Winter Pretest Window Closing

The use of pretests can help document student gain, along with the observations and measurements conducted directly by the instructor and other local district staff. The window for winter pretesting closes February 12^th, 2021.

As a reminder, students who took pretests must take the posttest on or before April 23^th, 2021 to receive a student gain calculation and remain in compliance under OTES regulations. Posttests and field tests are available during the winter pretest window, so it is important to activate the correct type of test.

To learn more about the pretests offered by WebXam, please follow the link below:

WebXam Tests – retake policy change

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 seniors 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 seniors 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.

Construction Technologies Updates

No Pretesting - We want to remind you that there is no pretesting available for all courses in the Construction Technologies career field for the 2020-2021 school year. The assessments for these courses are in field testing. Please email us at webxam@osu.edu if you have questions or need additional information.

Field Testing - All field tests for courses in Construction Technologies are now available. These field tests, each with approximately 95 items, contain the new items that were written to align with the revised course outlines and will become the new pre- and posttests for these courses next school year. Please be sure to try to set aside enough time for your students to take the exam in one sitting.

Share Your Expertise - We still need Health Science writers

Workshops for Health Science began February 1, but there is still time to join us! We are looking for individuals who teach Surgical Support, Behavioral Health, or courses in the Medical Bioscience pathway. All workshops are virtual, and you will receive a stipend for your attendance. If you are an instructor or industry professional in this career field, we need you to help create new test items for students! Please visit this participation survey to let us know you are interested: http://go.osu.edu/hs-item-writing.

If you cannot help us write items but would still like to provide your input on the tests for Health Science, please sign up to take a survey that helps us prioritize content standards for each course by contacting Bridget McHugh at mchugh.159@osu.edu. Filling out the survey takes about 10-30 minutes depending on how many courses you would like to provide information on and can be completed in multiple sessions over several days (the survey will save your place).

Course Outline Changes for 175003 and 176007

Assessments for 175003 Manufacturing Operations and 176007 Computer Numerical Control Technology with Industrial Mills and Lathes are in the process of being updated to reflect changes to the course outlines that will go into effect in the 2021-2022 school year. Additional updates will be shared as they become available.

WebXam 2020-2021 Calendar

The WebXam Calendar for 2020-2021 is available on the News site. For more information about important testing dates and deadlines, see the link below.

WebXam Calendar

CTE COVID-19 Information

The WebXam News site will contain updates regarding the changes related to the response to COVID-19. You can also find updates related to the Ohio Department of Education and WebXam on our site.

Updates

Professional Development Offerings

CETE has produced a series of professional development offerings focused on the importance of testing, WebXam Quick start guides, and creating quality multiple-choice test items. These online modules are free and can be found here: http://u.osu.edu/ceteassessment/pd/

As all programs across the state of Ohio are experiencing a wide variety of teaching methods, it is a great time to review policies and procedures. Be sure to familiarize yourself and any new teachers in your school with the WebXam test security rulebook. Teachers and administrators who access the WebXam website to administer or deliver tests are required to agree to the WebXam User Agreement, which includes acceptance of the revised Test Security Rule Book. Users will be prompted to confirm acceptance of these policies the first time they access WebXam each school year. The Test Security Rulebook can be found below.