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 crosscurricular 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 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
To Employers:
• Reduce training time
• Increase productivity
• Increase bottom line through
skilled employees
• Reduce turnover, overtime &
waste
• Allow promotion through
performance
To individuals:
• Build confidence that skills
meet employer needs
• Demonstrate readiness for
hire, training, promotion
• Document “Work-Readiness”
To communities:
Shows availability of skilled workers to attract and retain businesses
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
90
84.8
80
70
67.3
Percent
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
NC
WCPS
Career and Technical Education Student Concentrators
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-actworkkeys/
– 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.ht
ml
– http://www.act.org/workkeys/educators/
 Understanding scores
– http://www.act.org/workkeys/assess/understan
ding.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/relatedservices/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