Your monthly update on all things assessment
the Assessment Minute
September 2021
A Month of Change
 
September in Mississippi beckons the start of many changes in our personal and professional lives. Sept. 22 officially marks the first day of fall, even though Mother Nature is unaware of that change in the South. It is also a time where schools are in high gear, with students and educators settling into a good idea of what the school year holds for them.
 
This fall marks the first time all Mississippi schools are prepared for all types of instruction - traditional, hybrid and virtual - which is exciting for our students who need the extra resources for learning. For the members of the RCU assessment team, we have finalized assessment blueprints and manuals, set professional development dates in schools for the fall and started the purchasing processes for national certification vouchers.
 
One exciting change for us this year is moving the test coordinator training from February to fall. You can find those dates listed below in this newsletter. We think this change could help us streamline our business processes and provide CTE centers and high school staffs more time for preparation for the fall and spring testing windows.

For our educational technology focus of the month, I want to share a few of the tools that can be used with some of our career pathways. As I have noticed in my classes the last few years, our students need far more exposure to technology tools they may use in their future careers. You can make that difference for them this school year. Remember technology changes rapidly, so there may always be a new and better tool that can replace the ones listed below. I'll also continue to highlight other CTE pathways in future newsletters. If you have other resources that you think we should share, send them our way!
I hope the school year has started smoothly and 2021-2022 turns into a great year for each of you!
 
Sean Owen, PhD
Assessment Director
If your CTE center has a new director or  
testing coordinator for the 2021-2022 school year, please  
let us know by submitting a Help Desk ticket with the
name and contact information of this new hire.
Important Dates
 
Fall Roster Submission PeriodSept. 24 to Oct. 8
Fall Practice Testing for MS-CPAS
(Fall Testers Only)		Oct. 1 to Nov. 4
Fall MS-CPAS Demo Period
Demo testing is open year-round. 
SEC Coordinator Training
  • Lake Terrace Convention Center, Hattiesburg
  • Hunter Henry Center, MSU
Two one-day events
  • Oct. 19: in Hattiesburg
  • Nov. 2: in Starkville
Fall Verification DeadlineOct. 8
Fall 2021 Testing
Note: National certification reports will be available by January, contingent on the release of results by certification companies.
  • Nov. 8-11: MS-CPAS Testing
  • Nov. 12: Makeup MS-CPAS Testing
  • Nov. 26: Final MS-CPAS Reports Available at 5 p.m.
  • Nov. 8 to Dec. 3: National Certification Testing

Spring Roster Submission Period
Jan. 25 to Feb. 18
Spring MS-CPAS Demo PeriodDemo testing is open year-round. 
Spring Practice Testing for MS-CPASFeb. 22 to March 24
Spring Verification DeadlineFeb. 18
Spring 2022 Testing
Note: It is not necessary to wait until the makeup day to test students who need to make up an assessment.
National certification reports will be available by midsummer, contingent on the release of results by certification companies.
  • April 1-28: MS-CPAS Testing
  • April 29: Makeup MS-CPAS Testing
  • March 21 to May 13: National Certification Testing
  • May 13: Final MS-CPAS Reports Available at 5 p.m.


To view a full calendar, visit the MS-CPAS resources page and log in to the RCU website. 
Test Coordinator Training
 
Registration is now open for our 2021-2022 test coordinator training. This training will take the place of what we typically hold in February and will also include a specific session for new test coordinators. Currently, we are planning for a one-day, face-to-face format held in both Hattiesburg (Oct. 19) and Starkville (Nov. 2). You may select the training held at the location that is nearest to you. In both locations, we will have a session for new test coordinators from 8-9 a.m. Sessions for all other attendees will begin at 9 a.m.

To register for Oct. 19's session in Hattiesburg, click here.

To register for Nov. 2's session in Starkville, click here.

Due to purchasing processes for national certification vouchers, roster upload into the RCU portal needs to take place in the fall. We will walk you through this process at test coordinator training and will have staff members in place to help if you have any trouble or questions. Make plans to have your roster spreadsheet accessible at test coordinator training. You will have an opportunity in the spring to make minor edits to your rosters before the testing window opens.

After you register for the training date of your choice, you will receive more information about training sessions, the day's schedule and meal options.
MS-CPAS Testing
 
The 2021-2022 Secondary CTE Testing Manual, testing calendar and blueprints are now on the RCU website.
 
If your district tests in the fall, make sure to upload your rosters during the fall submission window so that practice tests will be made available to your students. Remember that students get two practice test attempts. We suggest scheduling one of the practice tests as early as possible during the practice test window so that your instructor has time to analyze results and offer remediation in the areas that students may need before taking the second practice test.
 
National Certifications

New Certifications:
As a reminder, several pathways are transitioning to new national certifications this school year. The pathways that will take new certifications are:
  • Advanced manufacturing (Y1)
  • Architecture and drafting (Y2)
  • Business, marketing, and finance (Y2)
  • Engineering (Y2)
  • Information technology (Y1 & Y2)
  • Metal fabrication (Y1)
More information about each of these certifications can be found on the Student Certifications page of the RCU website. The 2021-2022 National Certifications Manual can be found under the General Certification Resources tab, and survival guides - along with other helpful resources for each certification - can be found under the Certification Tools tab.

Fall Testing Option:
Pathways taking the National Health Science Assessment, ServSafe or the Automotive Service Excellence Certification (ASE) may choose to test in either the fall or spring certification window. If your center chooses to take your certification test in the fall window, you will need to notify the RCU via Help Desk no later than Sept. 15. Not all tests within the ASE suite would need to be taken within one window. These could be split over both the fall and spring windows but must be taken within the specified testing window dates.
 
Information Technology (IT):
Schools offering IT need to reach out to the RCU via Help Desk if their instructor has not received their TestOut resources. Test coordinators should have also been added to the class at this point. If this has not occurred, please submit a Help Desk ticket to let us know. More information about what test coordinators will need to do in this class will be given at test coordinator training.

We have a limited number of leftover CompTIA vouchers from spring testing that must be used by December. Any IT teachers interested in having their students take the CompTIA certification can contact the RCU Help Desk to request these vouchers. These will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis, and these scores will not be reported for accountability purposes.
 
NCCER Module Testing:
Instructions for module testing can be found in the August MS-CPAS Minute.

SolidWorks:
Districts using SolidWorks should be on the lookout for an email from the RCU in the next two weeks with more information about SolidWorks.
 
Click here for information about text-to-speech options for students with IEPs that require read-aloud accommodations.

As always, if you have a question or need assistance, please contact us by sending a Help Desk ticket or calling 662.325.2510.

Key Contacts

Assessment Director
Sean Owen

Assessment Manager
Ben Alexander

National Certifications
Cliff Thames & Mandy Scarpulla

Data and Research
Ben Alexander & Sean Owen

MS-CPAS
Riesa Blackwell

Have assessment needs not addressed in this issue?
Create a Help Desk ticket, and we'll get right on it! 

662.325.2510 | rcu.msstate.edu
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