Adult Education Administrator's Manual
Revised August 2007
State Assessment Policy for Adult Education
(Revised January 2007)
Effective Date – January 1, 2007
I. Introduction
and Context
- Overview,
Need, and Importance of the State Assessment Policy
- Texas provides and
requires assessment to measure achievement of literacy and language
skills for adult students and ties achievement to quality and performance.
National Reporting System (NRS) http://www.nrsweb.org/ levels
coupled with assessment data is important when placing students into
appropriate levels and consequently showing student progress. Data
drives program quality, professional development, and performance targets.
- Standardized assessments are required by HB 1640 and were chosen
for validity and reliability as an accurate way to measure student
progress. Uniform implementation of this state assessment policy allows
for comparability across programs within the state. Sound policy
ensures standardization.
- Results from assessment provide the basis for the state report card
rubric. Report Cards are used for program commendations, improvement
plans, and professional development planning.
- Assessment data drives academic performance targets. Academic
performance targets supply information to the electronic desk review
(AEGIS) on a quarterly basis. In addition, performance target negotiations
between state and federal offices are determined by the actual number
of adult learners completing levels, remaining in the same level, and
moving to a higher level.
- Assessment data provides the basis for formative and summative self
evaluation of programs.
- Purposes
and Uses of Assessment
In addition to required standardized assessments used for NRS reporting
and accountability, programs use assessments for instructional purposes.
It is important to note that assessment drives instruction. In
this light, programs are encouraged to supplement standardized assessments
for accountability with instructional-based, portfolio-based, and/or
teacher-made assessments. In addition to driving instruction, professional
development plans are developed as a result of assessment data.
-
Summary and Overview of Pre and Post Test Rules
- Texas requires that students be assessed before enrollment, at intake,
or during orientation.
- Texas requires that test administrators be properly trained before
administering standardized assessments. Texas provides a cadre of certified
trainers to provide test administrator training. Local programs
shall keep training documentation of file available for review by a
Grant Services Manager or other state staff.
- The approved assessments are the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE)
for English speaking students and the Basic English Skills Test (BEST)
- Literacy version, and Basic English Skills Test Plus (BEST-Plus)
for English language learners (ELL).
- Post tests are recommended by the publisher after at least 60
hours of instruction.
- Additional Post Test Rules and Exceptions
- If
the hours for a course of instruction exceed the recommended
number of hours, post-testing may most appropriately take
place at the end of the instructional session.
- Because
program-related factors such as intensity of instruction, class size,
teacher training and experience, and use of appropriate curricula
and materials will affect language learning proficiency gains, programs
should consider these factors when determining timing for pre- and post-testing. Teacher professional judgment should determine if the
student has clearly reached the appropriate level of learning to be administered
a post-test before the student completes the recommended 60 hours of
instruction. (Examples of teacher professional judgment are in
the glossary.) Teachers and/or programs must document unanticipated
learning gains.
- Post-tests must be administered at least once a fiscal year before
June 30.
- Programs
must maintain documentation that post-testing follows the state assessment
policy. NOTE: TEAMS (Texas
Educating Adults Management System) at this time
does not contain historical data matching the number of hours between
pre- and post-testing. TEAMS does clearly indicate on the student roster
if the student has completed the level after the post-test scores are
entered. Since TEAMS collects hours by instructional periods, not by
each day, local programs must maintain proper documentation to show the
number of hours between pre- and post-tests. Note: The state office
has requested programmers to make changes to TEAMS to keep the historical
reference to the number of hours between pre- and post-testing. This
Software Change Request is tentatively scheduled for 2007. Once TEAMS
has this capability, the state office will notify programs.
- Programs
may wait longer than the 60 hour minimum to post-test students.
- Per
NRS guidelines, the latest post-test (not the highest post-test) will
be used to determine the number of adults who complete the level or remained
in the same level and subsequently reported in the Federal Tables.
- Data
to support professional teacher judgment for exceptions to the 60 hour
recommendation must be maintained for review by a Grant Services Manager
or other state staff.
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