UCA Ranked #1 School in California for Microsoft Word Certification

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA. (May 29, 2019) – After just one year of implementing Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Word Certification content into their curriculum, United Christian Academy was ranked as the #1 school in California for MOS Word 2016 Certification with 45 students and 7 teachers who have become certified. Additionally, UCA 10th grade student, Robert Nguyen, obtained a perfect score and was named California Champion in MOS Word 2016. All certified students and staff were honored at the Microsoft Office Specialist Pinning Ceremony at UC Academy on Thursday, May 23rd.

UC Academy was one of the first schools to lead the charge and embed professional certifications into their existing technology curriculum for students 6th through 12th grade. After partnering with STEP Certified to create and implement MOS Word certification content into her day-to-day instruction, UCA technology teacher, Shanna Fuentes, has been astounded with the results.

“For our pilot year, to have a 98% pass rate is beyond what I could have ever imagined,” Fuentes said. “It’s been so fun seeing my students’ faces light up and watching them literally jump for joy the moment they find out they passed!”

While the school-wide average score from the exam was 831, Nguyen’s perfect score of 1,000 earned him an invitation to the MOS U.S. National Championship in Florida this June.

The Microsoft Office Specialist U.S. National Championship presented by Certiport, Inc. is a competition that tests students’ skills on Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (2013 or 2016). The top students (between the ages of 13 and 22) who earn the highest score statewide in their category are invited to compete at the U.S. National Championship. First place winners in each category will receive a $3,000 cash prize, second place $1,500, and third place $750.

This year, Nguyen was one of over 6,000 exam entries that were submitted from California during the Spring Qualifier, with a total of more than 457,000 entries from across the country. Nguyen plans to represent United Christian Academy and compete in the 2019 MOS U.S. National Championship.

“This program really puts the child on the fast track,” explained UCA Superintendent Tim Hoy. “Not only does it give them college credit, it also prepares them for the workplace. Students as young as 6th grade are learning real life skills that they will use for the rest of their life.”

United Christian Academy is a WASC accredited college and career preparatory school located in Rancho Cucamonga, California. The school serves nearly 600 students in grades K-12. The school is made up of students from Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Upland, Ontario, the surrounding Inland Empire communities, as well as international students from all over the world. UC Academy’s mission is to educate students by integrating academic excellence with a Christian worldview, equipping them to impact their world for Christ.