iCEV Announces Updates to Online Platform, Including Testing Platform for Industry Certifications

LUBBOCK, Texas (August 26, 2014) – iCEV, a leading producer of Career and Technical Education (CTE) curriculum resources, announces a major update to its flagship learning tool. iCEV, an online platform that produces and delivers comprehensive educational content, now includes a course management system with pre-built CTE courses. iCEV is also partnering with Learnosity to deliver interactive assessments and activities for students through iCEV.

The update to iCEV comes amid growing national interest in the advancement of CTE programs. Several state initiatives, including House Bill 5 in Texas and Alabama's Career Preparedness course, emphasize the importance of putting students on the path to college and career success. In reaction to this initiative, iCEV will also act as a testing platform for industry certifications. Through the enhanced version of iCEV, students can obtain industry certifications that align to the CTE courses they are enrolled in. During a news conference in Austin, Texas on July 21, iCEV unveiled the addition of the testing platform to the iCEV site. Currently, the American Meat Science Association (AMSA), the National Collegiate Horse Judging Team Coaches' Association (NHJTCA) and the National Collegiate Livestock Coaches' Association (NCLCA) will host their industry certifications on the iCEV testing platform, with more industry leaders adding their certifications to the platform in the next 18 months. 

"As the nation's workforce evolves, it's imperative we provide students with opportunities to explore career and technical education tracks that match their interests," said iCEV President Dusty Moore. "We significantly enhanced iCEV and are creating industry certifications to open doors for students as they chart their college and career paths."

The new version of iCEV includes a course management system containing pre-built CTE courses with lessons from the platform's extensive online library. A course set-up guide walks educators through the process of choosing and customizing courses to fit the needs of their students. Students then complete interactive activities and online assessments, with guidance from teachers. The system automatically evaluates and records results, providing an easy way for educators to analyze student achievement data. iCEV also offers instantaneous technical and curriculum support for teachers through a live-chat feature.

"It was our goal to blend industry certifications and classroom teaching in a more cohesive fashion," said Moore. "Our new platform allows students to work toward their career goals while they are advancing through regular coursework."

 iCEV updates weekly with new lessons, which are correlated to state standards. Each lesson contains professional interviews that provide students with real-world examples of career possibilities that coincide with the main lesson content. iCEV is compatible with several devices, including Macs and PCs, Chromebooks, iPads, iPods, and more. Since launching in 2012, iCEV has added over 240 new lessons to the platform.

"In 2012, we had 200,000 minutes of video lessons viewed by our subscribers," said Moore. "Last year the number jumped to over 1 million. With the release of the new platform, we project to have over 3 million minutes viewed for 2014. It’s great to see those numbers grow as it means educators and students are quickly adapting to our online product and using iCEV as a key instructional component in their courses."