NEWS Release

MICROSOFT AWARDS $150,000 CONTRACT FOR
WORK ON WINDOWS 2000 CERTIFICATION EXAMS
 

Dr. Richard Luecht

GREENSBORO—An educational measurement specialist at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro has received a contract of $150,000 from Microsoft Corporation to analyze the dozen examinations in the Microsoft Certification Program.

The one-year contract will provide statistical analysis and psychometric analysis services for the five new exams and seven existing exams that are used to certify the computer, information systems and information technology professionals who use Microsoft’s Windows 2000 operating system. The work will be done through the Center for Educational Research and Evaluation (CERE), which is housed in the UNCG School of Education.

Leading the research will be Dr. Richard Luecht, a professor and chair of the Department of Educational Research Methodology in the UNCG School of Education.

The project, in large part, helps to “certify” the software giant’s certification program for experts who will use the system.  Luecht and two Greensboro graduate students, Maryann Simpson and Wanda Baker, who is also the center’s project manager, will be doing in-depth statistical analyses involving the examinations, along with gauging the quality and appropriateness of types of questions to be included. Many of the methodologies being developed for the Microsoft exams are state-of-the-art in computerized testing.

“This project is important for UNCG because we will be helping Microsoft develop the examinations it uses to certify people who will employ the Windows 2000 system,” said Luecht. “Because Microsoft systems are used so widely, several thousand people would be taking these exams each year. We may get additional contracts as new developments in the systems come along.”

A specialist in computerized testing, Luecht joined the UNCG faculty in 1999. He came from a position with the National Board of Medical Examiners, where he was senior psychometrician and director of computerized adaptive testing research. He also has worked with ACT Inc. (formerly American College Testing). At UNCG, he currently is supervising a $240,000 contract project to computerize the uniform certified public accountant examination. He holds the master’s and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

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