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E d Te c h S h o w D a i l y 6 FIVE TIPS FOR DEVELOPING CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ASSESSMENTS By Nikki Eatchel, Vice President Assessment Development and Psychometric Services, Scantron Corporation Assessments for academic subjects such as reading, math and science rightfully form the core of any college-readiness high school pro- gram. But the career-ready pathway hasn't garnered the same level of attention, leav- ing a substantial portion of the student population less prepared to successfully enter meaningful and challenging careers. Career and Technical Education (CTE) subjects deserve the same robust, high- quality assessments to guide instruction and support student growth that are administered for other academic subjects. The following tips can help you get more out of your CTE assessments. 1. Start with the end, not the beginning. Typical development processes with core subjects start with standards that drive cur- riculum, extend to the design of the core course, then subsequently drive the devel- opment of formative and summative exams. For exams in which career-readi- ness is the goal, it is critical to start at the end (the job or certification for which the student wants to be qualified). Strong CTE programs work backward from the job to drive their formative and summative assessments, design courses and curricu- lum and then link appropriate standards. 2. Involve all of the right subject-matter expertise. Designing and developing a successful CTE program requires multiple types of subject-matter expertise. This includes CTE education experts, core subject edu- cation experts and industry experts. Failing to include all appropriate expert- ise can result in programs and assess- ments that fall short of the desired goals. 3. Match the rigor of industry assessments. Evaluate the knowledge and skills of your CTE students in light of industry assessment expectations. Understanding the breadth and depth of content covered on industry certification exams, as well as the difficulty of the item and assess- ments your students will be required to take, is crucial. Familiarize yourself with the industry certifications and ensure your courses and assessments have simi- lar content and rigor so that students are well prepared for these critical exams. 4. Follow the leader when setting performance standards. Setting passing scores for industry exams is a structured process driven by assess- ment standards. When preparing assess- ments that are designed to evaluate a stu- dent's readiness for an industry exam, implement a standard setting process similar to one used for industry certifica- tions. This process will help ensure your exam requirements accurately prepare your students for career requirements. 5. Track career ready statistics the same way you track college ready statistics. Most schools, districts and states track student performance statistics in some manner. To ensure equitable preparation for your CTE students, your analytics program should include career ready indicators and provide equitable informa- tion regarding early warning indicators that highlight potential issues with career readiness. Developing effective CTE programs and assessments is not easy, but you don't have to go it alone. Scantron's team of assessment experts can provide profes- sional development, consulting and assessment development services for CTE program to help you transform your data-driven instruction and ensure you get the results you want for all of your students. Visit Scantron in room #230B. For more information, visit www.scantron.com, call 858.349.9488 or email bonni .graham@scantron.com. LIMITLESS INNOVATIONS BRINGS RELIABLE CHARGING SOLUTIONS TO MARKET With so many powered devices on the market making their way into everyone's pockets, consumers need a reli- able universal charging solu- tion. Limitless Innovations Inc. debuted that solution. "The ChargeHub plugs right into the wall through its own cord and can power up to seven devices simultaneously," said Rock Smeja, Principal and Vice President of Operations at Limitless Innovations Inc. "The hub itself sits on a desk or table and then the devices plug into it with their own USB cords. Another great feature is that the ChargeHub utilizes patent-pending SmartSpeed Technology to allow any port to charge the connected device at its maxi- mum charging speed, regard- less of whether it is an Apple iOS or Android device." The team at Limitless Innovations is committed to putting forth every effort to reach consumer needs. In addition to the seven-port hub, Limitless plans to release two new charging stations. Continued on Page 17