In order to implement this system of accountability for vocational programs and distribute incentive funds, however, measures of student competency had to be developed quickly. Approximately 78,000 students took the exams last year, up from 4,000 in the first year. The students' assessments are sent to the Utah Applied Technology Resource Center for scoring. This Resource Center also provides assistance and guidelines for teachers. A Protocol Manual has been developed as a guide to the tests and reports sent to the vocational education program.
Programs receive a portion of their funding based on student scores.
Because the testing program had to be up and running in a relatively short period of time, Utah is now in the process of having an outside evaluation team examine the technical quality and reliability of its assessments. Although some assessments may be changed as a result of the current analysis, the Utah Department of Education has relied on the assessment system to encourage teachers and programs to teach to uniform standards, objectives, and competencies, thus facilitating the shift to a performance-based model in Utah.