers a resource for verifying course completions 

submitted for relicensing or recertifying and information 

about course content and CE providers. The 

AMS houses 2,087,484 course completion records at this 

writing. The AMS is not only a source of information but 

it also provides a record of a student’s course completions 

ensuring that EMS professionals receive appropriate 

credit by CE providers. The AMS also provides a valuable 

resource for researchers. 

CECBEMS’ policy is to offer mentoring to applicants , 

especially those new to the process of CE accreditation. Liz 

Sibley, Executive Director, observes, “We rarely decline an 

application. Usually, applicants are serious about getting 

accreditation and have at least a rudimentary knowledge 

of the principles of adult learning. Completing the required 

self-study is a substantial task and most applicants 

take pains to provide accurate, complete information. Organizations 

applying for accreditation are usually knowledgeable 

about educational design; however, they may not 

be sure that they meet a given standard or how to document 

compliance. We can usually give them the help they 

need or direct them to an appropriate resource, and the 

applicant ultimately receives accreditation.” Applications 

for accreditation for individual courses contain detailed 

information that guides the applicant through the instructional 

design process. 

How Does CECBEMS Operate? 

CECBEMS, a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt organization, is governed 

by an eight-member Board of Directors, one appointed 

from each of six member organizations and two 

from the National Association of State Emergency Medical 

Services Officials (NASEMSO ) one from the Education 

and Professional Standards Council and one state EMS 

Director. The Board creates a strategic plan, makes policy, 

and oversees the management of the accreditation process 

and the organization. Board members are not compensated 

except for reimbursement of travel expenses by their 

respective member organizations. The CECBEMS Board 

meets four times annually, twice face-to-face and twice by 

conference call. 

The headquarters, located in Dallas, TX, is staffed by a 

full-time Executive Director, a full-time Review Coordinator, 

and a part-time Accounting Coordinator, totaling 

about 2.15 full time equivilants. During the 2009-10 fiscal 

year, CECBEMS conducted a total of 1,173 reviews and two 


17


site visits. Because the staff is small, many of the review 

duties are delegated to qualified volunteers selected by 

the Board based upon their education and experience 

in EMS practice and education. Persons interested in 

becoming a reviewer should fill out the application at 

http://cecbems.org/reviewers/reviewerApp.aspx and 

submit it with appropriate contact information for 

persons listed as references. These materials are reviewed 

by a team of Board members and, if appointed, 

the individuals’ name appears on the Reviewer list at 

http://cecbems.org/reviewers/Default.aspx. When an 

application is submitted, reviewers receive an email 

giving the name of the applicant and the deadline for 

submitting the review. If the individual has no conflict 

of interest and can meet the deadline, he/she responds 

and receives the application, usually by email. Reviewers 

work in teams of three or individually depending upon 

the activity’s format and the reviewers’ experience. Reviewers 

use a standard checklist provided by CECBEMS 

to make the review as objective and comprehensive as 

possible and use their own experience as students and 

teachers to determine whether or not the activity satisfies 

CECBEMS standards. Reviewers are required to sign 

conflict-of-interest and confidentiality agreements and 

are blinded to the applicant. Many CECBEMS reviewers 

are NAEMSE members. “Volunteer reviewers are 

the backbone of the organization,” says Chair E. Jackson 

Allison, Jr., MD, MPH, FACEP. “I am consistently 

amazed at the willingness of this adept group of people 

to volunteer their time and expertise to move EMS CE 

toward excellence.” 

How Does CECBEMS Interact with Its Member 

Organizations? 

CECBEMS has a “built-in” relationship with each of its 

member organizations through their respective Board 

appointees. These appointees serve as a two-way conduit 

for information and maintain a cooperative interface, 

allowing CECBEMS to partner with member organizations 

as appropriate, especially on projects designed 

to make EMS education a quality product that will 

advance EMS as a profession. 

CECBEMS and NAEMSE have enjoyed a mutually beneficial 

relationship since NAEMSE was founded in 1995. 

In 1998, NAEMSE became an official CECBEMS member 

organization, and made a commitment to appoint 

one CECBEMS Director. NAEMSE has consistently 

obtained CECBEMS accreditation for its educational 

programs and became an accredited organization in 

2004. 

18 

| Educator Update | www.naemse.org 

Joe Grafft, current NAEMSE appointee to the 

CECBEMS Board observes, “There is ongoing need for 

our organizations to communicate and cooperate. We 

are striving to reach a common goal—making EMS professionals 

the best they can be by making EMS education 

the best it can be.” The CECBEMS mission, “To lead 

CE accreditation” and its review process are a reinforcement 

of NAEMSE’s mission to “Inspire Excellence in EMS 

Education and Lifelong Learning.” 

Like NAEMSE, CECBEMS has been in contact with several 

international organizations who are interested in providing 

excellent initial and continuing education. These 

organizations recognize the value of sound educational 

development and implementation and a third-party assessment 

of a self-study as marks of professionalism and 

integrity. 

The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians 

(NREMT) and CECBEMS have a common interest in 

making quality CE available to EMS providers. CECBEMS 

is represented at the semi-annual NREMT Board meetings 

to present information about CECBEMS’ activities 

and receive feedback from representatives of the broad 

spectrum of EMS-related organizations represented there. 

NREMT accepts CECBEMS-accredited CE, which is easily 

recognizable by its distinctive activity numbers and easily 

verifiable through the CECBEMS AMS, smoothly, NAEMT 

represents an especially important CECBEMS constituency. 

“The ultimate motivation for our efforts is the EMS 

professional, the guys and gals who work on the street. 

They deserve the best and most up-to-date CE possible, 

and they deserve to have an accurate record their CE faithfully 

maintained,” says Robert Loftus, BS, NREMT-B. 

Although staying in touch with 50 State EMS offices is 

a substantial task, CECBEMS maintains a connection 

with each state. Maxie Bishop, RN, LP, Texas EMS Director 

notes, “These interactions have been a source of vital 

information, helping the states and CECBEMS focus on 

CE priorities and identifying potential areas of noncompliance.” 

CECBEMS regularly responds to requests from state 

offices for information about CE providers, certificates, 

course objectives and descriptions. Sean Trask, MPA, 

EMT-P, Manager of California’s Personnel Standards 

Unit agrees, “Our state office and local EMS authorities 

call CECBEMS regularly to verify CE records submitted 

for renewing licenses. Bishop and Trask point out that 

CECBEMS performs a detailed and rigorous review that 

many local entities cannot do because budget and staff 

time are not available. The physician groups, American 

College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), American College 

of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians (ACOEP), and 

the National Association of Emergency Medical Services 

Physicians (NAEMSP), provide an important connection 

to the EMS Medical directors under whose licenses EMS 

patients receive care. “When I review an application for 

a job in the Pitt County EMS System, I readily accept CE 

that is CECBEMS accredited. I know that it has been thoroughly 

reviewed and that if I have any questions about the 

validity of a certificate. I can call CECBEMS to verify,” says 

Juan March, MD, FACEP, Pitt County, NC, EMS Medical 

Director.

Summary 

In summary, CECBEMS was created to serve the EMS 

community by ensuring that EMS professionals have access 

to quality CE. A pioneer group of EMS providers and 

physicians set the standard for service and interactions that 

have guided CECBEMS since 1993. In future articles, we 

will address the following questions: How does CECBEMS 

set standards? How does CECBEMS conduct reviews? Are 

CECBEMS’ reviewers compensated? What is the CECBEMS 

AMS? Why did CECBEMS establish the AMS? How 

does CECBEMS help EMS educators guard against fraud? 

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions for future 

articles, contact Liz Sibley at Lsibley@cecbems.org or 

972-247-4442 or 972-841-9531. 

Mission Statement: 

To lead the accreditation of EMS continuing 

education 

Vision Statement: 

To advance international EMS continuing 

education 

Table 1 

Value Statements: As the recognized international 

leader of continuing education accreditation 

in EMS, CECBEMS will: 

• Promote the evolution and growth of continuing 

education standards 

• Support life-long learning opportunities 

• Assure optimal learning experiences 

• Prepare EMS providers for future professional 

challenges 

• Provide ongoing customer service 

• Support continuing education organizations 

• Promote, serve, and support the EMS community in 

achieving these values 

Table 2 

Member Organizations Definitely 

•American College of Emergency Physicians - acep.org 

•National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians 

- nremt.org 

•National Association of Emergency Medical Services 

Physicians - naemsp.org 

•National Association of State EMS Officialsnasemso.org 

•National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians 

- naemt.org 

•In 1995 the National Association of EMS Educators - 

naemse.org - became a sponsoring organization. 


•In 2003 the American College of Osteopathic Emergency 

Physicians - acoep.org - became a sponsoring 

organization. 

Table 3 

Accreditation Activity - 

July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2010 

•Organizational Accreditation 

# Applications approved: 16—1% 

•One-time Events 

# Applications approved: 402*—35% 

•Multiple-event Activities 


•Distributed Learning Activities 


•Accreditation Activity Total 

Total applications approved: 1,173 

Table 4 

Course Completion Activity 

July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2010 

•One-time Events 

# of course completions reported: 26,440*—5% 

•Multiple-event Activities 

# of course completions reported: 85,172—14% 

•Distributed Learning Activities 

# of course completions reported: 481,555—81% 

•Course Completion Activity Total 

Total course completions reported: 593,167 

REFERENCES 

E.J. Allison (personal communication, December 15, 

2010). 

J. Grafft (personal communication, December 18, 2010). 

R. Loftus (personal communication, December 30, 2010). 

M. Bishop (personal communication, January 3, 2010). 

S. Trask (personal communication, December 20, 2010). 

J. March (personal communication, December 21, 2010). 

NAEMSE. 1995. 

CECBEMS. 1993. 

Stay tuned for Part II in the next issue of 

Educator Update 


19

Official Publication of the National Association of EMS Educators 

Winter 2011 

DOMAIN 3 

Providing a Voice for EMS Educators 

In This Issue... 

Domain 3 

21 Committee on 

Accreditation of 

Educational Programs For 

The EMS Professions 

Accreditation: The Site 

Visitors Are Coming! 

25 Accreditation, Evaluation 

and Assessment in EMS 

Education . . . Tying it all 

together 

Evaluation: 

is defined as the process of assessing the strengths and 

weaknesses of programs, policies and organizations to 

improve their effectiveness. *Wikipedia 

Accreditation: 

is defined as a process in which an entity, separate and 

distinct from the health care organization usually nongovernment 

assesses the health care organization to 

determine if it meets a set of standard requirements designed 

to improve quality of care. *JCAHO 

Assessment: 

is an ongoing process of gathering and analyzing data 

on the extent to which student learning outcomes have 

been attained and using the results of the analysis to 

improve teaching and learning. *Wikipedia 

27 Resources on 

Accreditation 

NAEMSE Mission: 

To inspire excellence in EMS education and lifelong 

learning.

DOMAIN 3 

Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs For The 

EMS Professions Accreditation: The Site Visitors Are Coming! 

By: Patricia Tritt, NAEMSE Representative to CoAEMSP 

The Self Study has been submitted and your site visit is scheduled. You are eagerly anticipating an informative two (2) 

days with the site visitors who are either a paramedic educator from a nationally accredited program and a physician involved 

in EMS education or two paramedic educators. You want to be well prepared, so where do you start? 

Effective preparation for the site visit will facilitate the site review, ensure that your program is adequately represented 

by providing documentation of your processes, answer site reviewer questions, and significantly reduce your stress 

level. Having all potential documents available for review also demonstrates the degree of organization of your program. 

Whether this is your first site visit or you are a seasoned veteran, the following checklist will assist you in your preparations. 

The Committee on Educational Programs for the EMS Professions (CoAEMSP) has provided you with a list of documents 

to have available for the site visit. There are two (2) primary methods of organizing the materials: file boxes or crates with 

labeled hanging file folders or labeled notebooks. Either should be organized by topic and remain available in the ‘headquarters’ 

room scheduled for the site visitors. Hanging file, or banker’s boxes, work particularly well since the contents are 

easy to access, the files accommodate a variety of document sizes, and document removal and replacement of materials is 

efficient. There are probably numerous schemes for organizing the materials. One (1) suggestion follows. 

To Do List 

Box or notebook #1: Program Administration 

1. CoAEMSP: Documents for Site Visit and identify the location of each item. (This document is sent to the program electronically 

prior to the site visit.) 

2. Completed Site Visit Schedule copies. Include as separate documents: 

a. List of students to be interviewed 

b. List of graduates to be interviewed 

c. List of employers to be interviewed 

d. List of Advisory Committee members to be interviewed 

3. Program updates or changes since the Self Study was submitted that the site visitors may not have received 

4. Agreements 

a. Affiliation agreement with a college or other organization (if applicable) 

b. Consortium Agreement and Bylaws (if applicable) 

c. Minutes of Consortium meetings (if applicable) 

5. Proof of institutional accreditation from an accrediting organization listed on the US Department of Education website (www.ope. 

ed.gov/accreditation/). Proof may be a letter or certificate from the accrediting organization. 

6. Job descriptions for all program personnel: program director, medical director, instructors 

7. Budget for the current year that includes personnel, supplies, equipment, and rental costs (if applicable) 

8. Department or program policies and standards manual (if applicable) 

9. Faculty meeting minutes (recommend a minimum of the last two (2) years) 

10. Advisory Committee meeting minutes (recommend a minimum of the last four (4)meetings) 

11. Documentation of faculty development (may include programs presented at a college, internal program in-services, or local, 

regional, and national meetings or conferences relating to clinical care or instructional techniques) 

12. Copies of signed and dated affiliation agreements for all current clinical and field internship sites 

13. Faculty grievance policy 

Box or notebook #2 : Program Operation 

1. Documentation of Medical Director review of educational content, instruction, examinations, student progress, student competency, 

and program evaluation instruments 

2. Course catalog and course schedule 

3. Student application to the program 

4. Student policy manual or handbook (to include grievance mechanism) 

5. Clinical manual 


21

DOMAIN 3 

6. Field internship manual (for student and preceptor) 

7. Preceptor training manual 

8. Rosters documenting field internship preceptor training with dates and names 

9. Documentation of completed required skill evaluations in the laboratory prior to entry into the clinical and field settings 

10. Student terminal competencies (what the program requires of each student as terminal competencies) 

11. Documentation of required student minimums for clinical and field contacts by age, gender, common problems, and procedures 

with documentation that all graduates have met those minimums (recommend a minimum of at least two classes). 

12. Documentation of periodic affective evaluation of each student 

13. Sample of patient care reports that have been audited by a faculty member with feedback to the students that demonstrates the 

review/evaluation process 

14. Course schedule for the program (include classroom, lab, clinical, field experience, and field internship and include a total number 

of hours for each of these components) 

15. Clinical rotation schedule 

16. Field internship rotation schedule 

17. Lesson plans for each topic/class session (recommend a minimum of six (6) for review). Note: Reviewers may request specific 

topics on-site. 

18. Course syllabi for each course 

19. Course examinations: formative and summative (recommend a minimum of six (6) for review) 

20. Documentation of grades (recommend a minimum of at least two (2) classes) 

21. Documentation of attendance 

22. Course transcripts (if applicable) 

23. Terminal Competency Forms signed and dated by the Program Director and Medical Director for all students (recommend a 

minimum of at least two (2)classes) 

Box or notebook #3: Evaluation 

1. Documentation of analysis of examination items and actions taken to improve the items. Must include reliability and validity 

statistics. 

2. Evaluations of faculty and guest speaker presentations by students (recommend a minimum of at least two (2) classes) 

3. Final evaluations of the course by students (recommend a minimum of at least two (2)classes) 

4. Evaluations of clinical and field internship assignments by students (recommend a minimum of at least two (2) classes) 

5. Evaluation of preceptors by students (recommend a minimum of at least two (2) classes) 

6. Documentation of a summative student evaluation at the end of the course of study (recommend a minimum of at least two (2) 

classes) 

7. NREMT or state certification testing results (recommend a minimum of at least two (2)classes) 

8. Graduate and employer surveys (recommend a minimum of at least two classes) 

9. Annual Program Resource Surveys completed by the students and Annual Program Resource Surveys completed by Program Personnel, 

including Medical Director and Advisory Committee members. (recommend a minimum of at least two (2) years 

10. CoAEMSP Annual Report (recommend the most recent) 

11. Other program action plans or analysis such as a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis. All assessments 

should be accompanied by a plan to address issues identified. 

Miscellaneous 

1. Site visitors will pull student files at random for review 

2. Some documents may be electronic: print a copy if feasible. Otherwise have a computer available to review the documents with 

the site visitors online. 

3. Be prepared to provide additional examples if requested: IE exams, lesson plans 

Once you have organized the boxes or notebooks, have another staff member review the contents against the checklist. 

Are all the requested materials present and current? Are the copies legible? Do the materials address the ‘evidence’ 

column in the Site Visit Report? If you have not already done so, you can download the Site Visit Report at: http:// 

www.coaemsp.org/Site_Visits_Visitors.htm. Make sure that your key faculty members are familiar with the documents 

on hand and can answer all questions in their area of responsibility. You should now be ready for the site visit so 

relax and engage the site visitors in dialog about your program! 

22 


N ATIONAL A SSOCIATION OF EMS EDUCATORS 

“TO INSPIRE EXCELLENCE IN EMS EDUCATION AND L IFE L ONG L EARNING” 

EMS Educational 

Mini-Symposium 

Orlando, Florida 

Friday and Saturday 

April 1st and 2nd, 2011 

8:00 AM to 5:00 PM 

NAEMSE is presenting 6 of it’s most 

popular sessions from the 2010 

NAEMSE Educational Symposium in 

Schaumburg, IL. This Mini- 

Symposium will consist of two full 

days of lectures with 14 continuing 

education credits for EMS educators. 

This year’s EMS Educational Mini- 

Symposium will offer you two 4-hour 

and four 90-minute sessions. 

Hotel Accommodations: 

Omni ChampionsGate Hotel 

1500 Masters Blvd 

Orlando, Florida 

Phone: 407-390-6664 

or 1-800-843-6664 

Book under code NAEMSE for 

special room rate of $149.00 plus 

tax. 

This hotel offers free scheduled 

transportation to Walt Disney 

World for those that wish to bring 

their families along for a vacation. 

14 Approved and accepted 

CECBEMS CEUs hours will be 

earned upon completion of this 

symposium. 

Sessions: 

Lesson Plan Extreme Makeover: Heather Davis, MS, NREMT-P ( 4 Hr) 

One Minute Preceptor: John Todaro, REMT-P, RN, TNS, NCEE ( 1.5 Hr) 

Teaching Kinesthetically: Douglas Smith, MAT, EMT-P, I/C ( 4 Hr) 

Program Director Do’s and Don'ts: Heather Davis, MS NREMT-P ( 1.5 Hr) 

Teaching and Evaluating Professional Behavior: ( 1.5 Hr) 

Michael Touchstone, BS, EMT-P 

Live or Memorex? Synchronous vs. Asynchronous Online Courses ( 1.5 Hr) 

Doug Gadomski, MA ( C ), EMT-P 

Educational Tracks 

⇒ Educational Technology 

⇒ Teaching Strategies 

⇒ Program Management 

⇒ Classroom Management 

Symposium Costs: 

Member: $225.00 

Non Member: $295.00 

Registration forms can be found by visiting 

www.naemse.org

Life is not a game when 

patient care decisions are 

in your hands. 

There once was a popular board 

game that challenged each player to 

figure out where, when and how a 

crime happened. You could make a 

guess and be wrong but still be the 

victor of the game. 

In real life we do not have the luxury 

of guessing how to treat our patients. 

We must be certain of the treatment 

plan based on standing protocols, 

signs, symptoms, medication usage, 

allergies and important past medical 

history gained during the patient 

assessment. 

What if your patient is unable to 

communicate with you? Millions 

of people have made it possible to 

phone a friend (MedicAlert ® ) and gain 

access to their medical history. All 

you have to do is recognize the clue 

and turn the key to help complete the 

patient history puzzle. 

The MedicAlert 24-hour 

emergency response number 

Your patient’s vital 

medical information 

Your patient’s MedicAlert 

member number 

24 

2323 Colorado Avenue • Turlock, CA 95382 

1.800.432.5378 • www.medicalert.org 

| MedicAlert Educator Foundation is Update a 501(c)(3) nonprofit | organization. www.naemse.org 

©2010 All Rights Reserved. MedicAlert ® is a U.S. registered trademark and service mark. 

To receive FREE training material for your classroom 

contact education@medicalert.org

INTRODUCTION 

Great changes are taking place in the world of Emergency 

Medical Services (EMS) Education as a national 

standard curriculum transforms into national 

education standards, roles of EMS providers are 

expanding, and moves toward requiring national 

accreditation of Paramedic educational programs 

becomes a national standard. EMS educators need to 

keep current with the changes that are taking place 

and be prepared to meet new standards as they begin 

to affect their organizations. This article will provide 

a map to tying nationalaccreditation, assessment 

and evaluation into a seamless system for planning, 

reviewing and reporting. 

ACCREDITATION OF INSTITUTIONS AND 

PROGRAMS 

Post-secondary education institutions need to be 

accredited by an accreditation body recognized by 

the US Department of Education (USDOE) in order 

to be eligible for federal funding, including federal 

student loans. Also, many states require institutions 

to be nationally accredited to be licensed to operate 

in the state. The US Department of Education 

recognizes ten (10) national accrediting agencies, 

sixteen (16) regional accrediting agencies, twenty-one 

(21) hybrid accrediting agencies, and twenty-seven 

(27) programmatic accrediting agencies. (see Box 1). 

DOMAIN 3 

Accreditation, Evaluation and Assessment in 

EMS Education . . . Tying it all together 

By: Bill Raynovich, NREMTP, EdD, MPH 

(reference 1. ) The goal of accreditation, according to 

the US Department of Education, is “to ensure that 

education provided by institutions of higher education 

meets acceptable levels of quality.” (reference 2) 

EMS Paramedic Programs are nationally accredited 

by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health 

Education Programs (CAAHEP). The Committee 

on Accreditation of EMS Programs (CoAEMSP) is 

a member organization of CAAHEP. CAAHEP and 

CoAEMSP are the only nationally recognized accrediting 

bodies for EMS programs in the US today. 

CAAHEP explains the differences between institutional 

accreditation and programmatic accreditation 

on their website which can be viewed at www. 

caahep.org. Broadly speaking, accreditation is an 

effort to assess the quality of institutions, programs 

and services, measuring them against agreed-upon 

standards and thereby assuring that they meet those 

standards. Institutional accreditation helps to assure 

potential students that a school is a sound institution 

and has met certain minimum standards in terms of 

administration, resources, faculty and facilities. Programmatic 

accreditation examines specific schools 

or programs within an educational institution. The 

Standards by which EMS (specifically Paramedic) 

programs are measured have been developed by EMS 

professionals. 

ACCREDITATION AND ASSESSMENT 

All higher education institutions and programs today 

are focusing on developing assessment plans and 

reports that meet the requirements for accreditation 

and state licensing agencies. The CAAHEP Standards 

and Guidelines which are those used by CoAEMSP, 

refer specifically to program assessments by requiring 

programs, at least annually, to assess the appropriateness 

and effectiveness of its resources and the results 

of the assessment must be the basis for planning and 

appropriate changes. An action plan must be developed 

when deficiencies are identified and the action 

plan must be documented and the results measured 

and reported. (Standard III. Resources D. Resource 

Assessment) (reference 3) Programs must also assess 

and report their Outcomes. (Reference 4. Ibid. 

– same as above) CoAEMSP Standard IV. B. 1. States 

that programs must periodically assess their effectiveness 

in achieving their stated goals in all of the learn- 


25

DOMAIN 3 

ing domains and that the results of their assessments 

(evaluation) must be reflected in their review and 

revision of the program. Thus, program assessment 

and evaluation are directly tied to showing program 

changes for improvements. The outcomes measures 

include, but are not limited to, student completion 

rates (attrition and matriculation), graduate satisfaction, 

employer satisfaction, job placement rates, 

performance on state licensing examinations, and on 

national registry examination pass rates. 

ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION 

Assessment refers to the process of determining the 

state of the program and how well it is performing. 

An assessment is global and involves all aspects of 

a program, from management through all levels of 

operation, all material resources, including facilities, 

equipment, supplies, and all non-material factors, 

such as quality performance, reputation and external 

relationships, such as affiliated field and clinical 

training agencies. Evaluation refers to the process 

of assigning a quality measure to each factor in an 

assessment. The CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines 

make a number of references to Evaluation requirements. 

In fact, the last statement of the Preamble to 

the Standards and Guidelines states that the (accreditation) 

Standards are to be used for the development, 

evaluation, and self-analysis of the programs and that 

the review of the program is intended to assist in the 

evaluation of the program’s compliance with the accreditation 

Standards. 

One of the hallmarks of the accreditation, assessment 

and evaluation process is Peer Evaluation. In 

fact, accreditation, itself, is a peer process, from the 

setting of the Standards, to the program review, and 

throughout the program operations, as professionals 

conduct peer reviews on an ongoing basis with the 

intention of improving performance. 

gic Plan and Goals and Objectives that align with the 

institution. In the case of Paramedic programs, and 

the CoAEMSP, this requirement can be found in the 

CAAHEP Standards and Guidelines (II. Program Goals 

A. Program Goals and Outcomes), which state that the 

program must have a written statement of the goals 

that are consistent with the needs and expectations of 

the program. Also, the goals must be shown to provide 

the basis for program planning, implementation, and 

evaluation. Further, the goals must be compatible with 

the mission of the sponsoring institution 

CONCLUSION 

Program evaluation, which extends well beyond 

instructor evaluations of students, is an ongoing 

reflective process at all levels of an organization. The 

standards for evaluation are set by the program, a 

sponsoring institution, state regulations and accrediting 

bodies. The comprehensive quality monitoring 

and program improvement plan can be found in the 

program’s assessment plan, which states the program’s 

mission and vision, its goals and objectives, and its 

performance outcomes that are measurable. When the 

mission and vision and goals of a program are aligned 

with those of the sponsoring institution and the needs 

of the community, the program is able to demonstrate 

effective assessment and evaluation to the accrediting 

and licensing bodies. 

References 

1. http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Agencies.aspx 

2. http://www2.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/accreditation.html#Overview 

3. http://coaemsp.org/Documents/Standards.pdf 

4. Assessment to Improve Learning in Higher Education: 

The BEAR Assessment System. Mark Wilson and 

Kathleen Scalise. Higher Education. 2006. 52:635-663 

ALIGNMENT OF ACCREDITATION, ASSESS- 

MENT, EVALUATION, GOALS AND 

OUTCOMES 

This brings us to the “tying it all together” aspect of 

accreditation through outcomes. All of the accrediting 

bodies, from the national institutional accrediting 

agency, the programmatic accrediting agency (CAA- 

HEP), the accrediting committee (CoAEMSP), and 

the state licensing agencies, require all the institutions 

to have a Mission and a Vision Statement, a 

Strategic Plan, and Goals and Objectives. Also each 

accredited program within the institution must also 

have a Mission and Vision Statement, and a Strate- 

26 


DOMAIN 3 

Resources on Accreditation 

4. For Program Directors—the most important document 

in this section is the Request for Accreditation Services 

(RAS) which gets a program into the CAAHEP system and 

puts the program on a mailing list for information. Completing 

this RAS doesn’t mean the program has actually 

“applied” for accreditation nor does it provide any accreditation 

status. A program actually “applies” for accreditation 

by submitting the self study document. 

By: Deb Cason, NAEMSE 

Representative to CAAHEP 

It’s not long now! January 1, 2013 is the date! Only 

23 months before paramedic programs must submit 

their self study report in order to become accredited 

and allow graduates to take the National Paramedic 

Certification exam. (At publication of this issue, the 

NREMT believes they will allow graduates from programs 

who have completed their self study to take the 

National Paramedic certification exam. A formal policy 

announcement from the NREMT will be issued in the 

near future). But do not fear! Resources are available 

to assist you in this process! This article will focus on 

resources to get your started and to develop the Initial- 

Accreditation Self Study Report (ISSR). The ISSR is the 

first step in accreditation, and occurs before a site visit. 

The following is a partial list of resources: 

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health 

Educational Programs (CAAHEP) website, 

CAAHEP.org 

1. About Accreditation—this section is useful to identify 

WHAT accreditation is and WHY its important 

2. Accreditation Glossary—this is a generic accreditation 

glossary that applies to all programs in all CAAHEP 

disciplines. It includes the types of accreditation and 

what are standards and guidelines. 

3. Find an Accredited Program—this section of the website 

allows anyone to first identify the profession and 

then the state and lists each accredited program for that 

state. Program personnel may be able to find a program 

or program(s) that can help answer some questions and 

assist in the self study process. 

5. YAM—Your Accreditation Mentor—this is a small tab at 

the top of the home page and has a wealth of information 

on becoming accredited including the CAAHEP Standards 

& Guidelines, Domains of Learning, Beginning the 

Accreditation Process, Writing the Self Study and hosting 

the Site Visit, etc. This is a valuable resource for any 

program director! Videos are also in this section that assist 

in accreditation. 

Committee on Accreditation for EMS Professions 

(CoAEMSP) website, CoAEMSP.org 

1. Standards Interpretation —The Standards are the requirements 

on which a program is evaluated and that you 

must follow in your program development. The guidelines 

(in italics) are clarifications or examples of those requirements. 

The Standards Interpretations is a great tool to 

assist with your understanding of the Standards. Reading 

this prior to beginning work on the ISSR will help you 

focus on what is required and what you should do and 

answer. 

2. Self Study Report—ISSR document identifies all sections 

of the self study for you to download and complete. 

HOWEVER, if you would go to the bottom of the self 

study report section you will find “ISSR SAMPLE” that is 

a completed “dummy” self study report document (thank 

you Jeff McDonald—who would voluntarily complete a self 

study report when they don’t have to?). This will provide 

you with a great example of what the CoA is looking for 

in the answers to the self study questions. This is not for 

cutting and pasting into your own ISSR but it should give 

you some ideas! 

3. Policy and Procedures—this section has some helpful 

information, especially if you have insomnia. Not really, 

but it does address some special situations. The most 

important part about the Policies and Procedures for you 

at this point is the last 4 pages: Accreditation Glossary. 

This is more specific to CoAEMSP and can be helpful if 

you find yourself unsure of a term. And if you don’t find 

the definition here, send it to the CoA and we’ll try to answer 

it and add it to the glossary. 


27

DOMAIN 3 

4. Fees—of course every Dean, Chief and CEO wants 

to know how much it costs. The fees listed here help 

explain it to your boss. 

5. Contact us—this has the email address and phone 

number of Dr. George Hatch, our executive director. 

(Contrary to rumor, his number is not 1-800-GEO- 

HATCH, but we’re working on it.) Dr. Hatch has been 

a program director and is very knowledgeable about 

both the accreditation process and education and can 

provide assistance. It may be that other staff can answer 

questions and their areas of expertise are listed in this 

section as well as their contact information. 

6. CoAEMSP email list—this is a great way to receive 

ongoing information from CoAEMSP on current issues. 

Please sign up! We like to communicate. 

7. Meetings and Events—this section is at the top of the 

home page and identifies accreditation workshop dates 

and locations. This is one of the best ways to give yourself 

and your program a boost on your self study. 

8. News from CoA—is also at the top of the home page 

and has previous articles and newsletters. Additionally 

a “Terminal Competency Form” is on this section 

that you can use as is to have your medical director 

verify student competency at the end of your program. 

You will understand the requirement better after reading 

Standards and Guidelines and their interpretations. 

An Accreditation Fact Sheet is also a good overview and 

resource. 

9. Becoming Accredited – has links to the RAS, the Standards 

and Guidelines, the ISSR, the accreditation workshop 

registration form, and the “Getting Started: An Action 

Plan” tool, which is invaluable in outlining all the steps in 

the process and providing a checklist to keep you on track. 

Also, if you sponsorship category requires an articulation 

agreement, there is a great article on how to work with 

college(s) to develop one. 

NAEMSE.org 

On the left hand side of the home page there’s a tab about 

requesting an accreditation mentor. Complete the form 

and submit and NAEMSE will get back with you on someone 

who has some accreditation expertise and can answer 

your questions, OR find a resource who can! 

So as you can see, you are not alone and many organizations 

and individuals want to assist you and your program 

through the accreditation process! That is an important 

message to all of us that accreditation is important and 

does make a difference. So begin the accreditation process 

today by going down this list of resources and becoming 

familiar with what is to come! 

Instant Answers. 

Anytime. Anywhere. 

All content is created or reviewed by NAEMSE 

Carrying a complete EMS reference in the palm of your hand that includes medical, 

drug, toxicology and HAZMAT ensures your response in any emergency situaon is 

fast and accurate. For students, specialized EMS content from NAEMSE helps train 

beer EMS professionals. 

NAEMSE Members — Receive an Exclusive 10% Discount! 

Call (888) 321-7828 ext. 251 for complimentary faculty access, or to 

take advantage of your NAEMSE 10% member discount. 

PEPID | 4620 N. 16th St., Suite C-217 | Phoenix, AZ 85016 

(847) 491-9100 or (888) 321-7828 (toll free) | www.pepid.com 

© 2011 PEPID, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

EVALUATING EVALUATIONS 

Evaluating Evaluations 

By Rob Weir, author Inside-HigherEd.com 

Just as fall semester becomes a fading memory, an 

e-mail will pop up in your inbox. It will direct you to 

a Web link where you can view the collated results of 

student evaluations of your courses. Most seasoned 

professors will hit the delete button immediately; or 

they’ll click, briefly scan the data, and then delete. 

Not new hires! They’ll pore over the results as if a new 

Dead Sea scroll had been unearthed and the balance of 

all that is sacred rests in what they decode. 

I understand. It used to be even worse; in the days 

before the god Electronica ruled the world, many 

schools published and distributed teaching evaluations 

on paper. I held my breath as I picked up the first of 

mine. The initial student comment read: “Rob Weir is 

the best professor I’ve ever had.” Whew! But wait; the 

second said: “Rob Weir is the worst professor I’ve ever 

had.” Never mind that my overall evaluations were 

glowing; I was crushed by the negative review. What 

did I do that made that student so bitter? Being a newbie, 

I also immediately thought that the only evaluator 

who got it right was the complainer and I had merely 

duped the other students. Inevitably, I would be exposed 

as a fraud and barred from college teaching. In 

short, I panicked. 

What can we learn from course evaluations? Plenty, 

but first a few hurdles must be overcome. First, don’t 

emulate grizzled senior colleagues and treat them as 

irrelevant. You should listen to student evaluations. By 

all means, though, don’t do what I did and take every 

comment to heart. Stay in the profession long enough 

and you’ll soon learn that it’s impossible to please everyone. 

Even if your class featured naked fire-jugglers, 

at least one student would still complain it was “boring.” 

You’ll also learn that some complaints are simply 

reflexive. When have students not grumbled that the 

workload was too heavy? Or that some courses were 

scheduled too early in the day? And even if you held 

office hours 23 hours per day, someone would complain 

you were hard to reach. So where’s the balance? 

Start by not taking official course evaluations any more 

(or less) seriously than your administration does. For 

the most part, administrators at community colleges 

and other tuition-driven institutions look at teaching 

evaluations much more closely than those at research 

institutions, many of which hardly look at them at all. 

Ask colleagues you trust where the chips fall in your college. 

If the entire process is a pro forma sham, reserve 

your angst for something more worthy. 

If your college attaches at least some importance to student 

evaluations, put yours in proper perspective. Look 

first at the columns that record the institutional mean 

for each criterion being measured. If you’re close to or 

above that mean, you’re fine and can stop worrying. The 

way to improve your teaching is to note the areas where 

you scored above and below the mean. Next semester, 

do more of the first and less of the second! Among the 

lessons I learned from doing this was that most students 

appreciated my availability and respected my 


29

EVALUATING EVALUATIONS 

preparation, but too many felt that I didn’t integrate 

reading assignments closely enough into live-class 

lessons. That was an easy adjustment to make and my 

evaluations soon reflected that change. 

Alas, the biggest thing you’ll learn from official evaluations 

is that you usually don’t learn all that much. 

First of all, the sample is seldom representative — it 

represents only the views of those who happened to 

be in class the day you handed out the evaluations. 

Inevitably, your best students will come down with 

debilitating senioritis that day, and some of the worst 

will have just recovered from it. (It’s amazing how the 

intellectually halt and lame enjoy health and attendance 

resurgences at the end of the semester!) Only 

colleges that require all students to fill out evaluations 

— some impose fines on those who don’t — can be 

said to be comprehensive. 

Even if you get a 100 percent return, however, official 

evaluations are inherently flawed. Too much 

of what they purport to evaluate applies quantitative 

measures to qualitative experiences. I know that 

many colleagues disagree with me on this score, and 

some whom I admire greatly have labored hard on 

creating evaluative tools, but I simply don’t believe 

it’s possible to quantify how professors have nurtured 

things such as abstract thought, intellectual maturity, 

curiosity, elegance of expression, creativity, or zeal for 

learning. 

I find that there are more useful forms of feedback 

and that these eventually will be reflected on the official 

bubble sheets. One of the best ways to know how 

you’re doing is to ask students. Very few will have the 

moxie to slam you in person, but you can ask openended 

questions that will yield important information. 

(In small classes you can do this orally; in large 

ones you may wish to have a short in-class exercise.) 

I ask questions such as: What assignment did you like 

best this semester and why? Which did you like least 

and why? What was the very best thing about this 

course and what made it so? What do you wish we 

had done more of? What’s the thing you’ll remember 

most about this class? If I had to drop one thing from 

the class, what should it be and why? 

Be prepared to be astonished at the answers. You may 

find that the book or article you found most fascinating 

is dubbed the most useless. (Some students will 

admit they gave up on it.) If students tell you that the 

biggest thing they’ll take away from the course is your 

personality, jokes, or antics, revise for next semester. 

You’re here to shape minds, not build fan clubs. 

Some student feedback can be distressingly revelatory. I 

had been teaching for three years when I did something 

I had not done before or since: I left my lesson folder 

at home. I only discovered this an hour before class 

and spent a frantic 60 minutes assembling a makeshift 

plan. That panic attack led to end-of-the-semester 

soul-searching when many students cited that day’s 

lesson as their favorite. Upon reflection I realized that I 

had stripped the lesson to its basics. By necessity it was 

sparse, but it was also clear and less claustrophobic than 

my usual detail-choked lectures. That feedback led me 

to pare details from lectures in favor of leaving space for 

narrative development, analogies, and student discussion. 

My official ratings shot up. 

Other things I’ve learned directly from students: They 

love it when I confess I don’t know something that 

they do. They like it when I ask them to think through 

a problem with me rather than simply telling them the 

answer, but they get annoyed if I prolong the process. 

They enjoy it when I redirect questions and involve lots 

of people in the discussion. Students get animated when 

I relate course materials to things in their world (films, 

music, university issues). They turn off if I’m too critical 

of their work. The latter was an important lesson. Like 

many scholars fresh from grad school, I found it easier 

to critique than to affirm. Students taught me to use 

praise as prelude to criticism. If all of these things strike 

you as merely good pedagogy, I’d agree. But I’ll humbly 

admit they didn’t always seem that way. 

The other evaluation you should pay attention to is selfevaluation. 

Learn to trust your instincts. We can learn a 

lot from others, but official evaluations are sometimes 

kinder than they should be. If you muse on your semester, 

you’ll easily recall the things that worked well. Repeat 

next semester. You’ll also remember what bombed. 

Jettison these. Flops, alas, occur throughout one’s 

career. This fall, I organized a writing course around the 

theme of preparing to become a public intellectual. It 

seemed like a good idea, but it wasn’t. It will not be the 

theme of next semester’s class. It didn’t even last the semester. 

I did a mid-course correction because students 

let me know my plan wasn’t working. 

My conclusion is a simple one: no matter where you 

are on the career path, evaluators can help you refocus. 

Take good feedback to heart; just don’t let bad feedback 

break it. 

Article “Evaluating Evaluations” re-printed with 

permission from Inside-HigherEd.com. 

30 


NAEMSE 

250 Mount Lebanon Blvd. 

Suite 209 

Pittsburgh, PA 15234

What Every EMS Educator Should Know About

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?