workkeys®: improving performance presenters: allison parker, carteret county, cte director erlene...
Post on 22-Dec-2015
224 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
WorkKeys®: Improving Performance
Presenters: Allison Parker, Carteret County, CTE Director
Erlene Brogden, Wayne County, CTE Director
John Kirkman, NCDPI, Southeast Region CTE Coordinator
Session Goals
• To explain WorkKeys ® testing and its role in state accountability model
• To share methods for improving student performance
• To facilitate discussion on methods to increase performance
Participants should:
• Articulate information about WorkKeys® testing and its role in state accountability model
• Analyze pros/cons of suggested methods for improving performance
• Use presented information in guiding LEA decision making
• Implement an action plan to improve student performance on WorkKeys® testing
What is WorkKeys®?
• Developed by ACT• Three tests to measure skill develop that is aligned
with job skills– Reading for Understanding– Applied Mathematics– Locating Information
• Results in a nationally recognized credential called Career Readiness Certificate (CRC)– Platinum– Gold– Silver– Bronze
Who takes WorkKeys®?
• CTE Concentrators in grades 12 and 13– 4 courses in a career cluster– One of which is a second level course– 3 of which must be foundational
*Resources for identifying concentrators are available in the CTE Directors, Instructional Management Coordinator (IMC), and Career Development Coordinator (CDC) Moodles and from the CTE Regional Coordinator.
How Does WorkKeys® Affect Accountability?
• State High School Accountability Model– Math Course Rigor – The ACT – ACT WorkKeys®
• CTE Concentrators Only
– 4-Year Cohort Graduation Rate – 5-Year Cohort Graduation Rate– Senior Project Participation
Implications
• The potential for a small number of students to contribute to a large portion of the school’s accountability score. In some instances, the strongest academic students are not contributing because they are not concentrators.
• Since only Silver and above are recognized as proficient, Bronze level students count against proficiency.
• Each WorkKey® test is equally important, as students receive the overall rating of the lowest test score.
• The skill sets measured by WorkKeys ® are cross-curricular and are taught in all classes, not just CTE classes.
So How do We Improve Performance?
Promotion and Communication
Improving Performance:Promotion and Communication
• What do students know about WorkKeys®?• What do parents know about WorkKeys®?• What does your faculty know about
WorkKeys®?• What does the community, especially the
business community know?• What is the value add for students and
business/industry?
Career Readiness Certificates (CRCs)Earned in WCPS
WCPS began CRC testing in 2008, testing 250 students in three schools:
• WEMCHS, • Southern Wayne High School &• Spring Creek High School
WCPS first system in NC to implement required CRC testing for juniors in its multiple high schools beginning in the 2008-2009 school year.
ACT and NC DPI partnered in 2011 - Career & Technical Education (CTE) concentrators.
Student Career Readiness Certificates Earned (CRC) WCPS
Year Student CRC Earned (Juniors)
2008 Spring – Pilot 250
2008 – 2009* 2054
2009 – 2010 1076
2010 – 2011 1102
2011 – 2012 1236
2012 – 2013 1278
2013 – 2014 1230
Total 8226
* Tested Juniors and Seniors
Benefits of CRC
To individuals: • Build confidence that skills meet employer needs• Demonstrate readiness for hire, training, promotion• Document “Work-Readiness”
To Employers:• Reduce training time• Increase productivity• Increase bottom line through skilled employees• Reduce turnover, overtime & waste• Allow promotion through performance
To communities:Shows availability of skilled workers to attract and retain businesses
To Students:• Applies academic skills in career settings
• Reinforces career exploration
• Encourages achievement levels needed by graduation
• Identifies skill levels for various jobs, careers and occupations
• Helps individuals improve their skills and enhance job opportunities
• Reinforces the value of solid workplace skills
www.wayneworksnc.com
Improving Performance:Promotion and Communication
• Carteret County– Individual meeting with each student– Positive Opportunity for student– Value Add for Business & Industry: Cherry
Point – pay raises based on CRC
Improving Performance:Promotion and Communication
• Brochures for different publics• Mass communications• Parent sessions• Chamber of Commerce involvements• Local business promotions• Website promotion• Local News promotion• Advisory Council input• Awards Ceremonies• Civic organization presentations
Business & Industry Recognition
• Identify Business/Industries that recognize CRC– www.ncworkready.org
• Campbell’s Soup• AAR• Mt. Olive Pickle• Franklin Baking Company (Sunbeam)• Uchiyama America Incorporated• Cooper Standard Automotive• Moen• Bosch Siemens Home Appliances Corp• Hillshire Brands• Electrolux• Cherry Point
Business & Industry Need
Promotion and Communications
• Work Ready Communities (WRC) Statewide Initiative
• Wayne County - February 2013• First County Named in North Carolina• Other counties have since earned the
designation: Lenoir, Pitt and Edgecombe.
WRC Standards
• High School Graduation Rate– 1% Annual Increase
• Career Readiness Certificate Rate– 2% Annual Increase
• Employer Engagement – 10 of 20 Largest Employers
• Three Letters of Commitment from County Leaders
Impact on Student Performance - WCPS
NC WCPS0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
67.3
84.8
Career and Technical Education Student Concentrators
Perc
ent
Improving Performance:Promotion Message
• What should our promotion message for WorkKeys® be?
– WorkKeys® credentials benefit students, employers, and communities.
– Who to Contact for information
Test Preparation
Improving Performance: Preparation Options
– KeyTrain® questions (school-wide or targeted classes*)
– KeyTrain® preparation sessions (targeted classes* or WorkKey® rosters)
– Collaboration with ACT preparations– Career Center (formerly JobLink) or
Community College access
Test Preparation
• Carteret– WorkKeys Blitz– 4 Days: 55 Minutes
each day– WIN software through
WIA– Goal is to Score 4 or
higher– Student
Incentives/Rewards
• Wayne– Worldwide Interactive
Network– Eastern Carolina Region
Workforce Development Board funds the WIN software program for 11 eastern counties.
– Students use the software as a refresher or to learn information.
– Use the software in a computer lab setting
– Software is self-directed
Improving Performance: Testing Best Practices
• Concentrator identification processes• Course Change “alert process”• Retesting plans• Early grad and early college testing plans• Administering Locating Information test first• Improving testing environments• Sharing scores with local businesses
(overall performance and to identify students who meet needs)
Policy and/or Procedural Change
Improving Performance: Policy or Procedural Changes
• Testing all students– Banking scores, targeted remediation,
retesting– Juniors or Seniors?– Paying for the tests– Time out of class
• Testing Window– Strategically Testing: 2 Day Testing Window– Sequencing of Test
Improving Performance: Policy or Procedural Changes
• Encouraging or requiring^ concentrations– Implies that curriculum changes be made with
clusters in mind– Offer courses at multiple levels
(Regular/Honors/AP)– Promotional information explaining benefits
(registration or WorkKeys® promotional materials)
^GPA, class rank, board policy implications
Options for Improving Performance
• Promotion and Communication
• Preparation Options
• Testing Best Practices
• Policy and/or Procedural Changes
Discussion of Options
Questions?
• What combination of options works best for you? Why?
• Do you need more information about an option?
• Who else needs to be contacted about options?
Resources
• WorkKeys information– http://www.act.org/products/workforce-act-wor
kkeys/
– http://www.act.org/workforce/programs.html
KeyTrain information– http://www.act.org/workkeys/keytrain/
Brochures– http://www.act.org/workforce/resources.html
Resources
• Targets for Instruction– http://
www.act.org/workkeys/sktrain/targets.html
– http://www.act.org/workkeys/educators/
Understanding scores– http://
www.act.org/workkeys/assess/understanding.html
Resources
• Carteret County Schools• http://chs-ccs-nc.schoolloop.com/workkeys
• Wayne County Schools• http://www.wayneworksnc.com
• NCDPI• http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/cte/related-services/
certification/
• http://www.crcnc.org/info/AboutCRC.aspx
Contact Information
• Erlene Brogden, Wayne County Schools– erlenebrogden@wcps.org– 919.705.6190
• Allison Parker, Carteret County Schools– allison.parker@carteretk12.org– 252.728.4583
• John Kirkman– john.kirkman@dpi.nc.gov– 919.770.3028
top related