Tech Prep Competency Testing Online

1
Tech Prep Competency Testing Online Seamless
Transition to Postsecondary Education

• Bob Phillips
• Dyersburg State Community College
• Phillips_at_dscc.edu

2
On-Line Competency Testing

• In 2003-04 a Tech Prep Grant of 5,000 was
  obtained from the State of Tennessee Tech Prep
  Office to develop 10 Articulation Exams for
  courses that were taught at Dyersburg State and
  in our 14 local high schools.
• Faculty were paid a stipend of 400 for
  developing the exams.

3
On-Line Competency Testing

• In FY 2002-2003 20 students completed
  articulation applications, and 7 students
  enrolled and received college credit.
• In FY 2003-2004 40 students completed
  articulation applications, and 33 enrolled and
  received college credit.
• In FY 2005-06 622 students completed articulation
  applications.

4
On-Line Competency Testing

• Grading 622 articulation test by hand and
  returning the scores to the high schools is a big
  job.
• A lazy man will always find an easier way of
  doing things!

5
On-Line Competency Testing

• In Fall 2004 Dyersburg State received a Tech Prep
  Grant of 32,000 to develop and implement an
  On-line Articulation Testing System.
• The remainder of this presentation demonstrates
  the steps used to develop and implement this new
  system and the initial results.

6
Project Design

• Identified 21 courses that had similar
  competencies between our 14 high schools and
  Dyersburg State.
• Identified college faculty to begin design of a
  practice exam and a challenge exam for each of
  the 21 common courses.
• Organized Design Team

7
Design Team

• Design Team Composed Of
• Grant Administrator
• College Tech Prep Coordinator
• Web Site Designer
• Database Designer
• Test Administrator/Designer
• High School Faculty Member
• Technology Center Faculty

8
Design Team Responsibilities

• Design Web Site
• Determine Database requirements for reports to
  schools/technology centers.
• Organize Testing Site
• Review Test Contents
• Determine content for Web Site
• Oversee implementation of the new program
  publicity.

9
Design Team Results

• Series of meetings from Sept 2004 April 2005.
• Input from users and designers resulted in
  satisfaction by all parties.
• Web Site was completed and implemented on 15
  April 2005.
• Within 5 weeks over 800 students had registered
  at the site and over 5,500 Practice Challenge
  Exams were taken.

10
Articulation Web Site

• www.dscc.edu/articulation

11
Web Site Publicity

• As part of the grant, three brochures were
  developed and distributed through each of our 14
  high schools
• Parents
• Teachers
• Students

12
Parents Brochure (Saving Money)
13
Teachers Brochure (Student /Teacher Benefits)
14
Student Brochure(Money/Time)
15
Database Reporting Capability

• Date specific
• School specific
• Easy to distribute
• Maintain confidentiality
• Update easily.

16
Database Entry Page
17
Sample Database Reports

18
Sample Report By School Exam
19
Individual Student Report To High Schools
20
Practice Challenge Exams

• Each Test includes 50 questions.
• Each test bank has over 100 questions.
• Every test is randomly selected sorted.
• Each test allows 60 minutes to complete.
• Practice Test may be taken as many times as
  desired.
• Challenge Exams can only be taken once.
• Software in the test prevents copying.

21
Sample Test View
22
Test Analysis
23
Teacher Resource Updating

• Using test question analysis we can determine
  which areas students are weakest.
• We can update the teacher resource area so high
  school teachers can expand instruction in those
  areas.
• Goal is to have students obtain the same level of
  competency required at the college.
• Saves time, money, and effort.

24
HARD THINGS TO DO

• Getting brochures into the students hands!
• Getting agreement on common competencies!
• Making sure test are copy protected!

25
CONCLUSIONS

• Great system that works easily!
• Creates communications between faculty!
• Students will use the materials!
• More students are actually seeking credit at the
  college and the Technology Centers!
• Fully articulated and has been adopted throughout
  the State of Tennessee!
• Maybe more students will go on to college!

26
THE CD

• Each of you will now receive a CD that contains
  the following
• Articulation Web Site in FrontPage
• Testing Site in WebCT
• Articulation Database and instructions.
• Test Security Software

• Parents Brochure
• Teacher Brochure
• Student Brochure
• Sample Database Reports
• Articulation Agreement
• THIS POWERPOINT
• Phillips_at_dscc.edu