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May 26, 2010 View archived newsletters |
Skill Connect Assessments are a hit in first year; 44 now available Over 8,000 assessments were purchased during the 2009/10 school year with orders from all 50 states. A number of states have added the assessments to their approved list for their state education systems. Forty-four Skill Connect Assessments are now available. Each includes approximately 50 items in a variety of question types ensuring that assessments appeal to auditory, visual and kinesthetic learners. Also, every question is presented with text and an option for audio. To view the complete list of assessments available or in development – as well as their corresponding blueprints – go to www.workforcereadysystem.org and click on “The System,” Skill Connect Assessments and then Assessment Areas. Assessment year-end review We will be reviewing and updating Skill Connect Assessments annually. That’s particularly true for this our first year out. We received many recommendations from the field and now we also have the test data reports on student scores nationwide. In the upcoming weeks we will be doing a complete evaluation and then proposing revisions for next year. It’s possible some questions and some cut scores will be revised. Our industry subject matter experts will make the decisions on all revisions. Please note change in member price SkillsUSA is phasing out the introductory price of $5 per assessment for SkillsUSA members. Effective August 1, 2010, we will be offering SkillsUSA members a low price of $10 per test (still a bargain). The non-member price will remain the same at $20 per test. This price change is effective for all tests purchased for the 2010/11 school year. Any tests purchased this school year must be used by July 31, 2010. New PrintED/SkillsUSA Skill Connect Assessments Available Individuals who choose to enter the workforce immediately after high school or postsecondary education need to have core academic and workplace competencies for employment. To provide students with a credential that validates their mastery of these competencies, and to help meet standard government education requirements, the Graphic Arts Education and Research Foundation (GAERF®) and SkillsUSA have established a partnership to offer online PrintED/SkillsUSA Skill Connect Assessments. These examinations will test technical skills and knowledge with interactive questions enriched by animations, videos, drawings and photographs. Assessments in Advertising and Design, Graphic Communications, and Screen Printing Technology are available now. The Digital File Preparation/Digital File Output and Offset Press Operations/Binding & Finishing assessments are expected to be available for spring 2011 testing. Students who receive passing scores on the assessments will receive co-branded GAERF/SkillsUSA certificates that display GAERF, PrintED, and SkillsUSA logos. Pricing for SkillsUSA members and PrintEd schools is $10 per assessment. The nonmember price is $20. About PrintED: PrintED, administered by GAERF, is a national accreditation program based on industry standards for secondary and post-secondary graphic communications courses. National Automotive Assessments offered through ASE AYES, NATEF, and SkillsUSA have partnered to offer a single National Automotive Student Skills Standards Assessment (NA3SA) program. These tests, developed by ASE, are designed to evaluate students who are near the end of their studies in the areas of Automobile Service and Collision Repair & Refinishing, and M/H Truck. The tests are available through ASE, but can be also accessed by going to the Work Force Ready System Web site. The tests are appropriate for students who have nearly completed an individual automotive training course or who are preparing to graduate from a technician-training program. Schools choose which tests in the series to administer to each student. The tests are available twice each year (fall and spring). For exact dates, please visit the published schedule on www.NA3SA.com. The cost is $15 per student per academic year. The fee allows for a single attempt at any or all tests in a series. For example, within a given year (fall and spring administrations) a student in an auto repair program may attempt all eight exams in that series, or any subset of these, for the single $15 fee. Sign up today to receive our monthly e-Newsletter Also, check out our online newsroom for the latest media releases. |
“I have had enthusiastic participation by my teaching staff to the SkillsUSA assessments because they want their kids to have a mobile credential and they want to improve teaching and learning using data. The class report, using the existing codes that showed instructors by class exactly which questions were answered correctly and which weren’t, was the most valuable tool. Assessment results form the basis for teachers to modify and adapt their curricula and instruction.” Scott Phair - Director, Capital Area Technical Center, Augusta, Maine
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