Extension of Texas State Plan for
Adult Education and Family Literacy

5.0 Performance Measures (Section 224(b)(4))

5.1 Eligible Agency Performance Measures (Sec. 212)

Management Information System

All adult education data that will be used in the performance accountability system will originate from the Texas Educating Adult Management System (TEAMS) management information system.  TEAMS is TEA's state-of-the-art, web-enabled system that maintains student-by-student demographic and achievement data as well as information about class, site, program, and provider information.  While TEAMS provides TEA with a comprehensive statewide database, TEAMS is also each local program's own database and is always accessible for information and analysis.  TEAMS users can analyze class, site, and/or program data through use of the standard reports that can be generated at the user level.  TEAMS provides a wide range of information about adult education, including snapshots of student and program performance.

Adult Education Guidance Information System (AEGIS)

Evaluation of the adult education and family literacy program will be conducted quarterly through the Adult Education Guidance Information System (AEGIS) with a final report due annually to ascertain the extent to which both the Texas statewide program and each local provider have met projected levels of performance for each core indicator established in the State Plan.  AEGIS will perform automatic quarterly desk reviews for each grantee based on the performance measures and core indicators negotiated with USDOEand set by the program in their application thus comparing targets to actual student data entered into the management information system.  Quarterly, programs will submit a Data Sign Off report to the agency to verify that data has been entered TEAMS, i.e., management information system.  AEGIS will raise issues and electronically notify programs of satisfactory and unsatisfactory progress toward performance measures.  The two major focuses of the evaluation will be the effectiveness of Texas programs statewide and local providers in attaining the core indicators negotiated with the USDOE and established by the state and to identify areas where state leadership activities, technical assistance, and staff development may be directed for program improvement.

Standardized Assessment Policy

The State of Texas has adopted, under the legislative mandate of HB 1640 two standardized assessment instruments to measure performance by participants in adult education programs. The Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) is used for Basic Skills and Secondary Education students and the Basic English Skills Test (BEST) for Limited English Proficient (LEP) students and second language learners. Texas will implement during 2005-2007 the BEST Plus as Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) phases out BEST forms B and C. Texas will continue to use the BEST Literacy version of the BEST series. Programs assess students after at least 40 hours of instruction but not before at least six weeks of instruction have been completed. This policy is flexible to accommodate various configurations of schedules, i.e., sites that offer 4 to 6 hours of instruction per week and those that offer up to 35 hours of instruction per week. The purpose is to allow flexibility, not test students too often, and allow students who exit the program hastily to have a post assessment. Special needs students are tested with the Literacy subtest of the TABE and the raw score is entered into TEAMS. Local providers do not enroll students into TEAMS without some type of assessment and the Literacy subtest of the TABE provides formality for special needs students without frustrating them.

Federal Performance Measure #1: Demonstrated improvement in literacy skills, reading writing, and speaking the English language, numeracy, problem solving, English language acquisition, and other literacy skills

Methodology: Calculate the numbers and percentage of students who demonstrate a gain in scores on standardized tests adopted by the Texas Education Agency from baseline assessment to progress assessment over a specified time period.

Federal Performance Measure #2: Achievement of a High School Equivalency Certificate (GED) or a high school diploma

Methodology: Use an automated record match of the Texas Educating Adult Management System (TEAMS) student records with the Agency's GED database and PEIMS at the close of the fiscal year at least annually. (At present, the system matches GED completions nightly.)

Federal Performance Measure #3: Required Transitions: Placement in, retention in, or completion of postsecondary education, training, unsubsidized employment or career advancement

Methodology: Use an automated record match of the Texas Educating Adult Management System (TEAMS) student records through a memorandum of understanding with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to perform a match with the Texas Workforce Commission databases of participants in job training and Unemployment Insurance (UI) and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board database of public colleges and universities annually to calculate the numbers and percentages of adult education students who enter employment, postsecondary education, or job training. (At present, post-secondary institutions are not required to enter data into a statewide system; therefore, Texas is considering a combination data match and survey method.

5.2 Optional - Additional Indicators

Additional indicators to the AEFLA core indicators of performance will be added to the Texas adult education accountability system.

State Accountability Performance Measure #4:

Retention:

Methodology: Using TEAMS student records, calculate the numbers and percentages of students enrolled [who have participated in baseline assessment] who attend at least 12 hours of instruction and the percentage of those who participate in progress assessment (after a specified time period).

State Accountability Performance Measure #5:

Required Gains: Percent of students who will demonstrate gains in a Standardized Assessment

Methodology: Calculate the numbers and percentage of students who demonstrate a gain in scores on standardized tests adopted by the Texas Education Agency from baseline assessment to progress assessment (over a specified time period).

State Accountability Performance Measure #6:

Transition: Percent of adult learners enrolled in Adult Secondary Education who achieve a GED or diploma within the fiscal year
Methodology: Use an automated record match of the Adult and Community Education System (ACES) student records with the Agency's GED database and PEIMS at the close of the fiscal year and at 6- and 12-month intervals to calculate the numbers and percentage of Adult Secondary Education students who achieve a GED or diploma.

5.3 Levels of Performance

a. Federal Target Performance Measures

b. Description of Federal Core Measures

Outcome Measures

1. Federal Core Outcome Measure #1: Educational Gain

• Definition: Learner completes or advances one or more educational functioning levels from starting level measured on entry into the program.

• Applicable Population: All learners.

• Collection Procedure: At intake, an individual learner’s educational functioning level is determined within the functional level descriptors, using a uniform, standardized assessment procedure approved by the state.  The assessment procedure may be a standardized test or a performance assessment with standardized scoring protocols.  The functional level descriptors describe what a learner entering that level can do in the areas of reading and writing, numeracy, speaking and listening.  The local program need not assess the learner in all areas, but the assessment should be in the areas in which instruction will be focused.  If the learner is functioning at different levels in the areas, the lowest functioning level will be the basis for initial placement.  To determine gain, the learner will be assessed again at least once after at least 40 hours of instructional or at the end of the class or at the end of the program year.  If more than one assessment is given, the latest assessment will be used to determine completion or advancement.  An “advance” or “completion” is recorded if, according to a subsequent assessment, the student has entry-level skills corresponding to one or more levels higher than the incoming level in the areas initially used for placement.  The lowest functioning level will be used to make this determination.  Texas will use the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE, Forms 7-8 and forms 9-10), total reading and total math scale scores and grade equivalents; Student Performance Levels (SPL) for ESL in both speaking and reading; and oral scores of the Basic English Skills Test (BEST) for ESL.

• Federal Reporting: Total number of learners who complete a level during the program is reported and a rate or percentage of level completion can be computed.  The number who continue in the program after completing a level, the number who fail to complete a level and leave the program, and the number who remain in the same level are recorded to obtain a fuller picture of student flow and retention.

2. Federal Core Outcome Measure #2: Entered Employment

• Definition: Learner obtains a job by the end of the first quarter after the program exit quarter.

• Applicable Population: Learners who are not employed at time of entry and who have a short-term main or secondary goal of obtaining employment.

• Collection Procedure:  At intake, the local program collects the individual learner’s employment status and employment goal.  Entered employment is measured any time from enrollment until the end of the first quarter after program exit quarter by data matching procedures.  Note that a job obtained while the student is enrolled can be counted for entered employment but is reported on exit from the program. Employment is defined as working in a paid, unsubsidized job, or working 15 hours or more per week in an unpaid job on a farm or business operated by a family member or the student. The exit quarter is the quarter when instruction ends, the learner terminates, or has not received instruction for 90 days and is not scheduled to receive further instruction.

• Federal Reporting: Total number of learners who enter employment is reported to compute a rate or percentage, divide this total by the total relevant population (number of learners in the workforce who are unemployed at entry and had a main or secondary goal of obtaining employment).

3. Federal Core Outcome Measure #3: Retained Employment

• Definition: Learner remains employed in the third quarter after exit quarter.

• Applicable Population: Learners who, at time of entry were not employed and had a short term main or secondary goal of obtaining employment, and who entered employment by the first quarter after exit quarter; and learners who are employed at entry and who have a short term main or secondary goal of improved or retained employment.

• Collection Procedure: For students who obtain a job while enrolled, students who obtain a job by the end of the first quarter after the exit quarter, and students who are employed at entry and had a goal of improved employment, retained employment is measured in the third quarter after exit quarter. Data will be obtained by data matching.

• Federal Reporting: Total number of learners who retained employment is reported to compute a rate or percentage by dividing this total by the total relevant population (number of learners in the workforce who were not employed at entry, had a short term main or secondary goal of obtaining employment and who entered employment; and learners employed at entry with a short term main or secondary goal of improved or retained employment).

4. Federal Core Outcome Measure #4: Receipt of a Secondary School Diploma or GED

• Definition: Learner obtains certification by attaining passing scores on the General Education Development (GED) tests, or who obtains a diploma.

• Applicable Population: All learners with a main or secondary goal of passing the GED tests or obtaining a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent,

• Collection Procedure: Passage of GED tests or receipt of a secondary school diploma is obtained through data match from GED testing agency. GED test passage attainment is recorded any time up to the reporting deadline (December 31).

• Federal Reporting: Total number of learners who obtain GED certification and secondary school diplomas and number who had this short-term goal is reported. To compute a rate or percentage of attainment, the number of students receiving a secondary school diploma or GED is divided by the total number of learners who had a main or secondary goal of secondary credential attainment.

5. Federal Core Outcome Measure #5: Placement in Postsecondary Education or Training

• Definition: Learner enrolls in a postsecondary educational or occupational skills training program that does not duplicate other services or training received, regardless of whether the prior services or training were completed.

• Applicable Population: All learners with a goal of placement in postsecondary education or training.

• Collection Procedure: Information on enrollment into training or postsecondary educational program is obtained through data match from other education and training agency such as job training programs, adult postsecondary education programs, and community and four-year colleges and universities. Placement is recorded any time up to the reporting deadline (December 31).

• Federal Reporting: Total number of learners who enter postsecondary education or a training program and number who had this goal is reported. To compute a rate of placement, the number of students enrolling in postsecondary education or training is divided by the total number of learners with a goal of advancing to postsecondary education or training.

c. Levels of Performance

Texas' adopted performance measures for its system of accountability are consistent with the core indicators contained in AEFLA; in fact, the wording of performance measures 1 - 3 mirrors the actual language of the legislation. In accordance with AEFLA and under direction of the Commissioner of Education, Texas' performance measures are objective, quantifiable, and measurable (methodologies for measuring were included in the specifications adopted by the Task Force). Also, in accordance with AEFLA and under direction of the Commissioner of Education, Texas will set levels of performance that will show the progress of TEA's statewide system of adult education and literacy toward continuously improving performance.

5.4 Factors (Sec. 212 (b) (3) (A) (iv))

The Texas Workforce Investment Council (TWIC) has collaboratively developed a strategic plan entitled "Destination 2010: FY 2004-FY2009 Strategic Plan for the Texas Workforce Development System." The plan was mandated and developed when the 78^th Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 281 (SB 281), and the plan was signed by the Governor on October 15, 2003. This plan is an “overarching strategic plan for the Texas Workforce Development System” and “develops a single strategic plan that establishes the framework for budgeting and operation of the workforce development system.” The goals, objectives and core performance measures in the strategic plan drive the planning and coordinating efforts among local education, training, employment and support service providers and apply to all state and federally funded workforce development programs, including WIA, Employment Service, state welfare reform, welfare-to-work, school-to-careers, and adult education and literacy. While the Workforce Investment Act largely ratifies the Texas system of workforce development, TWIC is assessing achievements under the current strategic plan and implementing a new strategic plan.  Individual agencies involved in the workforce system have largely incorporated the goals and measures into their own systems, and the Council is establishing a framework for the budgeting and operation of the workforce system administered by agencies represented on the Council. 

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