Assessment / The Assessment Minute

The Assessment Minute

The Assessment Minute

The Assessment 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.

Current Issue

Archives

  • April 2023 Assessment Minute

    Read April updates from the RCU assessment team concerning PULSE, national certifications, testing, upcoming training dates and more... Read More

  • March 2023 Assessment Minute

    Testing season is here! Read updates from the RCU assessment team concerning national certifications, testing, upcoming training dates and more... Read More

  • February 2023 Assessment Minute

    Read February updates from the RCU assessment team concerning national certifications, testing, upcoming training dates and more... Read More

  • January 2023 Assessment Minute

    Read January updates from the RCU assessment team concerning national certifications, test coordinator to-dos, upcoming training dates and more... Read More

  • December 2022 Assessment Minute

    Read December updates from the RCU assessment team concerning MS-CPAS, national certifications, upcoming training dates and more... Read More

  • November 2022 Assessment Minute

    Read important updates from the RCU assessment team concerning MS-CPAS, national certifications, upcoming training dates and more... Read More

  • October 2022 Assessment Minute

    Find out the latest updates from the RCU assessment team on MS-CPAS, national certifications and more... Read More

  • September 2022 Assessment Minute

    Find out the latest updates from the RCU assessment team on MS-CPAS, national certifications and more... Read More

  • August 2022 Assessment Minute

    Find out the latest updates from the RCU assessment team on MS-CPAS, national certifications and more... Read More

  • July 2022 Assessment Minute

    Find out the latest updates from the RCU assessment team on MS-CPAS, national certifications and more... Read More

  • June 2022 Assessment Minute

    Find out important upcoming dates and information on MS-CPAS, national certifications and more... Read More

  • Endings and New Beginnings

    As a former teacher, I vividly remember how much I anticipated the end of May. It was always time to catch my breath professionally and reflect on the year we just completed... Read More

  • Change is Coming

    Once again, we all find ourselves pressing full steam ahead toward the conclusion of another testing season and school year here at the RCU. Our team put the finishing touches on the MS-CPAS assessments in March... Read More

  • Overhauling MS-CPAS

    At this point in the year, I would normally remind everyone about deadlines for uploading student rosters since we would have just finished our test coordinator training events... Read More

  • Gearing Up for Testing

    Here at the RCU, we are increasing our coffee intake and getting in the proper state of mind for testing season. As most of you are likely aware, testing is the culmination of many months of detailed preparation. Our team is diligently finalizing assessments, completing quality control and making certain we are ready for the beginning of practice testing... Read More

  • The Constancy of Change

    For years this space has been reserved for my predecessor, Sean Owen. He usually began his monthly words of wisdom with a picturesque description that somehow captured the spirit of whatever season we found ourselves and married it to our work on the assessment team. I’ll do my best to mirror that by saying just as the seasons change, so, too, does our work on the assessment team... Read More

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

    After the last 18 months, it may be hard to fill in the blank in the title of this newsletter. For us on the assessment team, we are catching our breath as we make the turn for the school year. At this point of the year, we have completed two CTE testing and reporting periods, as well as finished regional Test Coordinator Training events. The end of the year also has us reflecting on recent successes and highlighting areas needing improvement... Read More

  • Watch the Leaves Change with Us

    In Mississippi, November marks a time of changing colors. For our team, it is a visible reminder that our processes are in a continual state of evolution... Read More

  • Fall Into CTE

    October brings fall weather to Mississippi and marks the season when students and educators hit their stride with CTE classes and educational projects. It is also a great time to reflect and adjust your instruction to get your students where they need to be prior to the holiday season... Read More

  • A Month of Change

    September in Mississippi beckons the start of many changes in our personal and professional lives. Sept. 22 officially marks the first day of fall, even though Mother Nature is unaware of that change in the South. It is also a time where schools are in high gear, with students and educators settling into a good idea of what the school year holds for them... Read More

  • The Heat is On

    The end of the 2021 MS ACTE Summer Conference is the sign that the dog days of August are fast upon us and we are about to begin the start of another school year. As with the start of any new year, there is always change... Read More

  • The Educators of Summer

    In Mississippi, July is highlighted by an increased number of family reunions, pool parties and fireworks displays, as well as a sharp spike in humidity and temperature. For us at the Research and Curriculum Unit (RCU), the month marks the close of testing, finalizing technical reports and manuals for the next school year and postsecondary summer testing... Read More

  • Summer, Summer, Summertime

    We can all agree that there has never been a year quite like this one for us as educators. As we wrap up this school year and give it a final bow, it is already time for us to begin planning for the next. Summertime is when the activity level of most of the RCU staff really warms up. Our team is finalizing national certification reports, editing item banks following item analysis processes, evaluating assessment, writing technical reports and planning for the 2021-2022 school year... Read More

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

Contact

Assessment Team
Toll-Free: 866.901.7433

Main: 662.325.2510
helpdesk@rcu.msstate.edu

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