Oxford Area High School students earn Microsoft Office Specialist certification

Eleven students in the Personal Computer Applications II course at Oxford Area High School recently completed the second round of official Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) testing. Earning certificates for Microsoft PowerPoint were sophomores Victoria Calibey, Meghan O’Connor, Eric Silvestri, Miles Clarke, Musty Mahmud, Eric DiEnna,  Vanessa Sanchez and Amadeus Alvarez, junior Melissa Loftus and seniors Cody Hubley and Brittany Damico.

According to business and technology teacher Karen Rita, the students prepared for the assessment by first completing coursework designed to meet Pennsylvania state standards benchmarks, and then practicing with software that simulates the testing arrangements. Finally, by performing Microsoft Office tasks in a live application environment, exam takers earn an authentic evaluation of desktop computing knowledge, skills and abilities.

With Microsoft Office certification, students can provide official documentation to verify their software skills, noted Ms. Rita.  Several local colleges grant enrolling students credit for word processing, spreadsheet analysis, presentation, and database courses when provided with this evidence of achievement.

Principal Dr. David Madden remains committed to funding this career-enhancing educational opportunity, which is one of several programs at Oxford designed to ease students’ transition from high school to college and the workplace. Through articulation agreements coordinated by business and technology education department chair Kimberly Webber, post-secondary institutions including Delaware County Community College, Cecil College and Goldey Beacom College award college credits to Microsoft Office certified students.

Ms. Rita cited research which demonstrates that MOS certification results in improved hiring opportunities, increased salaries, and promotion advantages in the workplace. “When I see the Microsoft Office Specialist logo on an envelope in my mailbox, I look forward to delivering it to the student that day,” she said. “Students appreciate the validation from an outside source that is recognized around the world.”