Let me start by saying that I am not here to endorse one certification over another. I think ANY certification that builds an employability credential for a student is fantastic. That being said, I also understand the ISD role in assisting students to obtain a certification requiring a computer to test. Those challenges may lead decision-makers to favor one over another.
Microsoft
There are a number of different Microsoft exams available that will meet the requirements for a student to be considered career ready for accountability purposes.
If you checked out any of the one-pager certification information documents furnished by TEA, you will see that Certiport/Pearson is the exam provider. For $3744, an ISD can receive a site license with 500 vouchers.
Overall, I feel like this is a good value. However, some smaller school districts may feel like the $3744 price tag is out of reach. Individual exam vouchers are $90 for one exam and one retake.
Can a school district successfully offer Microsoft certification programs if students are one-to-one with Chromebooks? Yes. That being said, at this time you can not offer the certification tests on a Chromebook. The testing console, Compass, MUST be installed on a computer running Windows.
System requirements/recommendations
Supported Office Versions:
Microsoft Office 2016 Professional or Professional Plus (32 or 64-bit) - version 16.0.4738.1000
Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise (formerly called Office 365 ProPlus) prior to and including version 1808 (32 or 64-bit). Note: Versions greater than and including 1808 can take MOS 365 and 2019 exams. Versions prior to and including 1808 can take MOS 2016 exams. The update channel must be configured to Semi-Annual; see the Office 365 FAQ for more info
*Note: All Live-in-the-Application Microsoft Office Specialist exams delivered with Compass for Windows require a complete, local installation of the Office software, and only one Office Suite version may be installed per machine.
You may have already known ALL of this. Here may be one little tidbit you didn’t know. If one of your students is planning to attend college after graduating from high school, a number of 2 and 4 year universities accept ACE (American Council on Education) Credit for certification exams like Microsoft Office Specialist - Word. Using ACE credit recommendations allows students to:
Receive college credit for professional education and training, including military experiences.
Save money on college tuition and benefits.
Qualify for new employment opportunities.
Simplify and speed up the process of completing a college degree.
ACE Student Information
Microsoft Office Specialist ACE Credit Information
ACE National Guide
The process is basically requesting a transcript from ACE. They verify the certification and send it to the student. Their website says the cost is $20 for 1st transcript and $15 for each additional transcript.
Do they offer credit for any other certification exams? Yep. Take a look around their website and check it out.
On to GOOGLE!
Google
I feel like as CTE Educators, we aren’t AS familiar with Google certifications. We get comfortable and go with what we know. So here is my plug for Microsoft. My husband has been working in IT for over 20 years. He would tell you that the industry is not impressed with students who know the Google Suite - they need to know Excel and Word.
That being said… he is also over 50. The goal of the CTE educator is to keep up with changes in the workforce arena and innovate to meet the needs. Google is a BEAST in the technology world. Having a Google certification is certainly not going to hurt a student. In your district goal to meet accountability standards, go with what works for you.
Starting here because this certification test is FREE. It doesn’t get any better than that. Are you working on that reimbursement submission? Joke is on YOU! This one is FREE!
But, what is it??
The Google Analytics IQ assessment is designed to test your knowledge of digital analytics best practices and the Google Analytics platform. Passing the assessment is required to earn a Google Analytics IQ certification. That is straight from their website. Check it out. Analytics and logistics are huge in the DFW area. You know I ALWAYS recommend that you as the teacher become certified in anything you plan to offer for students. If you take this yourself, let me know how it works out for you.
The TEA one-pager says that this certification test is $200. So here are my thoughts:
Google provides ALL of the training materials
If you have a student who is interested in this, I feel like this is an EXTREMELY valuable credential.
I have an account. I logged in to double check the cost and $200 is the cost displayed. That being said, I saw somewhere that schools receive a 50% discount. I have emailed for more information and I will let you know what I find out asap.
If you haven’t checked out Applied Digital Skills for Google, you need to. I think we probably need to offer a PD session over this great tool. So many teachers don’t know anything about it.
Again, Google furnishes everything you need to offer this certification. It costs $37. I emailed to find out if there is a minimum, etc. This is the response I received:
Hello Renda,
Thank you for contacting Google Cloud and EDU Certifications Support. This is Enrico Jr and I will be assisting you about G Suite Certification exam for students.
As COVID-19 continues to spread globally, our priority is to ensure the safety of our test takers and staff in impacted locations. We apologize for the delay in response to your questions, and we intend to do everything possible to support you in your certification goals during the global situation.
We understand that you want to know if you have to purchase a minimum number of exams to receive the $37 price. The academic price is $37 USD (a 50%+ discount off the $75 USD enterprise price). If you are hosting the exam on behalf of your students, you will need to sign up on the website and submit a purchase order to purchase the exams in bulk depending on the size of your testing event.
Any student who is 13 years of age or older and currently enrolled in school can take the exam proctored by their school
teachers, admins or facilitators. Please note that only students are asked to take the exams in a group setting. If adults including school staff (18+ years
of age) wants to take the exam, direct them here. They will be eligible for educational discounts.
If this does not resolve your issue please let us know. If we do not hear from you by the start of the next business day, we will close the case and consider the issue resolved. You can reopen the case anytime by replying to this message. If you run into other issues, please use this link to reach the proper team for your Google Cloud and EDU Certifications concerns. Our hours of operation are between 5 AM - 6 PM PST, 7 days a week.
Sincerely,
Enrico Jr
Google Cloud and EDU Certifications Support
I like it!
Don’t ask your students to take a test that you haven’t taken yourself. It is PERFECTLY fine for you to learn along with your students. However, I strongly recommend taking the certification test prior to them doing so. (Allow enough time to take it more than once - not that you will need to - but just in case!) This way we make sure we have covered everything that is on the exam and we aren’t setting our kids up for failure.
I would LOVE to hear how any of these certifications work out for you. Please reach out to me at any time.
Renda @ Region 10 CTE
renda.songer@region10.org
