Colleagues describe Shelly Lamb as an excellent example of a capable and creative state employee for the role she played in keeping high school equivalency testing available in Missouri during the coronavirus pandemic.
Lamb, director of Adult Education and Literacy in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Office of College and Career Readiness in Jefferson City, was selected as the State Employee of the Month for January.
She previously was honored as the department's Employee of the Month for December.
At the start of the pandemic, all but one of the 45 permanent HiSET testing centers in Missouri were closed. Therefore, individuals who had no way to take the HiSET exam, a five-part test which qualifies them for a state-issued high school equivalency credential, had to delay or cancel their plans for training, career or employment opportunities.
Realizing the impact of the closures, Lamb is credited with meeting numerous times with administrators at DESE and the Education Testing Service, the private nonprofit educational research organization that offers the HiSET, to develop strategies and solutions to allow students and adults to be able to take the exam.
Through her initiative and collaboration with DESE, ETS and various school districts, she was able to set up nine HiSET temporary testing centers. Those centers were primarily geared to help at-risk high school students enrolled in Missouri Option programs seeking their high school equivalency certificate. Because of Lamb's persistence, 435 such students were able to take the HiSET as of Aug. 21.
"Ms. Lamb worked hard with ETS in each of the temporary testing centers to ensure that each center had proper equipment, trained proctors, security and safe conditions," wrote Timothy Gaines, assistant commissioner in the Office of Adult Learning and Rehabilitation Services.
She didn't limit her efforts to solving the problem for at-risk high school students.
In nominating her for recognition, Gaines also explained: "She continued her advocacy and meetings with ETS and schools to get 19 out of the 45 permanent testing centers open for adult test takers. She did not stop with these accomplishments, however. She continued to push for ETS to allow secure and proctored HiSET testing at home for individuals who could not access the HiSET because of health concerns or closed testing centers."
On July 21, ETS approved HiSET exams to be taken at home for Missouri residents 18 and older. Lamb continued to advocate for ETS to open the home testing option for 17- and 18-year-olds in the state.
"She has shown exceptional initiative and work ethic during the pandemic to create opportunities for Missouri students and adults to obtain their high school equivalency certificate," Gaines concluded.