At a Glance
At Chester County Technical College High School, all programs of study use Quizlet and MAX Teaching methods to enhance student learning and improve NOCTI assessment scores.
Overview
The Chester County Technical College High School is Pennsylvanias first public, hybrid career and technical high school/community college. The high school, which serves students in southern Chester County, is free to high school students residing in these public school districts and offers 17 career and technical education programs of study.
To ensure students are proficient with the program standards and able to pass NOCTI exams, instructors assist students in designing custom study guides using an online tool called Quizlet which generates unique flashcards, tests, and study games. In order to determine what material should be reviewed with Quizlet, students are taught how to analyze a NOCTI task-analysis sheet from NOCTI pre-test data and how to identify areas of weakness by using the MAX Teaching task analysis method.
Students cross-reference that data with program standards in the NOCTI study guide, and independently research questions from the task analysis standards. Students then input this information into Quizlet which generates study aides tailored directly to each students learning needs. To further this effort, learning support instructors collaborate with program instructors to provide additional interactive learning strategies. As a result, students can independently prepare both in and out of school for the NOCTI assessment by reviewing their individual areas of improvement. Learning support instructors provide small group and one-on-one instruction. They also assist with, and create, work stations related to the standards being taught.
Origin / Implementation
In October 2014, the learning support instructors wanted to take a more active role in assisting program instructors with NOCTI preparation within the programs of study. The following month, learning support instructors began leading the implementation of this program within the HVAC program and quickly saw a positive impact on student learning. The use of Quizlet makes studying for a standardized high-stakes test fun and interactive. It also allows students to become more self-directed learners. This in turn allows time for the teachers to focus on curriculum improvements for the entire program. By January 2015, all programs of study at the school were using this model.
Results / Impact
Since using Quizlet, program instructors have seen an increase in NOCTI pre-test and post-test scores. In the 2014-15 school year, NOCTI test results increased 7.14% overall with 90% of students scoring competent or above.
Contact
Chester County Technical College High School-Pennocks Bridge Campus
Marc DiGregorio, Learning Support Teacher
Email: MarcD@cciu.org