WorkKeys®: Improving Performance

Presenters: Allison Parker, Carteret County, CTE Director

Erlene Brogden, Wayne County, CTE Director

John Kirkman, NCDPI, Southeast Region CTE Coordinator

Session Goals

• To explain WorkKeys ® testing and its role in state accountability model

• To share methods for improving student performance

• To facilitate discussion on methods to increase performance

Participants should:

• Articulate information about WorkKeys® testing and its role in state accountability model

• Analyze pros/cons of suggested methods for improving performance

• Use presented information in guiding LEA decision making

• Implement an action plan to improve student performance on WorkKeys® testing

What is WorkKeys®?

• Developed by ACT• Three tests to measure skill develop that is aligned

with job skills– Reading for Understanding– Applied Mathematics– Locating Information

• Results in a nationally recognized credential called Career Readiness Certificate (CRC)– Platinum– Gold– Silver– Bronze

Who takes WorkKeys®?

• CTE Concentrators in grades 12 and 13– 4 courses in a career cluster– One of which is a second level course– 3 of which must be foundational

*Resources for identifying concentrators are available in the CTE Directors, Instructional Management Coordinator (IMC), and Career Development Coordinator (CDC) Moodles and from the CTE Regional Coordinator.

How Does WorkKeys® Affect Accountability?

• State High School Accountability Model– Math Course Rigor – The ACT – ACT WorkKeys®

• CTE Concentrators Only

– 4-Year Cohort Graduation Rate – 5-Year Cohort Graduation Rate– Senior Project Participation

Implications

• The potential for a small number of students to contribute to a large portion of the school’s accountability score. In some instances, the strongest academic students are not contributing because they are not concentrators.

• Since only Silver and above are recognized as proficient, Bronze level students count against proficiency.

• Each WorkKey® test is equally important, as students receive the overall rating of the lowest test score.

• The skill sets measured by WorkKeys ® are cross-curricular and are taught in all classes, not just CTE classes.

So How do We Improve Performance?

Promotion and Communication

Improving Performance:Promotion and Communication

• What do students know about WorkKeys®?• What do parents know about WorkKeys®?• What does your faculty know about

WorkKeys®?• What does the community, especially the

business community know?• What is the value add for students and

business/industry?

Career Readiness Certificates (CRCs)Earned in WCPS

WCPS began CRC testing in 2008, testing 250 students in three schools:

• WEMCHS, • Southern Wayne High School &• Spring Creek High School

WCPS first system in NC to implement required CRC testing for juniors in its multiple high schools beginning in the 2008-2009 school year.

ACT and NC DPI partnered in 2011 - Career & Technical Education (CTE) concentrators.

Student Career Readiness Certificates Earned (CRC) WCPS

Year Student CRC Earned (Juniors)

2008 Spring – Pilot 250

2008 – 2009* 2054

2009 – 2010 1076

2010 – 2011 1102

2011 – 2012 1236

2012 – 2013 1278

2013 – 2014 1230

Total 8226

* Tested Juniors and Seniors

Benefits of CRC

To individuals: • Build confidence that skills meet employer needs• Demonstrate readiness for hire, training, promotion• Document “Work-Readiness”

To Employers:• Reduce training time• Increase productivity• Increase bottom line through skilled employees• Reduce turnover, overtime & waste• Allow promotion through performance

To communities:Shows availability of skilled workers to attract and retain businesses

To Students:• Applies academic skills in career settings

• Reinforces career exploration

• Encourages achievement levels needed by graduation

• Identifies skill levels for various jobs, careers and occupations

• Helps individuals improve their skills and enhance job opportunities

• Reinforces the value of solid workplace skills

www.wayneworksnc.com

Improving Performance:Promotion and Communication

• Carteret County– Individual meeting with each student– Positive Opportunity for student– Value Add for Business & Industry: Cherry

Point – pay raises based on CRC

Improving Performance:Promotion and Communication

• Brochures for different publics• Mass communications• Parent sessions• Chamber of Commerce involvements• Local business promotions• Website promotion• Local News promotion• Advisory Council input• Awards Ceremonies• Civic organization presentations

Business & Industry Recognition

• Identify Business/Industries that recognize CRC– www.ncworkready.org

• Campbell’s Soup• AAR• Mt. Olive Pickle• Franklin Baking Company (Sunbeam)• Uchiyama America Incorporated• Cooper Standard Automotive• Moen• Bosch Siemens Home Appliances Corp• Hillshire Brands• Electrolux• Cherry Point

Business & Industry Need

Promotion and Communications

• Work Ready Communities (WRC) Statewide Initiative

• Wayne County - February 2013• First County Named in North Carolina• Other counties have since earned the

designation: Lenoir, Pitt and Edgecombe.

WRC Standards

• High School Graduation Rate– 1% Annual Increase

• Career Readiness Certificate Rate– 2% Annual Increase

• Employer Engagement – 10 of 20 Largest Employers

• Three Letters of Commitment from County Leaders

Impact on Student Performance - WCPS

NC WCPS0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

67.3

84.8

Career and Technical Education Student Concentrators

Perc

ent

Improving Performance:Promotion Message

• What should our promotion message for WorkKeys® be?

– WorkKeys® credentials benefit students, employers, and communities.

– Who to Contact for information

Test Preparation

Improving Performance: Preparation Options

– KeyTrain® questions (school-wide or targeted classes*)

– KeyTrain® preparation sessions (targeted classes* or WorkKey® rosters)

– Collaboration with ACT preparations– Career Center (formerly JobLink) or

Community College access

Test Preparation

• Carteret– WorkKeys Blitz– 4 Days: 55 Minutes

each day– WIN software through

WIA– Goal is to Score 4 or

higher– Student

Incentives/Rewards

• Wayne– Worldwide Interactive

Network– Eastern Carolina Region

Workforce Development Board funds the WIN software program for 11 eastern counties.

– Students use the software as a refresher or to learn information.

– Use the software in a computer lab setting

– Software is self-directed

Improving Performance: Testing Best Practices

• Concentrator identification processes• Course Change “alert process”• Retesting plans• Early grad and early college testing plans• Administering Locating Information test first• Improving testing environments• Sharing scores with local businesses

(overall performance and to identify students who meet needs)

Policy and/or Procedural Change

Improving Performance: Policy or Procedural Changes

• Testing all students– Banking scores, targeted remediation,

retesting– Juniors or Seniors?– Paying for the tests– Time out of class

• Testing Window– Strategically Testing: 2 Day Testing Window– Sequencing of Test

Improving Performance: Policy or Procedural Changes

• Encouraging or requiring^ concentrations– Implies that curriculum changes be made with

clusters in mind– Offer courses at multiple levels

(Regular/Honors/AP)– Promotional information explaining benefits

(registration or WorkKeys® promotional materials)

^GPA, class rank, board policy implications

Options for Improving Performance

• Promotion and Communication

• Preparation Options

• Testing Best Practices

• Policy and/or Procedural Changes

Discussion of Options

Questions?

• What combination of options works best for you? Why?

• Do you need more information about an option?

• Who else needs to be contacted about options?

Resources

• WorkKeys information– http://www.act.org/products/workforce-act-wor

kkeys/

– http://www.act.org/workforce/programs.html

KeyTrain information– http://www.act.org/workkeys/keytrain/

Brochures– http://www.act.org/workforce/resources.html

Resources

• Targets for Instruction– http://

www.act.org/workkeys/sktrain/targets.html

– http://www.act.org/workkeys/educators/

Understanding scores– http://

www.act.org/workkeys/assess/understanding.html

Resources

• Carteret County Schools• http://chs-ccs-nc.schoolloop.com/workkeys

• Wayne County Schools• http://www.wayneworksnc.com

• NCDPI• http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/cte/related-services/

certification/

• http://www.crcnc.org/info/AboutCRC.aspx

Contact Information

• Erlene Brogden, Wayne County Schools– erlenebrogden@wcps.org– 919.705.6190

• Allison Parker, Carteret County Schools– allison.parker@carteretk12.org– 252.728.4583

• John Kirkman– john.kirkman@dpi.nc.gov– 919.770.3028