Stuart Hensley District Technology Coordinator Certifications Offered Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³)   Testing Center Joseph City Unified School District Location Joseph City, Arizona

In his own words: "IC³ certification helps students in other classes like English, math, history, and science. Understanding technology products helps students do tasks like writing essays more effectively."

Innovative Courseware Options Aid Arizona School District in IC³ Success
Students assess, learn, test, and earn distinguished credential to certify basic computing competence

Beginning next year, all teachers and eighth-grade students in the Joseph City Unified School District will be required to earn the Certiport Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³) credential. With the certification in hand as proof of mastery of basic computing skills, the Joseph City, Arizona, students will be prepared to complete coursework for other classes more effectively, work toward advanced Microsoft® and CompTIA® certifications, and pursue employment and post-secondary educational opportunities.

BACKGROUND
The Joseph City Unified School District in Joseph City, Arizona, has 500 students in kindergarten through grade 12. Extremely committed to integrating technology in its classrooms, the district has over 300 computers, one for approximately every 2.5 students. The district, which is partly comprised of students from neighboring Navajo and Hopi Native American Indian reservations, is supported by 10 servers and has a wireless network that extends to teachers who live within five miles of campus. “We are fortunate to have a strong school board and staff that believe technology is important,” said Stuart Hensley, District Technology Coordinator.

Following instruction in keyboarding, the school district’s middle-school students still needed basic computing skills before they would be ready to tackle Microsoft Office Specialist and other advanced certifications. “We chose IC³ because it fit this gap,” said Hensley.

PROCESS
Joseph City Unified School District launched a three-quarter IC³ course, which offers detailed instruction on each of the three IC³ components—Computing Fundamentals, Key Applications, and Living Online. It meets Arizona State Academic Standards for basic computing skills and starts students on the path toward the additional certifications they pursue in high school and post-secondary education. The school district covers the cost of the course and certification with its Operations and Maintenance budget.

One instructor teaches the course using a book-and-software combination of courseware called “Achieve IC³,” which is available from SkillsPro, an IC³ Approved Courseware Vendor. Achieve IC³ is a dynamic, self-paced, student-friendly courseware solution that provides interactive training and evaluation of a student’s ability to perform computing tasks. Following a pre-assessment of users’ skills, Achieve IC³ uses both visual and oral teaching methods to demonstrate computing skills. The interactive software then gives users tasks to complete and evaluates their progress. Practice tests are available upon conclusion of each component of the course.

“Its self-paced, repetitive nature makes Achieve IC³ go beyond common bookwork,” said Bruce Alper, President of SkillsProUS. “It reinforces what you’ve learned using repetition. It includes enrichment materials and exercises to combine skills in a sophisticated manner and ensure even simple tasks are practiced over and over.”

Hensley agreed with the value of repetition for his students. “I’ve found repetition is helping the students learn the material most effectively,” he said. “The instructor lectures the students in class, provides textbooks for them to read the material, shows them PowerPoint presentations, and encourages them to review class notes before taking IC³ exams.” So far, it’s worked: Joseph City Unified School District has a 100-percent pass rate.

Achieve IC³ also helps instructors track student progress. Its administration tools and automated reporting functions enable teachers to view student pre-assessment, training, and practice test scores. With much of the administration taken care of, teachers are able to focus on helping students learn. “When students get their hands on this tool, they run with it. It’s challenging for them, and they really learn the material,” said Alper. “But the courseware is about mechanics. Teachers must teach the sociology of using computers. They must emphasize its real-world applications and relationship to business.”

CERTIFICATION
Joseph City Unified School District is a Certiport Center that has offered IC³ for two years and Office Specialist certification for four years. It is also an Authorized Prometric Testing Center and offers CompTIA A+® and Network+® certifications.

Twenty students have earned the IC³ credential. The district plans to soon begin requiring the certification of all 50 of its teachers, as well as all of its eighth-grade students. With this new requirement, approximately 40 students will earn certification each year.

RESULT
“IC³ certification helps students in other classes like English, math, history, and science,” said Hensley. “Understanding technology products helps students do tasks like writing essays more effectively.”

“When kids leave middle school, they need these skills,” said Alper. “Students entering high school with these competencies get better grades and are able to complete their work faster and with higher quality than those without these skills.”

In addition, Hensley said certification helps students in the future as they work toward advanced certifications, college, and employment. “It will separate them from someone of equal abilities.”