ISTE 2011 Birds of a Feather session presented on June 27, 2011, by Dave Hansen and Scott Horan. If offers details of the value of inco

1. A DISCUSSION OF SECONDARY
IT CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS
Scott Horan and Dave Hansen

2. INTRODUCTIONS
> Who are you?
> What do you teach?
> What do you want to get out of this session?

4. TOPICS OF DISCUSSION
Why Certify? – Getting the most out of
certification programs
Our top certification recommendations
Getting started with certifications

5. WHY CERTIFY?
> Changing Trends
> Student Employability
> Student Career-Readiness
> Course Relevance Barometer
> Improved Academics
> Clear Course/Program Sequencing
> College Credit
> Better Internship Opportunities
> Enhanced Articulation Opportunities
> Funding
> Reporting & Curriculum Feedback
Topics of Discussion

6. WHY CERTIFY? - GEORGETOWN UNIV.
> “…we need to revive high school career and
technical education programs as alternative
pathways to postsecondary education and
training or to industry-based certificates and
certifications that make students employable
after high school.” (Emphasis added)
- Postsecondary Education and Training As We Know It Is Not Enough.
http://cew.georgetown.edu/uploadedfiles/412071_postsecondary_education.pdf

7. WHY CERTIFY - WA STATE (I-BEST)
> “The study identified a “tipping point” of at
least one year of college credit and a
credential as the threshold for earnings
gains, to meet employer demands for skilled
workers and prepare students for moving
even higher in their post-secondary
attainment.” (Emphasis Added)
- Washington SBCTC – Research Report No. 08-1
http://www.sbctc.edu/college/education/resh_rpt_08_1_student_achieve
_basic_skills_003.pdf

8. WHY CERTIFY - HARVARD UNIVERSITY
of people with post-secondary
licenses or certificates—credentials short of
an associate’s degree—earn more than the
average bachelor’s degree recipient.”
Pathways to Prosperity (Feb. 2011)
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news_events/features/2011/Pathways_to_Pr
osperity_Feb2011.pdf

9. WHY CERTIFY - CA STATE UNIVERSITY
> “Students who earn credentials in
occupational programs can have substantial
earnings advantages over those earning
traditional academic degrees” (Emphasis
Added)
- California State University - Sacramento
http://www.csus.edu/ihelp/PDFs/R_Road_Less_Traveled_02_11.pdf

10. WHY CERTIFY? - STUDENT EMPLOYABILITY
Top-tier staffing agency reports:
> Twice as likely to be placed
> 50% more likely to be hired FT
> Average 10-15% higher pay
> Time Magazine Report
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1952331,00.html

11. WHY CERTIFY? - STUDENT CAREER READINESS
> 80% of entry-level information worker tasks
"Proportionally, more
kids have lost jobs in
> 85% of supervisors report… the past few years
than the entire
 More productive country lost in the
 Require less supervision Great Depression."
- Andrew Sum in Time
Magazine
> 93% Become team resources Jan 18, 2010
> 89% Are more satisfied at work
 Keeping/staying with their jobs

12. WHY CERTIFY? - RELEVANCE BAROMETER
Monster.com
(890 “MS Office” Jobs in Philly)
Careerbuilder.com
(619 “MS Office” Jobs in Philly)

13. WHY CERTIFY? – IMPROVED ACADEMICS
> Lower Drop-out Rates
 NYC CTE – 4x Lower
> Increased Post-Secondary Enrollment
 NYC CTE – 92%
> Perceived Program Value
 NYC CTE –600 openings received 10,000 applicants

14. WHY CERTIFY? – PROGRAM SEQUENCING

15. WHY CERTIFY? - COLLEGE CREDIT
Students can receive college credit through:

16. WHY CERTIFY? – INTERNSHIPS
> Enhanced credibility with local employers
> Employers learn value of certified employees
> Students better prepared for real-world
experience
> www.itintern.org

17. WHY CERTIFY? – ARTICULATION

18. WHY CERTIFY? – FUNDING
> Fulfill Perkins 2S1 Requirement

19. WHY CERTIFY? – FUNDING
> Fulfill Perkins 1P1 Requirement

20. WHY CERTIFY? – FUNDING
$ Enhancing Education Through Technology
$ Title 1
$ Ed Tech K-12 Voucher Program (CA)
$ Specialized Secondary Program Grants (CA)
$ California Partnership Academies (CA)
$ PTA
$ Community partners/businesses
$ Tech Prep
$ DonorsChoose.org
$ Philanthropic Organizations
$ Other state/federal grants
Why Certify?

21. WHY CERTIFY? – REPORTING/FEEDBACK
Keith Kelly of Northwestern
Michigan College
ADJUST PLAN
EVALUATE EXECUTE

22. WHY CERTIFY? – REPORTING/FEEDBACK

23. AVAILABLE IT CERTIFICATIONS
> 9 Years Ago
> Today
> IC3
> Microsoft Office Specialist
> CompTIA Strata
> Microsoft Technology Associate
> CompTIA + Series
> Cisco
> More
Topics of Discussion

24. AVAILABLE SECONDARY CERTS
As of June 1, 2002
> NT4.0 Server
> NT4.0 Workstation
> CompTIA Network +
> CompTIA I-Net +
> CompTIA A+
> Microsoft Office User Specialist (MOS Today)
Certification Overview

25. AVAILABLE SECONDARY CERTS
As of June 1, 2011

26. AVAILABLE CERTS – IC3
Digital Literacy Certified in 3 Areas
Computing Fundamentals, Key Applications, Living Online
IC3 = Foundational Certification for
Office Workers
Design Workers
IT Professionals
Appropriate Courses for Certification
Introduction to Computers
Basic Microsoft Office Courses
Internet Use Courses

27. AVAILABLE CERTS - IC3
This is what to expect -
Multiple-choice, simulations and matching
questions
45 minute length
45 test items with one or more tasks
Score required to pass varies with exam
(most IT exams range from 65-80%)
Source: US Dept. of Education
Skills measured are posted on Certiport’s
website

29. AVAILABLE CERTS – MOS
Largest Certification Program on the Planet
“Ideal” Candidates for Certification
ROP/CTE & College Students
Academy Program Students
Instructors and Staff
Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access (SharePoint
& One Note in 2010)
- Microsoft Office 2010
- Microsoft Office 2007
- Microsoft Office 2003

30. AVAILABLE CERTS – MOS
This is what to expect -
Performance-based exam
55 minute length
20-30 test items with one or more tasks
Score required to pass varies with exam
(65-80%)
Skills measured are posted on Microsoft and
Certiport’s websites

31. AVAILABLE CERTS - MOS
48:15

32. AVAILABLE CERTS - MOS
Sample score
report
A perfect score is
1000
Skill groups show
areas of
proficiency and
deficiency within
the exam

33. AVAILABLE CERTS – COMPTIA STRATA
CompTIA Strata = Foundational IT Credential for
Tier-1 Helpdesk Staff
Students Pursuing MIS Pathways
Technically Demanding Careers
• Medical Office Support
• Office Administration
• Communication Technology Professions
Appropriate Courses for Certification
Intro to Computer Repairs
Intro to Information Technology
Technology Preview Courses

34. AVAILABLE CERTS – COMPTIA STRATA
This is what to expect -
Multiple-choice and other linear
questions
60 minute length
70 test items
Score required to pass = 70%
Skills measured are posted on
CompTIA
website

35. AVAILABLE CERTS – COMPTIA STRATA

36. AVAILABLE CERTS – COMPTIA STRATA

37. AVAILABLE CERTS - MTA
Master +
Architect/Consulting Skills
Deep Technical Skills
Job Role Experience
1-2 Yrs. Technology
Experience.
Beginners
Associate Level:
• No experience
• Fundamental concepts
• Classroom taught
• Available to academic institutions only
• Positioning students for advanced training, MCTS and entry-level positions and
internships

38. AVAILABLE CERTS - MTA
Microsoft Technology Associate = Fundamental IT
Credential for
Software, Web and Windows Developers
Server, Windows OS, & Database Admins
Networking & Security Admins
Appropriate Courses for Certification
Intro to:
Networking
Security
Database Administration
Server or Operating System Configuration
Software, Web, or Windows Development

39. AVAILABLE CERTS - MTA
• One MTA exam = One MTA certification
• MTA exams are not pre-requisite to each other or to MCTS exams
Thank You!
Copyright © 2011 Certiport Corporation. All rights reserved. Certiport and the Certiport Logo are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Certiport Corporation or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their
respective owners.
This document is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as advertising. All warranties relating to the
information in this document, either express or implied, are disclaimed to the maximum extent allowed by law. The information in
this document is subject to change without notice.

40. AVAILABLE CERTS - MTA
This is what to expect -
Multiple-choice and other select-response questions
45 minute length
35 test items
Score required to pass varies with exam
(most IT exams range from 65-80%)
Source: US Dept. of Education
Skills measured are posted on Microsoft and
Certiport’s website

41. AVAILABLE CERTS – MTA (RESOURCES)
Developed by MS Learning, MTA Exam Review Kits are collections of 21-hour review
lessons covering the topics for each MTA exam. They are offered as a free digital
download to MTA customers
Course syllabus
• Learning objectives
• Unit scope and sequence
• Pacing chart
Instructor materials
• Lesson plans for each day of instruction
• Presentation slides for each day of instruction
• Annotated speaker notes for each slide
Content delivery resources including
• Occasional class demonstrations
• Occasional interactive whole-class sessions
• Guides for occasional discussions to foster dialogue about key topics
Student learning materials including
• In-class exercises (including the code for those exercises)
• Practical out-of-class work
• Labs as appropriate
Student assessment materials
• End-of-lesson/sub-unit questions and answers

42. AVAILABLE CERTS – MTA (RESOURCES)
MTA Student Study Guides:
Available in print ready
or study ready format
Download free of charge at: www.certiport.com/mrl

43. AVAILABLE CERTS – MTA (RESOURCES)
Linkedin Group

44. AVAILABLE CERTS – COMPTIA + SERIES

45. AVAILABLE CERTS - CISCO

46. AVAILABLE CERTS - OTHERS

47. RESOURCES FOR YOU - RESEARCH

48. RESOURCES FOR YOU - CURRICULUM
> Publishers with certification-aligned
curriculum:
 John Wiley & Sons (Wiley)
 Cengage
 CCI Learning
 Learnkey
 McGraw-Hill
 Microsoft Press
 Cisco Press
 Many Others

49. RESOURCES FOR YOU – ASSESSMENTS
> MeasureUp
 Wide offering of IT and other certifications
 Microsoft Certified Practice Test Provider
 CompTIA CAQC Approved
 Robust Reporting
> Certiprep
 MOS 07/10, Live-in-the-app practice tests
> Others:
 Transcender, ExamForce, Gmetrix,
> Beware Blacklisted Practice Tests

50. CERTIPORT TESTING – CERTIPORT.COM/GO

51. RESOURCES FOR YOU
> Certiport Customer Success Team
 Helps you through the initial setup and training process
> Certiport Regional Managers & Partners
 Help you with product, program, curriculum questions
> Certiport Technical Support
 24x7 technical support if you have any setup concerns
> Social Media Peer Connections
 LinkedIn MTA Group
 LinkedIn MOS Group
 LinkedIn IC3 Group

52. Q&A

53. THANK YOU!
Scott Horan
Greater Clark Schools, IN
shoran@insightbb.com
Dave Hansen
Director, Product Operations – Microsoft
Certiport
dhansen@certiport.com