A powerful organization with passionate people
The Mission of the Association is to create a network of support and resources that will streamline assessment efforts across the United States.
The momentum is building to move the needle in assessment support
Dr. Elda Garcia launched the NATP in 2019 after serving as a District Testing Coordinator for nearly two decades. Early in her career, Dr. Garcia joined the Texas Statewide Network of Assessment Professionals (TSNAP), an organization that provided her with a support network of people who shared the same aspirations and who freely shared ideas and best practices. Membership in TSNAP was a key ingredient in Dr. Garcia’s success journey. She ultimately took on many leadership roles in the organization including board member, regional director, and President.
Seeing that many states do not have an assessment networks and that there was no national organization to connect assessment professionals across state lines, Dr. Garcia created NATP to facilitate stronger professional development for assessment professionals everywhere.
Dr. Garcia sought the support and guidance of some of Texas’ most experienced leaders to mold NATP into creation. Between them, they bring 185 years of experience in education and assessment!
“Students have a lot riding on our ability to serve them well,” said Dr. Garcia. “I view self and community development as an obligation we all have to the students we serve.”
A team led by passionate & talented people
Dr. Elda Garcia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology/Sociology from Texas A&I University and a Master of Science in Psychology from Texas A&M-Kingsville. She also achieved a Ph.D. in Counselor Education from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
Dr. Garcia is the Executive Director for the National Association of Testing Professionals (NATP). The NATP mission is to create a network of support and resources that will streamline assessment efforts across the United States. Her focus is on establishing and maintaining key partnerships between school districts, state education agencies, and vendors within each state and across the nation, as they work on the common goal of meeting the assessment needs of all students.
Dr. Garcia has also served as the President for the Texas Statewide Network of Assessment Professionals (TSNAP). TSNAP is the largest assessment network in Texas. In operation for 20 years and with over 1,200 members, the organization aims to support the efforts of Testing Coordinators, while collaborating with the Texas Education Agency, local service centers, and sponsored vendors.
Dr. Garcia served as the Senior Director of Assessment and Accountability for the Corpus Christi Independent School (CCISD) for near 20 years. During that time, she oversaw the district’s local and state assessment programs and supported campus administrators as they worked toward performance goals. She also oversaw the district's state accountability program as well as work associated with school boundaries, enrollment projections, and research and program evaluation efforts. She also participated in Assessment Working and Accessibility Groups for the Texas Education Agency toward improved policies and practices.
Dr. Garcia has served as the Regional Director for the Texas Statewide Network of Assessment Professionals (TSNAP) and on the Executive Committee for the Corpus Christi Principals and Supervisors Association. She has presented at professional conferences including the Texas Assessment Conference, Texas Association of Addiction Professionals, Texas Counseling Association, and the American Counseling Association. She is also a contributing author to Substance Abuse Counseling, 3rd and 4th Editions published by Prentice-Hall and The Road to Doctoral Success and Beyond published by the International Journal of Doctoral Studies.
Prior to public education, she attended medical school in Matamoros, Mexico, which she discontinued due to complications related to 9/11. In her early career, she worked in the fields of counseling and medical social work working with special populations including: at-risk youth, criminal justice clients, chemically dependent clients, the elderly and terminally ill children. She continues to apply her person-centered approach, problem-solving and empowerment skills to bring a real-world perspective on assessment and contribute to the exploration and discovery of innovative ways to make test results more meaningful and relevant to all stakeholders.
Chris Cordell has worked in the field of education for 18 years. He began his career as a Teacher in Coppell Independent School District. With a strong interest in administration, he accepted a position as Assistant Principal at Decatur Independent School District. In 2010, he began his work specifically in the area of testing, as District Assessment Coordinator in Pflugerville Independent School District.
Chris is currently the Director of Systemwide Testing in the Austin Independent School District . Systemwide Testing coordinates the administration and processing of state and federally-mandated assessments, provides training and support for site test coordinators and principals, and ensures that appropriate test administration and security procedures are followed at all testing sites. The department also provides guidance on changes to the state assessment program and coordinates online testing.
Systemwide Testing facilitates the administration of the following assessments:
- State Assessments
- State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness - STAAR, STAAR-Alternate 2
- STAAR End-of-Course
- TELPAS, TELPAS Alternate
- Federal Assessments
- National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)
- Other Assessments
- Credit by Exam (CBE)
- The Iowa Assessments
Chris possesses specific skills in Education, Educational Management, and Training & Development and has applied those skills as he served as an executive member of several assessment organizations. Chris has served on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Governing Board for many years. In that capacity, Chris had the shared responsibility for setting the assessment schedule, developing the frameworks that provide the blueprint for the content and design of the assessment, and setting achievement levels, as well as helping to set NAEP policy. He has also been an active member of the Texas Statewide Network of Assessment Professionals since its early years of inception, twenty years ago. He proudly served as TSNAP Regional Director for the CATS group and as TSNAP President in 2016. Chris remains active in the organization as Past President.
Pam Brown a Licensed Professional Counselor and Supervisor and is currently the Director of Counseling and Assessment for Lubbock-Cooper ISD. She has been employed by the district for 50 years. During her tenure with LCISD she has been in charge of statewide assessment since Texas administered its first test in 1980 . She is a Board Member for the Texas Statewide Network of Assessment Professionals representing Region 17. Pam trains new testing coordinators for her Regional Education Service Center and has been a frequent presenter at the annual Texas Assessment Conference. She was the 2009-2010 Counselor of the Year for Region 17 ESC and received the 2019 Sandra Poth Outstanding Educator Award from the Texas State Network of Assessment Professionals. Pam is a firm believer that “it takes a village” to successfully manage an assessment program and that is why membership in NATP is so critical. In her “other life” Pam is an actress and frequently performs at the Lubbock Community Theatre.
Tami has been in the business of Education for 34 years. She has her Bachelor of Science degree from Texas State University in Education and achieved a Master's degree from MidAmerica Nazarene University in Curriculum and Instruction.
Tami currently serves as the Director of Assessment and Accountability for Waco Independent School District. She is also the Director of the Heart of Texas Testing Specialists for Region 12 in Texas (H.O.T.T.S.), a division of Texas State Network of Assessment Professionals (T.S.N.A.P.). Tami is married to Kenneth and they have 12 grandchildren, with whom they enjoy spending time.
Emily Lorenz serves as the Superintendent of Calallend Independent School District in Texas. Prior to her superindendency, she has served as a Curriculum and Instruction, Assessment, and Accountability expert for twenty-two years. She worked as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction in Gregory-Portland Independent School District and in the same capacity at Calallen Independent School District before being promoted to Assistant Superintendent. She currently manages all district activities with a team of dedicated staff.
Due to her extensive skills and knowledge in the area of accountability, she was selected by the Texas Education Agency to serve on the State’s Accountability Technical Advisory Committee to help inform and shape the Texas Accountability System. Emily remains an active member of the Texas Statewide Network of Assessment Professionals and has proudly served as TSNAP Regional Director for the Coastal Bend Area Testing Specialists (C-BATS) and as TSNAP President in 2014.
Emily is well-respected for her specific skills in Leadership, Public Speaking, Teaching, and Curriculum Design.
Linda Reid received a Bachelor of Science in Education Curriculum and Instruction and a Master of Science in Industrial Education from Texas A&M University, College Station. She has been in education for over 36 years. Her career began teaching U.S. Government and Economics with the Plano ISD in Plano, Texas. Rockwall ISD has been home now for over 31 years serving as an assistant principal at Rockwall High School before joining the Curriculum and Instruction Department in 1996. Her experiences include responsibilities as Coordinator of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction, Coordinator of Assessment and Accountability and the District Testing Coordinator, overseeing the district’s local and statewide assessment programs. Linda has been an active member of the Texas Statewide Network of Assessment Professional (TSNAP) since 2006 and served as a Board member for 10 years as the MATS (Metropolitan Area Testing Specialists) East Regional Director.