Program Rankings Based on 16th Percentile Peer-to-Peer Benchmarking

16th Percentile Peer-to-Peer Benchmarking

Background

The 16th Percentile Peer-to-Peer Benchmark is used by the Office of EMS to compare Education
Coordinators conducting like programs in contrast to one another.

This tool is used to by the Office of EMS to determine which programs are eligible for funding through the
Virginia EMS Scholarship Program and to determine which Education Coordinators in the Commonwealth
can serve as mentors for the Education Coordinator certification program.

Method

The 16th Percentile is calculated twice a year—in January and July—based on cognitive exam statistics
and pass rates provided by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.
Pass rates are calculated based upon students who have attempted the National Registry cognitive
exam. Virginia certified Education Coordinators control who is allowed to attempt the National Registry
cognitive exam.

When calculating the 16th Percentile Peer-to-Peer Benchmark, the Office uses three years’ of historical
National Registry data and bases the benchmark 16th percentile number on the pass rates from the
“Cumulative Pass within Three Attempts” at the National Registry cognitive exam.