Education & Training Technical Skills Assessment

1. Education & TrainingTechnical Skills Assessment Michigan Career Education Conference February 6, 2012

2. Presentation Overview • Federal requirements • Selection process • MTTC test • Field testing • Value of test results

3. CTE Assessment Selection • Assessment to be selected is— • Standardized • Reliable and valid • Independently graded • Knowledge-based • Administered nationally or internationally

4. Additional Selection Criteria • If possible, assessment also — • Results in recognized credential or benefit • Provides results immediately • Has cut scores set using standards-setting process • Represents employer relevance • Sufficiently linked with academic subject

5. Establish Cluster Advisory Group Identify Technical Skills Assessments Conduct Field Test of Assessments Adopt Assessment • Implement Assessment Test Adoption Process Overview We are here

6. Assessment Advisory Group • Program Area Teachers • Postsecondary Teacher Educators • Assessment Expert • Elementary Practitioners • CTE Administrator • MDE Staff – Professional Preparation and Early Childhood Education

7. Assessments Reviewed • Eleven (11) initially identified • Information compiled and compared • Criteria applied • Narrowed to two • Presentation by vendors • Field test and feedback • Final selection

8. Test Specification

9. MTTC: Reading • Determine the meaning of words and phrases • Understand the main idea and supporting details in written material • Identify a writer’s purpose, point of view, and intended meaning • Analyze the relationship among ideas in written material • Use critical reasoning skills to evaluate written material • Apply study skills to reading assignments

10. MTTC: Writing • Communicate in connected writing to a specified audience with attention to appropriateness, unity and focus, development, organization, sentence structure, usage, and mechanical conventions

11. MTTC: Math Fundamental Math • Use number Concepts and Computation skills • Solve word problems involving integers, fractions or decimals • Interpret information from a graph, table or chart Geometry and Reasoning • Understand operations with algebraic expressions • Solve problems involving geometric figures • Apply reasoning skills

12. MTTC: Math • Algebraic Graphing, Equations and Operations • Graph numbers or number relationships • Solve one- and two variable equations • Solve work problems involving one and two variables

13. Field Test Results * Statewide scores typically included students enrolled in postsecondary education

14. CTE Test Results Spring 2011

15. Support Materials • Online information • Free access to most information • Test blueprint (what is on the test) • Sample test questions • Video-Preparing • Practice test (order for a fee)

16. MTTC Information Links Study Guides: http://www.mttc.nesinc.com/PDFs/MI_field096_SG.pdf Video Overview (Test Preparation): http://www.mttc.nesinc.com/MI_video_opener.asp Test Objectives: http://www.mttc.nesinc.com/PDFs/MI_fld096_obj.pdf Requesting alternative testing arrangements: http://www.mttc.nesinc.com/MI16_altarrangements.asp

17. Test Administration • Date and Site Selection • Registration Process • Paying for Testing • Transportation • Test Follow Up (score interpretation) • Student Survey

18. Registering Students • Identify appropriate students • Paper or on line • Significantly in advance • Accommodation request at time of registration- documents required • Select Michigan CTE Education Program (97) • http://www.mttc.nesinc.com/MI16_regchecklist.asp

19. Logistics • Must be on time • Must have acceptable Identification (see website) • Must bring “ticket” • May notuse calculators • Remember they are still “adolescents”

20. Nice to Know • Students need to know SSN • Students get scores (not school) • Basic skills is a lifetime score • Students need encouragement • Benefit from knowing what to expect

21. Benefits of Test • Industry based credential (job) • Required (postsecondary education programs) • Pre student teaching (state law) • Pre-admission to program (increasing) • Identifies area(s) of weakness • Provides measure for Perkins CPI

22. Questions

23. Contacts Jacqueline Dannis, Research Consultant Office of Career and Technical Education dannisj@michigan.gov 517 (335-1066) Steven J. Stegink, Higher Education Consultant Office of Professional Preparation Service SteginkS@michigan.gov (517) 241-4945 Norma R. Tims, Title IX Coordinator Office of Career and Technical Education timsn@michigan.gov (517) 241-2091