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February 24, 2009 View archived newsletters |
Eight Assessments are almost ready.are you? Anticipation is growing for the first eight Skill Connect Assessments, which will be available March 16! Each assessment was developed from industry-defined standards, and blueprints outlining content are available for each assessment. As the SkillsUSA team makes final preparations to make these available, you can take steps now to ensure you’re ready to administer assessments in the spring! We’ve developed the assessments using a rigorous process, and the final step is in your hands. As the local proctor of assessments, you ensure the integrity of each one that is administered. It’s simple to become a proctor: we’ll provide instructions for you that will help you maintain confidentiality, prevent cheating, and ensure proper identification. Additionally, we’ll provide a script you can read at the beginning of each assessment. Sign up to be a proctor or pre-purchase your assessments beginning March 1. Each assessment costs $20, and SkillsUSA members pay only $5. Contact us today to order your assessments.
Be a field test sitePreview the assessments for free as a field-test site in one of the technical areas listed below. We encourage you to enroll your entire program, as both novices and experts are needed for the field test data. Any instructional program can participate. You don’t have to have a SkillsUSA chapter. Not only will you get a sneak peek at the assessments, but you will also earn a $50 gift certificate to purchase SkillsUSA materials. Field tests take one to two hours to administer. The online assessments require access to Internet-enabled computers. Support has been provided to field testers through a variety of formats: a recorded webinar that can be accessed here, a Getting Started PDF guide provided to all field testers, as well as an online support tutorial. The testing window for the field test is open until March 1:
For a complete schedule of field testing for all technical areas, click here. Please complete this form to be a field-test site this winter. If you have any questions about field testing, please contact us. Automotive assessmentsSkillsUSA is partnering with ASE and AYES to co-brand the National Automotive Student Skills Standards Assessments. These online assessments will be available this spring, under a different pricing structure than the SkillsUSA Skill Connect Assessments. Specific areas available include Automotive Refinishing, Automotive Service Technology, Collision Repair Technology, and Diesel Equipment Technology. Upcoming events:March 3, 2009: Technical Advisory Committee meeting Sign up today to receive our monthly e-Newsletter Also, check out our online newsroom for the latest media releases. |
-Fall 2008 field test
SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled work force. We help each student excel. For many students, excelling means a traditional education and bachelor’s degree. Yet shifts in our economy and an increased demand for skilled workers are causing more people to consider alternatives to this expensive route. In the February 14, 2009, issue of World magazine, author Charles Murray encourages readers to change the way they look at higher education. Murray describes his recent book, Real Education as a “crusade to destroy the B.A. as the measure of educational success.” He suggests a stronger focus on skills that can be measured and validated through certification programs for careers that range from business executives to skilled electricians. Our team is growing more excited as we near the launch of our first Skill Connect Assessments, which may serve a more important role in the future of our American work force than we originally anticipated. Our online assessments are the way ahead for the next generation as we prepare our future American work force to excel. |
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