Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

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Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Elizabe
th Burmaster, State Superintendent of Public
Instruction
A Component of the Wisconsin Student Assessment
System Available on the Internet November 2005
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Overview of Todays Presentation

• The Wisconsin Career Assessment (WCA)
• WCA Objectives
• Report on Last Year
• Whats New This Year
• Two Options for Implementation
• Preparing To Use the WCA
• Ideas for Using It With Students

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• Is available without cost to all schools that
  administer the WKCE to their 8th and 10th grade
  students
• Is web-based, thus, accessible from any
  Internet-ready computer
• Is optional - schools can choose to use it or not
  use it
• Available November 2005-June 2006

The Wisconsin Career Assessment (WCA)
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The objectives of the WCA are
To provide students with immediate assessment
results To help students identify occupations
that may be of interest to them To help
students explore possible academic and
educational options
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The objectives of the WCA are (cont.)

• To help parents/guardians become aware of their
  child's occupational and educational interests
• To support critical workforce and economic
  development goals in Wisconsin.
• To provide schools with information on the
  occupational and educational aspirations of their
  students

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If the WCA is not required, why should you have
your students take it?

• Its available at no cost
• Its easy to administer
• It doesnt require a lot of time
• It helps students understand the connection
  between school and work
• It will benefit your students!!

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Last Year

• 350 districts used the WCA
• More than 62,000 students took the WCA
• 25 logged in more than once
• The average time to complete the WCA was 10
  minutes (upon entering registration code to
  receiving results)

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Suggestions and Comments from Last Years Survey

• These are unedited comments from last years
  survey. Punctuation and spelling have not been
  altered.
• This is a really good exam to help us with what
  we wont to do with are lifes. And thank you for
  making it for us to take. It is a really good
  idea. Thank you agin

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Suggestions and Comments from Last Years Survey

• I really think I will profit from this test in
  different way than many others. At first I didn't
  think I would like this because it would change
  my mind, but I really found out that the job I
  had in mind might just be good for me!

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Suggestions and Comments from Last Years Survey

• I liked this fun activity that we got to do in
  school. It was great! (and we didn't get any
  homework!)

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Suggestions and Comments from Last Years Survey

• I think that you could provide complimentary
  peanuts with every career choice we make. Thank
  you.

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Suggestions and Comments from Last Years Survey

• I hated doing this assessment but it was better
  than reading A Tale of Two CIties.

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Suggestions and Comments from Last Years Survey

• GO WCA!!! hibidy shibidy hobuda heeeeeeeeet
  gurpuneet, slurp a deet. thanks tons babies.

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Suggestions and Comments from Last Years Survey

• I like this site its awsomely awesome

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Suggestions and Comments from Last Years Survey

• i had an idea of what i wanted to be and this
  just justified my thoughts.

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Suggestions and Comments from Last Years Survey

• Sergon needs to be on here.

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Suggestions and Comments from Last Years Survey

• Assesments tend to be one size fits all. However,
  they can be beneficial. I would make it longer so
  that a more accurate result can be achieved.

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Suggestions and Comments from Last Years Survey

• I think this WCA program is very helpful, and
  although I know what I want to be, I heard that
  it changed some kids' lives. So keep up the good
  work!

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Suggestions and Comments from Last Years Survey

• Maybe include some better paying jobs, all these
  jobs sre jobs for the average public, why not
  professional sports, governor or senator. More of
  those kinds of jobs to. Not everyone wants to
  have an averagee job. I mean I am going try to be
  in proffesional sports, if not, a teacher.

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Whats New This Year

• A Feedback form
• Before taking the WCA, students will be giving
  the option to enter two occupations of interest.
  They will be able to obtain information on the
  occupations and learn how they compare to their
  assessment results.
• Your students can take the assessment directly
  from the WISCareers website, if your school has a
  subscription.

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This year, you have two options for how to
implement the WCA
Option 1 Your students can take the assessment
directly from the WISCareers website, if your
school has a subscription. Have your students
login using their WISCareers username and
password. No access code is require. Option
2 Your students can take the assessment from the
WCA website (http//wca.wisc.edu)
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Preparing for the WCA Using Option 2

• All DACs will receive an email with either their
  registration code or (if they registered last
  year) their username and password (see handout).
  This email will be sent approximately November 1.
• Login to http//wca.wisc.edu/tools
• Assign your SACs (optional)

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Preparing for the WCA (cont.)

• Reserve computer resource rooms
• Distribute access codes to students (see handout)
• Use the helpful DAC and SAC Tools to assist in
  administration of the WCA
• Technical support for the WCA
  [phone] ext. 14 or email
  wca_support_at_education.wisc.edu

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Ideas For Using the Results with Your Students

• Get parents/guardians involved share results at
  parent/teacher conferences, and through
  newsletters, emails, links on your website.
• Look at the top Favorite occupations of your
  students and invite people in those occupations
  to speak at your school, in your class, or at
  student organization meetings.
• Have 8th grade students use the WCA to help plan
  their high school coursework and career and
  work-based learning opportunities.

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Ideas For Using the Results with Your Students

• Have 10th grade students write down their current
  career plan before taking the WCA and compare the
  plan to their results
• If you have WISCareers, have students save their
  WCA results to their WISCareers Locker and do
  further research on occupations of interest.
• Encourage students to continue to research and
  explore career interests and participate in
  career and technical education activities.
• Encourage students to do community service
  projects in the area of their career interests.

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Ideas For Using the Results with Your Colleagues

• Discuss with faculty and staff, the career
  interests of the students and any patterns in
  their WCA results. Encourage colleagues to
  motivate students in all subjects by connecting
  career interests to their course content.
• Align or integrate student career interest
  results to the available courses and activities
  to evaluate how well the school is serving the
  career interests of their students.
• Use the results to improve and enhance the
  Pre-K-16 career development efforts of schools
  and community organizations.

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The following slides are copies of screens from
the WCA and the WCA tools.
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