Schools%20Get%20Ahead%20with%20WorkKeys

1
Schools Get Ahead with WorkKeys

• Regional WorkKeys Conference St. Louis, MO
• November 6, 2006

2
How WorkKeys Profiling works for Academic Programs

• Subject matter Experts are chosen
• Date selected for all day profiling session
• Initial Task List established from existing state
  competency profiles, existing national WorkKeys
  profiles, and current RTC program competencies
  (classroom clinical)

3
Profiling a Program Involves

1. Developing a list of the most critical tasks to
   the training program/career
2. Identifying the tasks associated with each Work
   Keys skill
3. Identifying on-the-job behaviors associated with
   each skill as it is used on the job and
4. Determining the Work Keys skill levels of the job.

4
What Comes from the Profile

• Faculty and Students know what expectation are
  for their jobs
• General Workplace Skills
• Common Sense, Punctuality, Dependability, etc.
• Clinical/Internship Skills
• Effective communication with staff and
  co-workers, understanding science and theory of
  occupation, and work ethics (honor, commitment,
  integrity, courtesy, respect
• Overall Successful Occupational Performance

5
Profile Results

• Skill Analysis Information
• Reading for information Level 5-6 for entry-level
  respiratory therapy
• Locating Information Level 4-6 for entry-level
  respiratory therapy
• Observation is required for 96 of tasks for
  respiratory therapist-SMEs agreed that Level 6
  is necessary for effective performance of the job

6
Skill Rankings

• 1 Observation
• 2 Locating Information
• 3 Reading for Information
• SMEs determined rankings by considering how
  critical each skill is to the performing of the
  occupation of respiratory therapist

7
Final Task List

• Determine a Core Competency Skills List for each
  Program
• Range is from 45-80 Core Competencies
• Used to Update and Modify Program Core Competency
  List
• This Means Updating Curriculum for the Program

8
WorkKeys Testing Areas

• Reading for Information
• Applied Mathematics
• Listening
• Writing
• Locating Information
• Teamwork
• Applied Technology
• Observation
• Business Writing

9
How Do We Use the Profiles

• Assess Current Instructional Competencies and
• Verify Critical Workplace Tasks and Skills
• Check if Curricula is Sequentially Aligned and
  Taught to Those Critical Skills
• Used to Select Applicants into Medical Programs

10
And Also Used for Perkins Reporting and
Accountability

• Have been using it for all adult students Cost
  of testing is included in adult tuition/fees
• Have used it with high school juniors and seniors
  in building trades programs through St. Louis
  Apprenticeship Program
• Will use on select group of seniors with pilot
  project in conjunction with local WIB

11
RTI/RTC History of WorkKeys

• Began Profiling RTC Medical Programs
• September 26, 2001
• Licensed Practical Nursing first program
• Completed other seven health care related spring
  2004
• Began Technical Programs 2004
• Due to be completed spring 2007

12
WorkKeys Testing

• Began using WorkKeys Test in Fall of 2003
• Began using WorkKeys Test as pre and post test in
  LPN, Respiratory Therapist, and Radiology
• Needed a nationally normed test for Perkins
  accountability
• TABE no longer qualified for academic attainment
  reporting

13
Career Readiness Certificate

• ACT WorkKeys is considered as the standardized
  test for the Missouri Career Readiness
  Certificate
• Utilize Reading for Information, Locating
  Information, and Applied Mathematics selected for
  CRC to determine level of CRC awarded to student

14
How and Why WorkKeys was chosen for RTI/RTC

• Need for a nationally normed testing instrument
  for adult graduates
• Way of aligning curriculum to testing instrument
• Way to remediate students to be able to increase
  test scores-WIN software
• Way to obtain Career Readiness Certificate for
  Graduates