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ROCKFORD BUSINESS COLLEGE (Rockford, Illinois)
Thinking Outside the Grade
“Something amazing is happening at Rockford Business College”, said Scott Blanchard, the Technical Training Supervisor at
Rockford Business College. “The students are using their certification as a tool to land a job when they leave college. They
are ‘thinking outside the grade’ and not just settling for the A or B on their report card. And the great news is that they
aren’t all computer majors”. Microsoft Office Specialist certificate holders at Rockford Business College include legal,
accounting, and medical majors./p>
In Scott’s first quarter, a student named Edward Peterson approached him and asked if he could take the Microsoft Office
Specialist exam instead of the two-day final. After giving it some thought, Scott concluded that it would be an excellent
benchmark for assessing computer/software knowledge. Edward took the Microsoft Office Specialist exam and was given a 100%
for his final exam. After achieving several other certifications including A+, MCP, Network+, Edward started working as an
instructor and has since become a Master Microsoft Office Specialist.
“I had no idea what I had just unleashed” said Scott. In the following quarter, Scott set-up a certification contest for
his class. Whoever scored over 900 points would be awarded a free lunch. Twenty-nine people passed in a single quarter to
avoid taking the finals. The contest cost Scott a pizza party, but it also generated a lot of interest in Microsoft Office
Specialist certifications.
Students use Certification for College Credit
Rockford Business College started using the Microsoft Office Specialist certification as a substitute where students are
given the option of using their certification instead of taking the final exam. Students who passed their certification would
automatically earn a 100% score for their final exam. Since the inception of the program, students have shown a great deal of
support. While the average certification rate used to be less than 25 exams per year, the exam rate quadrupled in just one
quarter.
Rockford Business College is currently working out the details of a new program where students can use their certification
to earn college credit. The agreement allows a high school student to take classes as a Junior, certify as a Senior and earn
college credit if they enroll in college within six months of graduating from high school. This is an excellent program for
students who wish to accelerate their college graduation while still in high school.
Instructors Use Certification to Motivate Students
One of the main reasons Scott was hired over other candidates was because he was the only applicant that had experience in
Microsoft Access. After being hired, Scott took the lead in helping the Microsoft Office Specialist program become successful.
Scott quickly became certified in Word, Access, Excel and PowerPoint to promote the program to his students. “Prior to my arrival
as a instructor for the computer department, the annual certification rate was about 7 or 8 per year”, said Scott, “We are now in
the top 10 of all Microsoft Office Specialist providers in the Chicago region”. Rockford Business College now has five Microsoft
Office Specialist and two Master Microsoft Office Specialists teaching classes.
“As an instructor, the Microsoft Office Specialist program is a great motivation tool. The students want to get certified,
not only to replace their final exam but more importantly to obtain proof of their ability for future employers”. Scott went
on to describe one of his former students who did a paralegal externship. “When the law firm found out the student was certified
in Microsoft Office Specialist Word, they gave her a desk, an office and a computer. There is a great chance she’ll get hired on
after the externship too”.
Rockford Business College is using the Microsoft Office Specialist certification program to help their students succeed.
The Microsoft Office Specialist certification will help students “think outside the grade” to graduation, employment and promotion
in their careers.
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