Our Story

My name is Dr. Kelli Langan and I became a District Testing Coordinator (DTC) three years ago, just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit. I quickly learned that this is a hard, lonely job. It was even lonelier because we had no support group for Testing Coordinators in Arkansas. We had plenty of other groups, but none dedicated to testing, which is a huge effort. As I struggle in silence, I learned of an educational group that was providing exactly what I needed, support testing coordinators. The National Association of Testing Professionals (NATP) is a nonprofit organization founded by a group of testing coordinators, just like me, so I joined! They immediately started providing me with support and valuable resources that saved me loads of time and energy, I didn’t have to recreate the wheel! I thought, “We need something like this in Arkansas.” That idea lit my fire! So, I reached out to some of our testing peers who had also joined NATP to kick around the idea of a state testing network. In no time at all, Dr. Felicia Smith and Dr. Matt Saferite stepped up to the plate and agreed to help create and lead an Arkansas-specific testing organization. We envisioned a group of peers who would help support each other by sharing resources to alleviate our redundancies. Three short months later, we launched the Arkansas Association of Testing Professionals and proudly affiliated with NATP. Three months after that, we secured nonprofit status, established corporate partnerships, created a website, started a resource repository, and launched the Arkansas Online Community for state and national resources sharing and networking opportunities. Pure fire, I tell you! It has been an incredible ride.

To keep growing our network of support for you and others, we need your help. In January 2023, we are introducing an affordable $100 annual fee for unlimited access to all we’ve got: peer support from fellow DTCs, Arkansas specific resources, and state and regional events! AND this will also provide you access to all the resources available from your peers across the country through NATP! YES! This nominal investment will provide you with invaluable networking opportunities, resources and the opportunity to connect with your peers in Arkansas and beyond. Please join us in support of one another as we establish a robust repository of Arkansas resources to help facilitate your job and mine.