Ohio’s Secondary Career-Technical Education programs require a standardized assessment system across the 16 career fields to be used primarily as an accountability measure for maintaining Perkins IV funding. Secondary students are required to take an end-of-course (EOC) posttest exam following instruction for all courses, aligned to Ohio’s specific business and industry needs, taken in their program. The EOC exams serve as a measure of student’s technical knowledge and skill. In addition to the primary purpose of state and federal accountability, these exams serve several secondary purposes.
First, local school districts may choose to use student gain scores as an input to teacher effectiveness ratings for the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System. This requires a pretest and a posttest. Second, some EOC tests are used to articulate credit for linked postsecondary courses. Third, a new feature of the system is that tests may be used to provide formative feedback to teachers for student improvement.
Center associates work with the Ohio Department of Education Office of Career-Technical Education and the Ohio Department of Higher Education. We also work with CTE instructors to develop and review test items and tests, validate assessments and set proficient and advanced cut scores. We design, develop, and deliver assessments for the state of Ohio through WebXam or proprietary test delivery platform.
The center’s Assessment program also assists districts, administrators, and instructors in providing technical support and customized professional development to build awareness and to equip key stakeholders to properly use and navigate the technical-testing system.
Sponsor: Ohio Department of Education
Principal Investigator: Dr. James Austin
Award Total: $1,332,183