The MS-CPAS Minute is a monthly publication of the Research and Curriculum Unit's Assessment team. It is designed to help CTE directors, test coordinators, and instructors stay up to date with the latest news about CTE assessments. It is the primary means of communication from the assessment team to stakeholders around the state.

• May 2021

  It Is Almost Time to Exit the Ride

  This school year was like riding on Aerosmith's Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Walt Disney World. The year started slowly, but in a matter of seconds teachers and students were hanging on for dear life! In the blink of an eye, we are finishing statewide testing, submitting final grades and conducting graduation ceremonies... Read More

• Apr 2021

  Spring Forward

  With the time change each year, alternating sunny and stormy weather in Mississippi signals the start of the end of another school year. April marks the beginning of the largest testing period for Mississippi's statewide CTE assessments... Read More
• Mar 2021

  February Ice Storms Bring March _____?

  Intermittent tasks, long pauses in scheduled processes and drastic changes in responsibilities tend to be things that cause difficulty for both students and educators, and all these things happen every year to the RCU assessment team... Read More
• Feb 2021

  Hazy Shade of (Winter) Education

  In Mississippi, the months of December and January do not necessarily provide us a clear view of the season of the year. The unpredictability of the weather can pressure us to adjust our outfits from fall, winter and spring... Read More
• Dec 2020

  It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

  In Mississippi, the months of December and January do not necessarily provide us a clear view of the season of the year. The unpredictability of the weather can pressure us to adjust our outfits from fall, winter and spring... Read More
• Nov 2020

  N Stands for November and New Things

  If there is one thing that we can all agree on in 2020, it is that nothing comes as a shock or surprise when it comes to what life throws our way personally and professionally as educators. I firmly believe--when looking at the positive aspects of teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic... Read More
• Oct 2020

  Once Again...a Return of the Minute

  It is like the saying goes, "the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." After making the decision to migrate the content from the MS-CPAS Minute to the RCU Quarterly, we realized we had navigated off course... Read More
• Jun 2020

  Summer Is Here (Or Is It?)

  At the risk of sounding cliché, I think we can all agree that there has never been a year quite like what 2020 is shaping up for us as educators and people... Read More
• Apr 2020

  Spring Testing is NOT Here

  Revisiting last April's title seemed appropriate as I penned this article from my home in Starkville. April in Mississippi... Read More
• Mar 2020

  Marching Into Spring

  If you are anything like me, tasks and responsibilities that I only complete periodically throughout the year tend to slip my mind when the calendar flips to time for that particular task. New job processes... Read More
• Feb 2020

  Spring Forward

  February marks the last month of winter for most across the country. In Mississippi, we still await our first cold snap mixed with spring-like days to add to the confusion of young students... Read More

• Jan 2020

  A New Year, A New Mindset

  The start of the new year in Mississippi always seems to lift my spirits. It truly is one of my favorite times of the year. For me, it finally brings cooler weather, but it also reminds me. ... Read More
• Dec 2019

  The Unreliability of Weather and Scores

  For us in Mississippi, the weather in December brings varying degrees of difficulty when it comes to predicting what to wear outside. By no means have I ever attested to have Mississippi winter weather... Read More
• Nov 2019

  Bring on Fall!

  For Mississippians, November highlights the advent of cooler temperatures, the leaves starting to change colors, and the arrival of a much-needed Thanksgiving break... Read More
• Oct 2019

  Fall Approaches

  As many of you are finishing the first nine weeks of the school year, I hope you have grown accustomed to our newsletters. In this issue, I am revisiting an educational treat that I shared last October that may be of use for you in the field... Read More
• Sep 2019

  Down, Set...

  Even if you don't enjoy watching football, the kickoff of high school games reminds us we will soon have relief from the dog days of summer. This year, the official start of fall is  Sept. 23. As in every organization and season of the year, we, too, are experiencing changes... Read More
• aug 2019

  It's Great to Have You Back!

  The close of another great MS ACTE Summer Conference readies us for the sound of the first bell of the school year. I can already imagine educators and administrators with renewed energy welcoming another group of eager students... Read More
• jul 2019

  Freedom and the Fourth!

  As the dog days of summer are upon us, the month of July always signals a time of rest integrated with professional development and planning for CTE educators across our state. Our assessment team is preparing for postsecondary summer testing... Read More
• jun 2019

  Summer is Here!

  Even though the final bells have rung, our work as educators never stops. Our team is finalizing national certification reports, item bank analysis, anchor setting processes, and assessment evaluation reports... Read More
• may 2019

  Another Year in the Books!

  It feels like just yesterday I was writing the August Minute that welcomed the start of a new school year. Too soon, it seems, we find ourselves discussing the end of statewide testing, final grades being due, and graduation ceremonies commencing. Before you prepare for your much-deserved summer break... Read More
• apr 2019

  Spring (Testing) is Here!

  April in Mississippi beckons the start of warm weather and signals our approach to the end of another school year. For our team, it begins the largest testing period in the Mississippi CTE world, a period of eight weeks during which over 35,000 secondary and postsecondary students are tested... Read More
• mar 2019

  Bell Ringers, Reminders, and Practice Runs

  Periodic tasks and responsibilities tend to be things that cause difficulty, both for students and educators. In fact, it happens quite a bit for the assessment staff. Changes in job processes, such as some types of MS-CPAS deliverables, can cause minor snags... Read More
• feb 2019

  Passion With a Purpose

  If you are anything like me, tasks and responsibilities that are only completed periodically each year tend to slip the mind when the calendar flips around to that time. New job processes, such as some things in MS-CPAS, may also add to this uncertainty. February always signals a time for us in assessment to become focused... Read More
• jan 2019

  Turning Over a New Leaf

  January is always one of my favorite times of the year. For me, it signals cooler temperatures and the promise of a looming spring. It also sparks a time of renewed energy and focus for most of us. After a much needed break, students and educators are ready for the start of the spring semester... Read More
• dec 2018

  Reliable Weather or Scores?

  For us in Mississippi, the weather in December brings varying degrees of difficulty when it comes to deciding what to wear. By no means have I ever attested to have Mississippi winter weather patterns figured out after living most of my life in the state. This variability, at least for me, always introduces some skepticism... Read More
• nov 2018

  Fall Forward

  For us in Mississippi, November typically brings cooler temperatures, the end of daylight savings time, colorful foliage, and Thanksgiving break. For those of us in education, it also means we are getting closer to midyear in our schools and beginning to prepare for fall MS-CPAS testing... Read More
• oct 2018

  Trick or Treat

  I hope most of you are familiar with our newsletters now that a majority of schools are finishing the first nine weeks of the academic year! Please take a moment to share our MS-CPAS Minute page with others who may want to subscribe or catch up on recent issues... Read More
• sep 2018

  Bring on Fall

  Although the temperatures have not quite signaled the beginning of fall, Sept. 22 does officially mark the end of summer. As the leaves on the trees start to change color, we are experiencing more change with our team. Two Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District educators have joined our ranks... Read More
• aug 2018

  Welcome Back, Welcome Back, Welcome Back

  The end of another successful MS ACTE Summer Conference signals the start of another school year and renewed energy for eager students looking to explore the career pathways our statewide CTE centers offer. As with the start of any new year, there is always some semblance of change... Read More
• jul 2018

  The Heat Is On

  Welcome to the dog days of summer! With July's arrival, the frequency of family reunions, pool parties, and fireworks displays increases at the same rate as the humidity and temperature. For us on the Research and Curriculum Unit's assessment team, July means the close of regular testing... Read More
• jun 2018

  We're Just Warming Up

  With the temperature gauge rising outside and the Mississippi heat coming in full force, the Research and Curriculum Unit's assessment team shifts into another gear. We are finalizing national certification reports, item analysis, item-bank edits, anchor-setting processes, and assessment evaluation reports... Read More
• may 2018

  The Finish Line

  As we charge headlong into the last month of the school year, it is not uncommon to breathe a sigh of relief. In this momentary pause, I feel it is normal to reflect on the positives of our last 10 months. Like you, we intentionally build this reflection time into our work to evaluate our work and see if we have done all we can... Read More
• apr 2018

  Start Your Engines

  As we move into April, you know that we are nearing the end of another school year, but you also realize that there is a lot left to accomplish before the final bus leaves the carpool line. Here are a few reminders to hopefully keep things calm during our last months of the school year... Read More
• mar 2018

  It Doesn't Ring a Bell

  If you are anything like me, tasks and responsibilities that I only complete periodically in a year may tend to slip my mind when the calendar flips to that time of the year. New job processes, such as some things in MS-CPAS, may also add to this uncertainty. It definitely does for me... Read More
• feb 2018

  Getting in Gear

  February signals a time for our team, as well as school districts, to accelerate into high gear to meet all of the goals and objectives set at the beginning of the school year. This is a good time for reflection, seeing as how the Valentine month typically is the halfway mark of the school year... Read More
• jan 2018

  Off with the Old, On with the New

  With the start of every year, we reflect on the past year's accomplishments and look to improve in certain areas. With the new version and requirements of MS-CPAS, the assessment team is continuing to look through an educator's lens with a growth mindset toward improving everything we do to help Mississippi students... Read More
• dec 2017

  Effectively Using Reports

  As many of you know, using the data that comes from statewide testing appropriately can assist in planning and organization for any program. Reports from fall testing will be available Dec. 1. Here are some of the more important reports you should access from our website after each testing cycle... Read More
• nov 2017

  Testing-Prep Reminders for Test Coordinators

  As many of you know, the key to any successful testing period in a school setting hinges on planning and organization. Here are a few key reminders prior to starting testing in your school... Read More
• oct 2017

  New Assessment Scoring Methods

  Beginning this fall, you'll notice changes in how MS-CPAS tests are scored and how those scores are reported. The most immediate and noticeable difference for educators and parents is that individual test results will start to move from percentage scores to scaled scores... Read More
• sep 2017

  Notes from the Assessment Manager

  Wow! The summer flew by in the blink of an eye, and the 2017 school year is in full swing. As we enter a new school year, the assessment staff at the Research and Curriculum Unit turns our attention to fall MS-CPAS testing. We have just started a new 10-year contract with the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE), which we hope continues our efforts to assist administrators and educators in career and technical education (CTE) in improving instructional strategies and student outcomes through the data we provide in the coming years... Read More

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