Jean D’Arcy Maculaitis, PhD, NYU, is President of MAC Testing & Consulting, LLC, Tinton Falls, New Jersey and one of the few professional test architects/test writers in the world. Dr. Mac holds a self-designed doctorate in the measurement and evaluation of the English language and psycholinguistics. She is also certified in neurolinguistics and clinical hypnotherapy. This innovative educator has been writing tests and texts and teaching for more than 35 years. Dr. Mac’s clientele is global. She is a proud founding member of the Organizing Committee of the US-China Entrepreneurs’ Federation. She is also a member of both ASCD and the National Association of Women Consultants, Inc., as well as one of the earliest members and officers of NJTESOL/NJBE. Dr. Mac has presented at International TESOL conferences. In 2014, Dr. Mac was named to Latino Who’s Who. In 2016, this researcher was also selected as an Honored Reviewer by both Dr. Yasser Elgendy, Vice-Dean of Post-Graduate Students, and the Faculty of Education for the Editorial Board of the distinguished academic journal of Egypt’s Kafr El-Sheikh University. Dr. Mac is a member of the American Littoral Society, an organization whose mission is to keep our coastline clean and safe for humans and animals alike.

 

An English language educator, international lecturer, education/testing expert and consultant in legal and educational settings, professional editor, featured academic writer for NJ Blitz Magazine, professional guidance and career counselor and researcher, Dr. Mac also has taught technical writing in industry. She is the author of, among other numerous non-technical and technical works, The Maculaitis Assessment of Competencies: Comprehensive English Language Evaluation (The MAC II), a coordinated and developmental series of test batteries for non-native speakers of English in grades K-12. Published by Questar Assessment Inc. and used throughout the world, The MAC II measures levels of listening, speaking, reading and writing. A computerized version of The NEW MAC3: Multiple Achievable Challenges will be available in the near future, along with the vital addition of The MAC3’s Pre-K, K-1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-10 and 11-12 math test batteries. Among its other proven uses, The MAC II is designed to be part of a given state’s requirements for high school graduation. The MAC II was not just normed in New Jersey but also nationally and internationally. Additionally, Dr. Mac wrote the companion tests and served as a consultant for both the Viva el Español Series and the Hello English Series, as well as penned The Complete ESL/EFL Resource Book: Strategies, Activities and Units for the Classroom (with Mona Scheraga) for National Textbook Company. Dr. Mac edited the Breakaway Series for Thomas Nelson, a subsidiary of HarperCollins Publishers. In college, she penned and performed in Entre Dos Mundos, an autobiographical one-act play. She is a member of the Society of Descendants of Puerto Rico’s First Nation.

 

This lively expert has taught testing workshops, psycholinguistics and neurolinguistics classes, along with English as a Second Language (ESL/ELL) Methods and Materials and Bilingual Vocational Education, at New York University’s campuses in New York City and Puerto Rico. Dr. Maculaitis, a 7^th to 12^th grade program specialist, assisted a Title 1A Coordinator, as well as taught English, Bilingual Math and ESL in grades ranging from middle school through doctoral level in various types of communities and institutions, including a very brief but profoundly transformative experience in three major federal prisons for men and women in New York State at the behest of the New York State Department of Education.

 

Dr. Mac has been working for over two decades on a neurodiverse, multi-sensory program for three levels of pivotal evaluative tools for native and non-native learners in middle school through graduate school, viz., The Profile. Its earliest edition was initially field tested in September 2004. The state-of-the-art complete online Tweens, Teens & Young Adults edition is available from EVI. The Profile will soon be available on the App Store. Its components are: 1 MAC Self-Assessment Checklist: Long-Term Mathematics Issues; 2a MAC Core Beliefs Questionnaire for 7^thand 8^th Grade Test Takers; 2b MAC Core Beliefs Questionnaire for High School Test Takers; 2c MAC Core Beliefs Questionnaire for College and Graduate/Professional School Test Takers; 3 MAC Significant Life Events Rating Sheets; 4 MAC Diagnostic Checklist for Visual & Auditory Difficulties; 5 Feelings, Visual & Auditory: MAC Learning Pathway & Self-Inventory Rating Scale; 6 MAC Rating Scale of Hemispheric Mode Preference; 7 MAC Degrees of Attention Variability (AD/HD) Questionnaire for Tweens, Teens, Young Adults, Parents & Teachers; 8 Who Am I? Personality Types & The MAC-T Self-Portrait Profile; 9 May I Have Your Order: Birth Order as a Powerful Personality Indicator and 10 MAC Flash Pages: Be the Captain of Your Destiny—Discovering the Multi-Talented You. Of special note, DR. MAC’S ANSWER TO . . . Series features the well-established MAC Method of Test Preparation, including Dr. Mac’s revolutionary deep-learning texts—Grammar Games: An Exciting & Fresh Approach to American English Grammar; the five-book HuMATHities: An Exciting & Fresh Humanities-based Approach to Math and Money Word$: An Exciting & Truly Fresh Approach to Mastering Vocabulary—Once and for All, among other brain-friendly neurodiverse materials. These fun, pragmatic, inclusive, summative and formative test preparation materials will be commercially available online and in print. Notably, HuMATHities clearly and straightforwardly shows middle school students to adult learners how to properly read and painlessly solve math problems on sundry standardized tests, in math texts/workbooks and on the computer. Additionally, she has just completed a powerful new work, viz., Turning Points Challenge (TPC): Right the Writing to Right the Reading. In progress is Navigating the “Geography” of Real-Life Writing: Practical Templates to Advance Your Career or Save Your A¾ or Both.  Native and non-native English-speaking adults and prospective/current college and graduate students will also find these practical and easy-to-understand materials immediately useful. Among other benefits, these particular developmental texts do not just present and explain the five classic stages of the writing process, i.e., prewriting, writing, rewriting, revising and editing but furthermore they apply the latest education neuroscience, personality and personalized learning findings to the exciting and natural processes of writing and reading. Significantly, they introduce and explain several novel and engaging ways to learn and actually enjoy vocabulary, as well as how to quickly and properly read and solve charts, tables and graph math problems. They also present how to write powerful essays, letters, articles for possible publication and difficult explanations of real-life situations. They are useful for writers of all ages and competency levels and pivotal to the outcomes of many situations, especially when testing and/or writing oneself out of trouble or into a scholarship, fellowship, internship, job, and the like. These absolutely fresh, fun and brain-friendly materials are designed to teach students of all ages and abilities how to independently, holistically and discretely evaluate their respective essays and make the necessary emendations prior to submission for teacher and/or admissions committee evaluations, or to the College Board, to the Honor Board, to the Internal Review Board or to Human Resources (HR), and such. These computer and paper pieces are pivotal parts of DR. MAC’S ANSWER TO . . . Series: Immediately Useful Solutions to Educational Challenges for Students, Parents and Teachers. This educator has also created easy access databases for those candidates who want to matriculate at the following types of American higher-education institutions: Catholic colleges; colleges with excellent LD and AD/HD programs; colleges with BA/MD programs; medical school programs; post-baccalaureate medical programs; veterinary schools; law schools and business schools. Coming soon is her Keep It Real: College—Choose Wisely; Choose Well or Suffer.

 

Among Dr. Maculaitis’ many professional honors: Select Member of the preeminent International Platform Association, the oldest and most prestigious speakers’ organization in the world è Test Reviewer, Buros Institute of Measurement, University of Nebraska at Lincoln è Principal author of Guidelines for the Preparation and Certification of International Studies/Global Education Teachers in the US (as part of a grant/symposium underwritten by Exxon Corp.) è Elected to Phi Delta Kappa, an international organization dedicated to research, service and leadership è Featured in Educator’s Deskbook of Ideas and Activities from Award-Winning Teachers and in Highlights Magazine è Cited as “An Outstanding American Educator” by the National Conference of Christians and Jews è Elected to Kappa Delta Pi, a national honor society in education è Distinguished Alumnus è Who’s Who in America è Who’s Who in American Women è Who’s Who in American Education è World Decoration of Excellence for Outstanding Achievements in the 1980s è First Five Hundred in the World è World Who’s Who of Women and named to its Hall of Fame è 2,000 Notable American Women and named to its Hall of Fame è Who’s Who in Bilingual Education in the United States è Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges è Board of Directors, Hispanic Affairs Resource Center of Monmouth County, NJ è Founder and Principal Facilitator of Learning for SAT Apollo Programs at both Asbury Park High School and Long Branch High School, as well as the 30⁺-year-old MAC Testing All-Star Program for high-profile inner-city student-athletes è External Evaluator of America’s Top Secondary School Students for the National Alliance for Excellence è Advisory Board of Trustees, Georgian Court University è College Commencement Speaker è PBA Woman of the Year è Active member of the highly select circle of care for Tuesday’s Children, a pragmatic non-profit family service organization based in New York City and founded by the families and friends of September 11^th victims to address the ongoing needs of thousands of children coping with the worst tragedy in the history of the United States (Dr. Mac guided these youngsters through the entire college admissions/college application process.) è Dr. Mac has been a select corporate partner of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, as well as a NJSIAA keynote speaker. è She is the recipient, along with her husband Anthony Tamburello, of the 2009 Jim Sullivan Award presented to those who have made outstanding contributions to the game of basketball in the Jersey Shore area. è Dr. Mac has also intensely mentored and educated 15 high school MAC All-Stars from the Boys & Girls’ Club, Asbury Park, New Jersey Unit. She took this select group’s seniors and others through the entire college acceptance process—from rigorous SAT preparation, to extensive college searches, to thorough college applications, resumes, essay and interview preparation, to proper NCAA Clearinghouse registration—to the final submission of their respective applications for serious consideration by college admissions officers.

 

 

While these and other honors Dr. Mac has received over the years are notable, her most notable accomplishments are the myriad of young people whose lives have been positively and powerfully transformed by their experience at MAC Testing and/or through her classes, published works and speeches. That their hope is restored, that their self-confidence is renewed, that their skills are enhanced, that their souls are healed and that their futures are redefined are the accolades that have the most meaning to her. Everything else pales in comparison. Dr. Maculaitis’ life is totally and unabashedly dedicated to children—all children.