A Brief History of NOCTI:

In 1966, two one-day conferences were held at Rutgers University to discuss the challenge of certifying the non-degreed teacher in the vocational education field. It was determined that there should be a development and implementation of occupational competency examinations on a nationwide basis. These conferences, partially funded by the New York State Education Department and the US Office of Education, Research Bureau, attracted 23 state representatives.

Far too long had states struggled with this problem as individuals.
The Rutgers's Conference fused professional attitudes and the determination to move collectively in resolving the question of developing and administering adequate measuring instruments. Thus the stage was set for a national thrust in the area of occupational competency testing.
It had become quite clear from the Rutgers's conferences that state officials and their departments were neither equipped to develop new examinations nor to keep old ones up-to-date. It was generally agreed that printing, distributing, administering, and scoring of examinations imposed an impractical burden on limited state resources. They also expressed ardently that a third-party, nationally coordinated effort was needed to develop occupational competency examinations, in order for honest validation, establishing reliability, and other necessary construct measures. Most importantly, even the lead test development states were unable to experiment or carry on essential research, test development, field-testing, continuous revision, and to feed back to the states and provide important test results and comparative, qualitative data. It was clear there was a need to professionally coordinate national efforts through a voluntary consortium effort. Thus, these leaders determined that the effort needed some initial seed money to bring focus on a solution to this national dilemma. The following action was taken:

• Grant from the US Commissioner of Education through the Bureau of Research titled "Occupational Competency Testing: Consortium of States Project" approved on 2/17/69 for $68,237 was awarded to Rutgers University. (Phase I -- Organizing/Planning/Pilot Testing)

• Phase II of the project approved for funding during January of 1971 for $135,985 was awarded to Rutgers University. (Phase II -- continued development of assessments in additional occupational areas)

• Phase III of the project approved for funding during 1972 in the amount of $166,115. (Phase III -- finalization of test development & scoring practices. This phase also included establishing the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute as a permanent organization to serve the Consortium and Institute membership, including legal incorporation with Constitution, by-Laws, and Operating Policies).

• On December 4, 1972, at the Chicago AVA, the Consortium representatives, principal investigators, administrative board planning committee and staff met and elected a NOCTI Executive Council to carry on the occupational competency-testing concept when the federally funded project terminated. Subsequent to the meeting, proposals were solicited through a Request for Proposal process to organizations that might serve as a permanent NOCTI structure.

• On May 23 - 24, 1973, the Executive Council met at Rutgers University. An agreement was drafted and a contract negotiated between NOCTI and the Educational Testing Service of Princeton, NJ. NOCTI offices were established at ETS.

• August 1, 1975 - NOCTI becomes independent and moves to Albany, New York.

• July 1983 - NOCTI moves to Ferris State University in Big Rapids, MI.

• August 1995 – NOCTI moves to current National Headquarters location at 500 N. Bronson Ave., Big Rapids, MI.

• 1999 - The Whitener Group, Inc. is formed as a wholly-owned for-profit subsidiary of NOCTI. The Whitener Group provides a variety of assessment services for business and industry.