Preparing for End-of-Year Testing

As spring arrives, we encourage WebXam teachers and administrators to review the upcoming WebXam deadlines for the school year.

Upcoming deadlines include:

• June 1, 2018 is the last day for WebXam testing
• June 15, 2018 is the last day for CETE to provide end-of year files to ITCs for LEA reporting

It is important that test administrators plan for the upcoming dates as it is not possible for us to make exceptions.

All WebXam deadlines are available at the WebXam Calendar.

End of Year Reporting

Administrators can use the "End of Year Export" report in WebXam to verify their students' pathways are set correctly and check student scores to be sure they meet the proficiency standard. If a student is close to the proficiency standard, retaking tests taken in previous years is a way to raise scores.

More information

Kathy Summerfield Retirement

Please join us in congratulating our colleague, Kathy Summerfield, on her retirement. Kathy’s conscientiousness over the years of telephone support was evident in her early arrival time and late departure. Many of you have worked with Kathy over the years will be pleased to know she is enjoying a relaxing retirement. She will be sorely missed around the building here at CETE.

WebXam User's Survey

We need your feedback to continue to make the user experience of WebXam the best it can possibly be. Please consider participating in the WebXam User's Survey to inform us of your user experience and provide us with feedback.

WebXam User's Survey

Forms Finalization

CETE staff recently finished creating final forms so that scores and performance levels could be posted to instructor accounts. We owe a debt of gratitude to the field for assistance; there were a total of 18,247 test-takers. Staff reviewed the course blueprints, SME instructor ratings of essentiality and quality, item difficulty and item discrimination, and teacher review comments to build two forms of 40 items each. One form is the pretest (optional) and the other is the post-test (mandatory).

CETE staff created two forms for twenty-eight courses, most of which were for the Education and Training pathway. The other forms were a mix of revisions and new courses. When creating forms, CETE staff made sure that forms were equally difficult and contained the same number of items from each course standard. Each form was carefully edited to ensure that a third of test items were high quality scenario-based items. SME instructor ratings were also used to determine the passing score for each form and to determine if some items should be excluded in either form.

Test Validation Sessions for Information Technology

Test validation sessions are held separately from item-writing, and all IT SMEs are encouraged to participate. During the test-validation process, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) are invited to review the test items and make recommendations for the performance standards.

Validation for IT test items will take place in JUNE - if you an IT instructor or professional, we are looking for subject-matter experts (SMEs) to come visit us at CETE and review the questions written during the 2017/2018 item-writing year. You can email your interest in participation here! Lunch, parking, a stipend (if you are out of school), and other reimbursements will be provided; come network with your fellow teachers. Your participation can help your students succeed. This is one of the last opportunities to participate in the test process!

What is a SME?

Testimonials Needed – we want to hear from you!

Have you recently participated in an item-writing workshop? If so, we love to hear about your positive experience networking with fellow teachers and working to make future tests a success. Please email us a written (or recorded) testimonial outlining the wonderful experience you had with us. Be sure to include your name, school, and what you teach, along with your positive experience. You may be featured in future newsletters or on the WebXam News website!

Submit your testimonials

Graduation Requirements/Reporting

The Ohio Department of Education is reviewing graduation requirements (especially Option 2) and the reporting required for those requirements. Be sure to reach out to your pathway program specialist for more information.

Learn More