Pennsylvania Department of Education Awards EASTERN Certificate of Achievement

On March 3, 2011, the Eastern Center for Arts and Technology (EASTERN) Administrative Director, Tom Allen, was presented with a Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Certificate of Achievement for EASTERN’s student base exceeding the expected PDE increase in occupational skill attainment. This presentation was conducted at the 21st Annual Pennsylvania Association of Career and Technical Administrators (PACTA) Symposium in Hershey. This certificate was given to EASTERN in recognition of the 13 percent increase from the previous year in the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI) exam scores. Thirteen percent was the PDE’s benchmark for improvement.

EASTERN program completers have taken the NOCTI exam for the last 22 years. The NOCTI assessment measures student knowledge of their occupational area of study. The test includes a written exam along with a three-hour performance test. Eighty percent of EASTERN students performed above the state standard in 2009 – 2010, which is a 13 percent increase over the previous year and a full 24 percent above the Pennsylvania statewide average. EASTERN attributes these improvements to the pre-test that was given to selected classes, staff development conducted with its teachers, testing offered in two sessions instead of one, and goal setting and action plan staff development.

 “Our students and teachers work hard to achieve high NOCTI scores, and it is my pleasure to accept this certificate and proudly display it in EASTERN’s lobby,” said Allen. “This is a great example of the high bar EASTERN sets in terms of the quality of career and technical education we provide.”

Photo: From left to right – Kevin Reilly, EASTERN’s Assistant Principal and Tom Allen, EASTERN’s Administrative Director, with PDE certificate.