1. Globally Positioning Students for Life in the 21st Century
KeyTrain and Career Ready 101 are trademarks of Thinking Media WorkKeys and the National Career Readiness Certificate are trademarks of ACT, Inc.

2. The Accountability Services Mission
Promote the academic achievement of all North Carolina public school students and assist stakeholders in understanding and gauging achievement compared to state and national standards
Design and development of reliable test instruments
Uniform implementation of and access to suitable test instruments for all students
Provision of accurate and statistically appropriate reports

3. Career Ready 101 Purpose:
To provide a single system that combines all essential aspects of preparing a student or job seeker with the necessary knowledge and skills to identify, locate, obtain, and be trainable for the optimum career and/or job in their area, leading to a recognized national work readiness credential. 3

4. The Problem:
How do we manage to address all of the common basic skills and workplace readiness issues?
How do we reduce need for remediation of Reading and Math skills at the college level
How do we document progress on these issues?
How do we provide a credential that is useful to business and recognized nationwide?

5. Basic Skills for College and Work Readiness is a Broad Issue
Does Not Apply Math Well
Poor in Interviews
More math
Difficulty with College Courses
Trial and Error
Rigor
Struggles with Teamwork
Behavioral
Coaching
Can’t Balance Checkbook
Trouble with Workplace Graphics
Finance/math
????
Writing Skills are Lacking
English Composition
Doesn’t Understand
What He/She Reads
Needs to Show Up on Time
Coaching
English
Lacks Career Direction
And Goals
Varied Career
Exploration 5

6. The Solution: Step 1: Adopt metrics that can measure these skills
Use a system that can manage all aspects of improving these skills
Step 3:
Issue a credential that already has national acceptance and traction

7. Finding a Solution: Metrics
STEP 1: Creating Metrics
The ideal metrics would be:
Valid
Reliable
Based upon an agency that has a solid reputation
Determine measurement system
Track performance
Assessment,
Training,
Certification
Define Skills

8. The WorkKeys® Process
Research
Training
Profiling
Assessments

9. ** 85% of ALL occupations utilize these skills
WorkKeys® Skill Areas
Foundational Skills
Reading for Information* (Levels 3-7)
Applied Mathematics* (Levels 3-7)
Locating Information* (Levels 3-6)
Applied Technology (Levels 3-6)
Teamwork (Levels 3-6)
Observation (Levels 3-6)
Listening (Levels 1-5)
Writing (Levels 1-5)
Business Writing (Levels 1-5)
Personal Skills
Talent - predicts characteristics such as cooperation, discipline, influence, and stability
Fit - interests and values to determine the fit between a candidate and occupations in an organization
Performance - measures tendency towards unsafe behaviors and attitudes towards work
** 85% of ALL occupations utilize these skills
WHY these are the big three – set up for CRC 9

10. WorkKeys Skill Scale

11. WorkKeys Identifies Skill Gaps
By comparing the job profile and individual assessment results, skills gaps can be identified
KeyTrain 5 6 6
Skills Gap 5 5 5
Skills Gap
Job Profile 4 4 4 4 4 4
Individual Results 3 3 3 3 3 3
Applied
Mathematics
Reading for
Information
Locating
Information 11

12. Finding a Solution: Creating Metrics
Solution Step 1 – The ACT WorkKeys Assessment System:
Doesn’t Understand What He/She Reads
Reading for Information
Does Not Apply Math Well
Applied Math
Trouble with Workplace Graphics
Locating Information
Writing Skills are Lacking
Business Writing
Struggles with Teamwork
Teamwork
Workplace Soft Skills
Personal Skills - Talent
and coordinating activities:
Career Exploration linked to actual job profiles
Lacks Career Direction/Goals
Poor in Interviews
Job Search Skills
Can’t Balance Checkbook
Financial Awareness/Budgeting
WorkKeys is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc.

13. Training for College or Workplace?
The needs of college and workplace-bound students are merging:
“Whether planning to enter college or workforce training programs after graduation, high school students need to be educated to a comparable level of readiness in reading and mathematics.”
- Ready for College and Ready for Work: Same or Different?, ACT, Inc.
Nationally over half of college freshmen take at least one “remediation” course (usually math or reading)
2006 ACT performed a study that showed a direct correlation between WorkKeys score in Reading & Math level 5 & an ACT score of 21/22
Most US colleges use an ACT score of 18 for the cutoff whether a student takes remediation
Implication: K-12 students with a Gold Level CRC much less likely to take remedial studies in college
Common Language – i.e. what does more math mean? Algebra? Or more Applied math? 13

14. KeyTrain Foundation Skills KeyTrain Career Skills
STEP 2 – Creating a Manageable System
Career Ready 101™ Manages Curriculum based upon the WorkKeys System
KeyTrain Foundation Skills
Trainability
Transferable skills
KeyTrain Career Skills
Soft skills in the workplace
Job Search Skills
Resumes, Job Search, Job Applications, Interviewing
Career Exploration
Search careers by WorkKeys skills and interest areas

15. Career Ready 101 manages all aspects of instruction.
Difficulty with College Courses
Does Not Apply Math Well
Solution Step 2:
Career Ready 101 manages all aspects of instruction.
Writing Skills are Lacking
Struggles with Teamwork
Trouble with Workplace Graphics
Career Ready 101
Doesn’t Understand What He/She Reads
Needs to Show Up on Time
Poor in Interviews
Can’t Balance Checkbook
Lacks Career Direction/Goals

16. Career Ready 101 Design Wizard
Easily creates customized class calendar meeting classroom needs:
Time per week, Time per semester
Facilities – computer lab access, etc
Component priorities given time and physical constraints
Choose
Time
Variables
Choose
Facility
Variables
Prioritize
Components
Edit
Career Ready 101
My Course My Classes My Account My Reports
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday 1
2 About CRC
3 Career Clusters 4
5 Interest Assessments
6 Exploring Career Options 7 8
9 Financial Awareness
10 Financial Awareness 11
12 Reality Check
13 Creating a Resume 14 15
16 Your Resume
17 Your Resume 18
19 Interviewing Skills
20 Interviewing Skills 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
Completed
Past Due
Due Today 16

17. Instructor’s Class Dashboard17

18. Career Ready 101 Library

19. Career Ready 101 Library

20. Career Ready 101 Library

21. Career Ready 101 Library

22. Instructor’s Teaching Menu22

23. Instructor’s Calendar View23

24. Viewing a Lesson and Topic:
Interactive Lessons or Classroom Presentations and Exercises 24

25. Instructor-Led Lessons include lecture guides, presentations, handouts and printable quizzes.25

26. Career Ready 101 Class Reports

27. Career Ready 101 Student Reports

28. Career Ready 101 Organization Reports

29. Sample KeyTrain Results
Georgia High School Graduation Test
GHSGT Math
Population
% KeyTrain Users Passing
% Non-KeyTrain Users Passing
At-Risk
94%
57%
African American
93%
59%
Special Education
90%
27%
Low Socio-Economic
36%
GHSGT English/Language Arts
Population
% KeyTrain Users Passing
% Non-KeyTrain Users Passing
At-Risk
96%
76%
African American
93%
77%
Special Education
94%
50%
Low Socio-Economic
97%
65% 29

30. Results Chicago Public Schools - PSAE
KeyTrain was implemented in over 100 high schools.
Students who completed at least one level in KeyTrain =
One full level higher on WorkKeys Applied Mathematics on average.
One half level higher on WorkKeys Reading for Information on average.
(Sample size > 1100 per group, less than 5 hours KeyTrain use per skill.)
More than 130,000 students have been enrolled in KeyTrain at CPS, and over 430,000 contact hours have been logged.
The effect of KeyTrain is significant at a confidence level of over 99%. 30

31. Results GED Programs Tidewater CC and Norfolk PS – Best Key Program
KeyTrain is the primary tool for helping students prepare the GED
First attempt success rate on the GED has been %.
Nearly 400 students completed their GED and have been placed in jobs, the military or college.
A 100% success and placement rate was recorded in a recent class of more than 100 students. 31

32. Results Career/Tech Education - Oklahoma
With some usage of KeyTrain remediation 78% increased at least one level
For all three tests:
6.3% at Level 3
40% at Level 4
30% at Level 5
20% at Level 6
3.8% at Level 7
94% at Level 4 or above
50% at Level 5 or above 32

33. Results Central New Mexico Community College Retention
English 98 + KeyTrain: 81% course retention
English 98 alone: 60% course retention
WorkKeys Reading for Information
English 98 + KeyTrain: 78% scored Level 4 or higher
English 98 alone: 57% scored Level 4 or higher
Pre vs. Post Accuplacer Scores
English 98 + KeyTrain: 46% increased Accuplacer performance
English 98 alone: 35% increased Accuplacer performance 33

34. Why Certify Students with Career Ready 101?
Career Ready 101 is a product of Thinking Media, the producers of KeyTrain®
Career Ready 101 and KeyTrain are based upon the WorkKeys Assessment System, produced by ACT, Inc.
We Level I Publishing Partners with ACT, Inc.
KeyTrain has a proven track record of improving WorkKeys skills
We currently have multiple state-wide contracts, serving millions of students
Career Ready is the next generation of KeyTrain, including additional career readiness and financial awareness curriculum and management capabilities
ACT™ and WorkKeys® are trademarks of ACT, Inc. Thinking Media is not owned or controlled by ACT, Inc.; however, ACT, Inc. has reviewed these training materials and has determined that they meet ACT, Inc.’s standards for WorkKeys training curriculum.

35. National Career Readiness Certificate
Difficulty with College Courses
Solution Step 3:
Certify basic and workplace skills using the National Career Readiness Certificate
Does Not Apply Math Well
Writing Skills are Lacking
Struggles with Teamwork
National Career Readiness Certificate
Trouble with Workplace Graphics
Doesn’t Understand What He/She Reads
Needs to Show Up on Time
Poor in Interviews
Can’t Balance Checkbook
Diploma and NCRC demonstrates
Ready for College/Ready for Work
Lacks Career Direction/Goals
The National Career Readiness Certificate is a trademark of ACT, Inc.

36. Important Elements of the System
WorkKeys – Assessments from ACT, Inc.
Foundational Skills
Personal Skills
KeyTrain – Online Curriculum from Thinking Media
Demonstrated improvement of Foundational Skills
Complete coverage of Personal Skills
National Career Readiness Certificate™ (NCRC)
Credential certifying 3 most common foundational skills
Issued by ACT; many states issue comparable state CRC’s
Career Ready 101™
KeyTrain curriculum plus new career readiness curriculum, classroom management tools, and course calendaring
WHY these are the big three – set up for CRC

37. Skill Areas of The Career Readiness Certificates
Reading for Information
Applied Mathematics
Locating Information
Three Certificate levels:
Bronze – Minimum of Level 3 in all Skill Areas
Qualified for 30% of Jobs
Silver – Minimum of Level 4
Qualified for 65% of Jobs
Gold – Minimum of Level 5
Qualified for 85% of Jobs

38. NCRC Provides Information on Skills
This is the most important part of the certificate. It says WHAT a person can do. It tells employers what a person can do for them.

39. The NCRC is Nationally Accepted
NCRC STATE
CRC STATE CERTIFICATES
WORKKEYS REGIONAL ACTIVITY
LIMITED WORKKEYS ACTIVITY
The NCRC is
Nationally Accepted
It’s appropriate to use WorkKeys on a nationwide basis because it examines the foundational skills needed in virtually every job in the country.
There are other advantages to using WorkKeys as the bedrock of a national credentialing initiative:

40. Benefits of an NCRC Portable credential for basic workplace skills
Business: Easy way to measure skills
Individuals: Easy way to demonstrate skills
Economic Development: Document the quality of workforce
Education, Workforce Development, Training Organizations, and Business: Speak a common language

41. KeyTrain What sets us apart:
A clear roadmap for implementing a complete career readiness strategy
Don’t have to be an expert in career readiness to deliver an effective solution
Single sign-on that combines previously separate information obtained from a wide variety of web sites and sources
Flexible delivery – self-paced study, classroom learning, or a blend of the two.
Intelligent class setup helps instructors recommends best combination of resources
Multiple views for classroom presentation, grading or accountability reporting
Creates a single point of accountability and ease of management.

42. KeyTrain Foundation Skills KeyTrain Career Skills
A Comprehensive System
KeyTrain Foundation Skills
Trainability
Transferable skills
KeyTrain Career Skills
Soft skills in the workplace
Job Search Skills
Resumes, Job Search, Job Applications, Interviewing
Career Exploration
Search careers by WorkKeys skills and interest areas

43. A course for life