The Center on Education and Training for Employment in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Education and Department of Higher Education, launched an end of test student acknowledgement survey, enhancing a students’ ability to access college transfer credit earned through one of Ohio’s Career-Technical Assurance Guides (CTAGs). The student survey appears at the completion of each WebXam test a student takes associated with one of Ohio’s Career-Technical Assurance Guides (CTAGs).

The student survey allows students, who are proficient on the taken test, to grant permission to Ohio’s public colleges or universities to post transfer credit earned through meeting the requirements of the associated Career-Technical Assurance Guide (CTAG). The student survey enhancement address needs for a uniform method of communication between Ohio’s secondary students and Ohio’s public colleges and universities to simplify awarding credit through career-technical credit transfer (CT²). 

For more information about Career-Technical Assurance Guides (CTAGs), please visit the Ohio Department of Higher Education Career-Technical Articulation and Transfer Page.

Released October 18, 2021, the October newsletter featured topics on:

• 2021-2022 Posttesting Window is Now Open
• WebXam User’s Workshop Recordings Available
• No pretesting for Health Science, including Medical Terminology
• Transportation Systems Item-Writing
• Pastry Performance Assessments
• Transportation Systems Blueprint Planning Survey
• Teacher Review Workshops

An archived version of this email newsletter is available here.

Released September 14, 2021, the April newsletter featured topics on:

• Pretesting closing
• NO pretesting for Health Science
• Post Testing opens in October
• 2021 WebXam User’s Workshop
• Baking and Pastry Performance Assessments
• Item-writing in 2021-2022
• Teacher Review Workshops

An archived version of this email newsletter is available here.

Released June 18, 2021, the April newsletter featured topics on:

• 2021-22 Calendar Available
• CETE will be at Ohio ACTE
• WebXam User Survey
• Health Sciences Testing Updates
• SMEs needed for Health Science Validation & Standard Setting!
• Item-writing in 2021-2022

An archived version of this email newsletter is available here.

In response to the ongoing challenges schools have faced due to COVID-19, the Ohio General Assembly passed House Bill 67 that allows juniors and seniors to use course grades in place of or in addition to test scores for the 2020-2021 school year to meet graduation requirements.

Please review the linked newsletter to learn more.

Released April 14, 2021, the April newsletter featured topics on:

• 2020-21 Course Grade Substitutions
• WebXam Tests – retake policy change
• Testing Updates
• We Need SMEs for Health Science courses!
• Baking & Pastry Arts – Validation & Standard Setting Survey

An archived version of this email newsletter is available here.

Correction: The newsletter incorrectly had 2021-2020 written as a date under “Testing Updates”. This should have been written as 2021-2022.

In response to the ongoing challenges schools face due to COVID-19, the Ohio General Assembly passed an amended version of House Bill 67. HB 67 includes language that allows juniors and seniors to use course grades in place of or in addition to test scores for the 2020-2021 school year to meet graduation requirements. Please review the policy documentation on ODE’s Career-Technical Education Assessment System webpage.

Once details are finalized WebXam will announce and provide data submission templates and grade submission deadlines for participating school districts. School districts must provide the required data during the allowed timeframe to ensure proper reporting. There will be no additional windows for reporting grades.

End-of-course assessments are a way to assess technical knowledge and skill attainment by the students. Teachers can analyze end-of-course assessment data to identify student performance gaps. After identification of student learning gaps, teachers can provide interventions and remediation to students to close the performance gaps. Documentation of technical attainment can allow teachers to better prepare, ultimately improving teacher effectiveness, which is beneficial to the student, the teacher, local programs, and to Ohio business and industry. Schools should post-test juniors and seniors first, and if the grade substitution is advantageous for the student for the 2020-2021 school year, districts may use the grade substitution option.

Released February 9, 2021, the February newsletter featured topics on:

• Winter Pretest Window Closing
• WebXam Tests – retake policy change
• Construction Technologies Updates
• Item Writer recruiting
• Course Outline Changes for 175003 and 176007
• WebXam 2020-2021 Calendar information

An archived version of this email newsletter is available here.

The Ohio Department of Education and WebXam are pleased to announce that WebXam tests now may be retaken in the same school year by graduating students after allowing for additional instruction time. This change enhances opportunities for students to demonstrate technical skills attainment for the purpose of graduation and report cards. The policy for WebXam same-year retakes includes:

• Graduating students may retake most WebXam tests once in their final school year;
• A retake must be scheduled at least 30 days after the original assessment was performed;
• Field tests may not be retaken due to the length of the tests and earlier closing of the field test window.

Additional information regarding WebXam can be found on the Career-Technical Education Assessment webpage or contact Matt Winkle.

Released December 16, 2020, the December newsletter featured topics on:

• Winter Pretesting Window Extended
• No Pretesting for Construction Technologies
• Posttesting Reminders
• Participate in Upcoming Item-Writing Workshops
• WebXam 2020-2021 Calendar
• CTE COVID-19 Information

Correction:

In the December email newsletter the “Posttesting Reminders” article originally listed April 9th as the last day for posttesting for school districts participating in teacher effectiveness reporting. The correct deadline is April 23, 2021. Pretesting and teacher effectiveness are both optional. ODE does require post tests for Ohio’s CTE and FCS programs.

An archived version of this email newsletter is available here.