The Minnesota CTE Assessment Project Building a CTE

The Minnesota CTE Assessment Project Building a CTE Assessment System for Student Results and Program Improvement

Minnesota CTE Assessment Project Overview Key Topics • • Review of Project Goals Review of Overall Project Plan Status of Working Group Meetings Questions

Minnesota CTE Assessment Project Goals • Establish shared expectations as to what students should know and be able to do in Minnesota’s CTE programs • Develop process for identifying and/or developing assessments for CTE programs • Ensure the system provides useful, timely and accurate feedback to teachers, administrators, students and employers

Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 • Each state established a performance accountability system with multiple measures of student learning, program completion, and transitions to further education, employment and the military • Perkins III allowed wide flexibility in how to measure “technical skill attainment” • Perkins IV requires a more focused assessment approach for technical skill attainment

Technical Skill Attainment -- Secondary • Sec 113 (b)(2)(A) • …”core indicators of performance…that are valid and reliable… measures of each of the following: ” • “Student attainment of career and technical skill proficiencies, including student achievement on technical assessments, that are aligned with industry-recognized standards, if available and appropriate. ”

Technical Skill Attainment -- Postsecondary Sec 113 (b)(2)(B) …”core indicators of performance…that are valid and reliable…measures of each of the following: ” “Student attainment of career and technical skill proficiencies, including student achievement on technical assessments, that are aligned with industry-recognized standards, if available and appropriate. ” “Student attainment of an industry-recognized credential, a certificate, or a degree. ”

Options to fulfill Perkins IV are: • Use Industry-Based Certifications • Use other developed standardizedassessments (NOCTI, Skills/USA, etc. ) • Develop valid and reliable assessments or assessment processes through a statewide collaborative process

Putting First Things First FIRST, decide WHAT to assess THEN decide HOW to assess

Skill Layers in Career Development Courtesy of Steve Klein & MPR Associates

Initial Programs of Study for Review and Development • Business, Financial Management and Accounting • Health Therapeutics • Law Enforcement • Network Systems (IT) • Plant Systems

The Pilot Phase • • • Convene subject matter expert groups of teachers and college faculty to identify core competencies in each of 5 designated career pathways/programs of study. Develop an “Assessment Blueprint” for each of 5 selected career pathways Provide recommendations on how the State should proceed in developing an assessment system.

The Pilot Phase • Conduct online survey to document current methods of skill assessment. • Consult with leaders from other states. • Confer with assessment and support organizations (NOCTI, VTECS, Skills. USA) • Create assessment inventory

Pilot Phase, Next Steps • Post draft competencies for review by teachers and faculty (URLs listed at end of presentation) • Engage business partners to review draft outcomes • Review existing assessments for alignment to blueprints, quality and usability • Identify assessments approved for use in five pilot pathways AND/OR • Identify pathways that need custom-developed assessments • Create and test assessment development process

Roll-out Phase 2, 2009 -2010 • Convene additional career pathway workgroups • Solicit volunteers needed for other pathways • Provide training to teams to identify outcomes and assessment blueprints • Complete assessment identification & development process for new pathways • 2011 -2014, replicate as necessary until all programs are covered

URL Links to Draft Core Common Competencies for Review PLANT SYSTEMS PATHWAY: People who work in the Plant Systems pathway study plants and their growth. http: //www. zoomerang. com/Survey/? p=WEB 229 Q 56 RZ 62 F LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES PATHWAY: Law enforcement officers have duties that range from controlling traffic to preventing and investigating crimes. http: //www. zoomerang. com/Survey/? p=WEB 229 PJ 6 TMJUH

URL Links to Draft Core Common Competencies for Review THERAPEUTIC SERVICES PATHWAY: Health professionals in this pathway work directly with patients; they may provide care, treatment, counseling and health education information. http: //www. zoomerang. com/Survey/? p=WEB 229 P 4 Z 2 DHBP BUSINESS, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT & ACCOUNTING PATHWAY: Accounting encompasses careers that record, classify, summarize, analyze, and communicate a business's financial information/business transactions for use in management decision-making. http: //www. zoomerang. com/Survey/? p=WEB 229 MLZEG 7 QJ NETWORK SYSTEMS PATHWAY: Careers in Network Systems involve network analysis, planning and implementation, including design, installation, maintenance and management of network systems. http: //www. zoomerang. com/Survey/? p=WEB 229 LTYKYWRK

You may be wondering… • What about existing state- and industrycertification tests? • What about very small or alternative high schools? • Are the same assessments appropriate for high schools and college programs? • Can high school assessments be used for college credit?

For more information, contact: Jo. Ann Simser, CTE Director, MNSCU Jo. Ann. Simser@so. mnscu. edu Dan Smith, MN Department of Education Dan. Smith@state. mn. us