McKeesport: Superintendent will seek waiver for career & technology students
By JEFF STITT
jstitt@yourmvi.com
McKeesport Area School Board on Wednesday granted permission to Superintendent Dr. Mark Holtzman to submit for a waiver for the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute exam for career and technology students.
NOCTI’s Job Ready tests are designed to measure an individual’s knowledge of basic processes, including the identification and use of terminology and tools, according to the state Department of Education, which says Job Ready tests can be used for both secondary and postsecondary education as well as business and industry applications.
Board Director Mindy Sturgess asked Holtzman, who is also director of the McKeesport Area Career & Technology Center, if applying for and receiving the waiver would impact Career & Technology Center students’ ability to get apprenticeships or participate in future vocational training programs.
“This is kind of the high-stakes testing of vocational education,” Holtzman said, adding that MCTC students who do not take the exam will still be counted as having completed the program.
“Any of the certifications that we offer they’ll be able to obtain without the presence of a passing score on the NOCTI exam,” he said.
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