Measuring Technical and Academic Achievement: Employer/Certification Examinations’ Role in High School Assessment
As states continue to recognize the important role of career/technical education in school reform, they will need new methods for measuring students’ technical and academic achievement. One assessment option states have is to allow students to pass approved employer certification examinations in lieu of certain academic examinations, in subjects other than reading, writing and mathematics.
To assist states in identifying potential alternative examinations, SREB reviewed and evaluated more than 200 employer certification examinations, using stringent criteria. In total, 177 examinations are recommended for approval, 86 of which are recommended without reservation and 91 of which are recommended on a provisional basis. The full report contains a brief description of and observations about the nature of these examinations.