ETS to establish international testing centers at the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Academies
AMMAN --- September 15, 2008 --- Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Chairman of the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org) received yesterday a delegation from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) headed by Mr. Zubeir Yazid, the ETS general director at the Organization’s headquarters.
The meeting addressed methods of cooperation in offering the “PATHWISE” training programs for teachers and administrators in the Arab region in order to enhance their capabilities and allow them to sit for international tests provided by ETS. Accordingly, those graduates would be granted certificates accredited by ETS and TAG-Org.
These programs are to be translated into Arabic at TAG-Org which will also be the exclusive representative for these examinations in all Arab countries.
Also at the meeting, developmental projects in the field of education and pedagogy within the region were discussed, along with the best methods of coordination to support this vital sector in the Arab world in order to assist in its revival, particularly in the area of developing pedagogical leadership capacities.
Other topics included the establishment of international testing centers at the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Academies that offer the global exams from the ETS, such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC), the Graduate Recorded Exam (GRE) and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).
At the end of the meeting, a cooperation agreement was discussed and formulated to be signed at a later date.
It is worth noting that the ETS is the world's largest private educational testing and measurement organization, with its services recognized internationally. This non-profit organization that was founded in 1947 in New York is being considered a pioneer in educational research and development of performance evaluations.