Technical Skill Assessments Approved for Measuring Technical Skill Attainment for Career and Technical Education (CTE) Program Completers
Fiscal Year 2022-23
Purpose and Use
The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) which amended the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins IV) and was signed into law on July 31, 2018, envisions that all students will achieve challenging academic and technical standards and be prepared for high-skill, high-wage, or high-demand occupations in current or emerging professions. The Act also provides an increased focus on the academic achievement of CTE students, an emphasis on improving State and local accountability, and strengthens the connections between secondary and postsecondary education.
Technical skills assessments are tools that can be used to improve State and local accountability and strengthen the connections between secondary and postsecondary education, and prepare students to enter the workplace by demonstrating career readiness. The Office of Career and Technical Education (OCTE) supports the use of valid and reliable technical skill assessments. Significant effort and funding have been focused on increasing the number of students taking approved assessments and in identifying providers of technical skill assessments that can deliver reliable and usable data.
Technical skills assessments provide data can be used to measure program goals versus assignments and tests, help student understand what they are prepared for as they exit the program, and help teachers evaluate their program in order to strategically make changes for improvement based on overall program goals and objectives. Technical skills assessments can be used to assist in improving performance indicators 01, Integration of Academics and Technical Skills; 03, Post-Secondary and Career Readiness; 05, Evaluation and Assessment; and 06, Initiate and Improve Programs.
OCTE promotes and facilitates the use of approved technical skill assessments for all CTE completers. School districts and multi-district career centers may use Perkins funds under the CTE Local Plan to implement approved technical skill assessments for CTE completers. CTE student technical skill attainment assessments are used to improve instruction and student learning, and to ensure program accountability for the uses of state and federal funding for CTE in South Carolina.
Technical skills assessments are varied depending to the program. Some programs use multiple assessments to determine skill attainment. OCTE has approved approximately 115 assessments for use in CTE programs. Another assessment is certification attainment used as a measure of career-readiness. Of the 115 assessments, 30 are recognized for career-readiness. For the full listing of OCTE recognized student certifications, reference the CTE Student Reporting Guide, appendix E.
*The General Assembly provides funds in the annual General Appropriation Act for the administration and preparation of Industry Certifications/Credentials, as well as costs related to the administration of the Industry Certifications/Credentials for the district or career center. These certifications can be found in the CTE Student Reporting Procedures Guide. The funds may be used for costs related to certification preparation and testing.
