Montgomery, Ala. (February 27, 2020) — The Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) and Certiport today announced students in Alabama have earned over 100,000 Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) and Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) certification exams.
Alabama was the third state in the nation to launch the Microsoft Imagine Academy program statewide in 2012. More than 223 school sites are now registered as Certiport Authorized Testing Centers to deliver Microsoft certifications and 200 teachers have received professional development training to utilize the Microsoft Imagine Academy with great success. The 100,000th certification was delivered to Arwen Holland at Headland High School of Henry County Schools.
"The certifications delivered through the Microsoft Imagine Academy help high school students earn recognized credentials for job attainment and college and career success," said Niketa Dean, ALSDE's Microsoft Imagine Academy Program Manager. "We are so proud of our students and teachers for reaching this impressive milestone and we look forward to continuing to grow the program in the future."
The milestone was recognized at the February 13th Alabama State Board of Education Meeting with a resolution in support of congratulating the Alabama Microsoft Imagine Academy on exceeding 100,000 certifications. An additional celebration was planned at Headland High School on February 27th.
Alabama schools have aligned their Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses to include the MOS and MTA credentials as a way to validate student Microsoft skills. Classroom and online learning, hands-on labs and preparation resources are available for any school participating in the Microsoft Imagine Academy program.
"Alabama has been a great example of how to roll out certifications on a large, statewide scale for the past eight years," said Ray Murray, Vice President and General Manager – IT, Pearson VUE. "A statewide implementation allows the cost of certification to be distributed across the state so it is possible for every school to participate. Alabama is giving students a leg up as they graduate from high school with the valuable credentials employers are seeking."
About Certiport
Certiport is the leading provider of learning curriculum, practice tests, and performance-based IT certification exams that accelerate academic and career opportunities for learners. Certiport provides certification development, delivery, and program management services through an expansive network of more than 12,000 Certiport Authorized Testing Centers worldwide. More than 3 million Certiport exams are delivered in 26 languages across 148 countries each year throughout the academic, workforce, and corporate technology markets. Certiport is a Pearson VUE business, and is a part of the world's leading learning company, Pearson. To learn more, go to certiport.com.
