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CCCTC receives industry credentials, despite not doing as well on web-based exams

LISBON — Although they did not do as well as they would like on mandated web-based exams in some cases, high school students at the Columbiana County Career and Technical Center also received many industry credentials.

Assistant Superintendent Jeremy Corbisello pointed out to the board this past week when looking for a job, the industry credentials are a big thing that employers are looking for in their new employees.

He also spoke about the web-based exams, which are developed in Columbus. Instructors from the CCCTC have gone in the past to help write the exams and then been disappointed when the test questions actually given to students does not reflect their input.

He and others at the meeting discussed the possible end of the web-based exams in the future instead of students continuing to take the tests.

Jim Beardsley, who teaches the automotive technology program at the CCCTC, said students going for additional training at WyoTech for instance can save $5,000 to $10,000 if they have received Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) credentials, but the passing the web-based exams do not provide them with any assistance.

In some areas of the report card, Corbisello reported the CCCTC did well with a 96.4 percent four-year graduation rate and a 93 percent five year graduation rate. However, in the area of preparing students for success, which includes articulation agreements to help them getting credits at four-year colleges, the CCCTC did not score well. Corbisello points out many of the students at the CCCTC are there to continue onto college, but to learn job skills for careers.

“We are falling where the majority of the Career-Technical Planning Districts are falling,” Corbisello said of the CCCTC’s scores compared to others across the state of Ohio.

In other matters:

— The board looked at the revenue charts for the CCCTC since 2007, which have been mostly flat for several years, but in 2016 is showing an increase. Some of that is due to casino revenues coming to the school, as well as increases in what is listed as other revenues.

— Superintendent Chuck Adkins and Corbisello talked about the possibility of changing the welding/materials joining class back to a general welding class, which would give students more lab time to practice their welding techniques.

— Board members from Beaver Local, Columbiana, Leetonia and Southern Local will have to choose whether or not to reappoint their current representatives to the CCCTC board for another three-year term beginning in January or appoint a new person. Adkins pointed out that unless the regulations governing terms for board members change, this next term will be the final three-year term for each of those board members.

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