State Assessment and
Goal Setting/Attainment Policy for Adult Education

Effective Date – July 1, 2011
Revised April 1, 2011

III. Guidelines for Each Assessment

A.Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) (Sub-Tests are Reading, Language, and Math)

Who should be tested with the TABE?
TABE is an NRS approved assessment that Texas has chosen for adult basic education students. TABE is one of the designated assessment instruments for students enrolling in Adult Basic Education (ABE) or Adult Secondary Education (ASE). Students who speak English well enough to complete the TABE Locator test and score in each level to be administered a test in at least the Level E may be administered the TABE. Students unable to complete the locator test and score in at least the TABE E level should be administered the TABE Word List, or if the student has limited English proficiency, the student should be administered the BEST Plus and/or BEST Literacy or the TABE CLAS-E. For non-literate students who are native English speakers, the TABE Word List provides a score that can be entered into TEAMS but the student will not be added to the federal NRS report until a score on TABE Forms 9 or 10 is obtained.
Are alternate forms of the test used for pre- and post- testing?
Beginning on July 1, 2009 TABE has two parallel forms, Forms 9 and 10. An alternate form must be used when post assessing the same student to ensure valid results. See Table I for a description of the TABE Grade Levels, Scale Scores, and Educational Functioning Levels (EFL). Example: If the TABE 9 is used as a pre-assessment, then TABE 10 is used as a progress assessment. If the pre- and post- assessments are the same level and use the same form e.g., TABE 9, level M to TABE 9, level M then 120 hours of instruction are required between the pre- and post- assessments.
Is a locator test administered before the actual TABE pre-assessment?
Administer the TABE Locator Test to determine the correct level of each pre-assessment sub-test in the TABE Survey or Battery Test that is administered to each individual student. The locator is not used in conjunction with post-assessment.
If the assessment has sub-tests in more than one area, describe the appropriate test for each population along with the procedures for determining which sub-test to use with each type of student.
The TABE does not have more than one sub-test in an area. Populations who have limited English proficiency are not administered the TABE until they have advanced level scores on both the BEST Literacy and BEST Plus.
What are the training requirements for administering the assessment?
All staff administering the TABE must be trained before administering the test. Local programs are responsible for maintaining records of staff trained to administer tests in their programs. Staff training records must be entered into TEAMS.

CTB-McGraw-Hill (TABE Publisher) has trained a cadre of GREAT Center trainers in Texas to properly administer the TABE. GREAT Centers provide TABE training for the local programs. Local programs may provide locally developed TABE training per the requirements of CTB-McGraw-Hill and maintain documentation of the local process.

Local programs should develop a plan to determine how many testers are required to pre- and post- test the maximum number of students efficiently and effectively. There is a State Board of Education minimum requirement that all staff has completed at least a GED or high school diploma to be a tester, but it is highly recommended that a 4-year degreed teacher administer the TABE.

TABE Training is 6 hours for inexperienced users, and TABE Refresher Training is 3 hours for experienced users. The local program is responsible for maintaining the security of all assessments and for keeping record of all persons trained to administer the TABE. Annual or periodic TABE Refresher Training is recommended to maintain the integrity of and promote the security of the TABE testing process.
When does post testing occur, by calendar date or instructional hour?
Post- testing occurs per student after completion of at least the minimum hours of instruction recommended in the publishers' guidelines. Programs may choose a calendar date or dates for post -testing, but programs must ensure that each student has obtained at least the minimum hours of instruction recommended in the publishers' guidelines. More hours of instruction may occur before post-testing. Students receiving 20-30 hours of instruction per week may be tested after completing more hours than those recommended in the publisher's guidelines.

What are the instructions for using scale scores from the assessments to place students into NRS educational functioning levels and determining whether students have completed levels?
Please refer to Table II for information about NRS Educational Functioning Levels and associated score ranges.

Programs may administer the TABE in the Survey Form or the Complete Battery Form. The Survey Form takes about half the time of the Complete Battery.

Before administering either the Survey Form or the Battery Form, programs must administer a TABE Locator test to determine which level of the TABE test to administer as a pre-test to establish a baseline. The number of items and estimated time to administer the TABE Locator is as follows in Table II:

TABLE II: TABE Locator Test- Item Count and Test Times

Locator Test	Number of Items	Estimated Testing Time (h:m)
Reading	12	:12
Mathematics Computation	8	:05
Applied Mathematics	8	:08
Language	12	:12

The score on each portion of the TABE Locator test determines which level of the TABE to administer. A different level of the TABE may be required for each sub-test subject area.

For example: a student may be administered the TABE Reading Sub-Test at the Medium Level or M Level, TABE Math at the Difficult Level or D Level, and the TABE Language at the Easy Level or E Level. The level of test may vary for every student and is based on the TABE Locator scores. If a score in a subject area the TABE Locator is the maximum or minimum score for the level, programs may choose to give the next test level either above or below the recommended level.

The TABE is made up of three sub-test subject areas or domains:
- Reading
- Math
- Language
The TABE instrument group is made-up of various skill areas or domains/ component levels. The levels are:
- Literacy (L)*
- Easy (E)
- Medium (M)
- Difficult (D)
- Advanced (A)
* Literacy Level is not recognized in NRS and is not used for a placement in an NRS level.

The TABE Levels allow programs to focus its assessment activities. The level is determined by the TABE Locator Test.

Note: The TABE Word List may be used for initial appraisal of assessment for students functioning at the Beginning ABE Literacy Level but may not be used to place a student in an NRS level.
All sub-test areas should be administered to all students as a pre-assessment to establish a baseline unless there is an exception.
Follow the guidelines in the TABE Test Administrator's Manual. Score each assessment or sub-test to obtain a raw score.
Convert each raw score to a scale score provided in the TABE Norms Book or TABE software program (TestMate®).
ABE, ASE/GED students assessed at baseline in all basic skill areas (all TABE sub-tests/domains) must be placed by the lowest level/domain. The lowest scale score determines the Domain of Significance (DOS).
If a student has the same scale score for two different sub-tests/domains, TEAMS will look at the maximum score for each functioning level. The sub-test/domain with the highest score differential is the lowest, and thus TEAMS will select it as the DOS. For example: If a student scores a 470 TABE Reading (Low Intermediate basic Education) and 470 TABE Math (Low Intermediate basic Education), you would subtract 470 from 517 to get 47 (Reading difference), and 470 from 505 to get 35 (Math difference); the greatest difference is 47 so TABE Reading would be selected as the DOS.
If an ABE, ASE/GED student has a specific skill area/domain goal that differs from the lowest score, the student must be tracked in the specific skill area/domain. The specific goal area becomes the DOS. TEAMS is automated to select the lowest scale score. Programs must treat this as a special situation and contact Texas LEARNS to resolve this situation. Note: Programs are strongly encouraged to track in all areas in which instruction is provided.

TABE may be administered individually or in a group setting and may be administered in "paper and pencil" forms or by computer. TABE is either locally hand scored, machine scored, or scored with TestMate® TABE software. Regardless of the type of administration, the raw scores must be converted to Scale Scores before entering score information into TEAMS. Table III illustrates the NRS Level, the Grade Equivalent and the Scale Score. TEAMS is automated to place the student in the lowest NRS Functioning Level when the TABE Scale Score is entered for each sub-test subject area.

*TABLE III – TABE* 9 and 10 NRS Functioning Levels, Grade Equivalents, and Scale Score Ranges**
NRS Functioning Level	Grade Level Equivalent Range	Reading Scale Score Ranges	Total Math Scale Score Ranges	Language Scale Score Ranges
Beginning Adult Basic Education (ABE) Literacy	0-1.9	0-367	0-313	0-389
Beginning Basic Education	2-3.9	368-460	314-441	390-490
Low Intermediate Basic Education	4-5.9	461-517	442-505	491-523
High Intermediate Basic Education	6-8.9	518-566	506-565	524-559
Low Adult Secondary Education (ASE)	9-10.9	567-595	566-594	560-585
High Adult Secondary Education (ASE)	11-12.9	596-812	595-775	586-826

After publishers' minimum hours for required instruction, students should be administered a post-test using a different "form" from the pre-test. The same "level" of the TABE is administered for post-test as the pre-test. The post-test is scored the same way as the pre-test.
Administer post-test individually or in a group.
The post-test raw score is converted to a scale score, and the scale score is entered into TEAMS. TEAMS is automated to determine if the student has completed the lowest level or Domain of Significance (federal report) and if the student has made gains for the state report.
If the student moves from a pre-test score range to the next higher score range on the post- test, the student completes a level. If the student does not have a post-test score in the next score range level, the student is reported as "remaining in the level."
Original score sheets from tests and/or electronic score reports with results of students' pre and post test scores must be stored and/or backed up on appropriate media or printed out and filed in hard copy and be made available for local, state and federal audit purposes.

B. BEST Literacy

Who should be tested with the BEST Literacy Test?
BEST Literacy should be administered to all limited English proficient students who take the BEST Plus assessments unless the student is unable to complete a screen tool.
Are alternate forms of the test used for pre- and post- testing?
BEST Literacy is available in three parallel forms (B, C and D) for pre- and post- testing. The BEST Literacy Test Manual is designed to provide test administrators and scorers with all the information needed to give and score the test, including a rubric with clear benchmarks for scoring the note-writing tasks. Use different forms for pre-testing and post-testing.
Is a locator test administered before the actual BEST Literacy test?
The BEST Literacy test does not require a locator test although some adults entering an English language program may have limited knowledge of written English and will struggle with or be unable to complete a literacy assessment such as BEST Literacy. A literacy screening tool may be used to identify these individuals. A sample literacy screening tool is provided below. If using the locator form below, students should be asked to fill in the information indicated on the form. If the student is unable to complete the form indicating a lack of basic literacy (reading and writing) skills, an oral English proficiency assessment, such as BEST Plus, may be a more appropriate assessment, and the BEST Literacy Test is not administered.

Name: _______________________________
Address: _____________________________
Date of Birth: __________________________
Signature: _____________________________
Today's Date: __________________________
If the assessment has sub-tests in more than one area, describe the appropriate test for each population along with the procedures for determining which sub-test to use with each type of student.
The BEST Literacy test does not have more than one sub-test in an area. Populations who have advanced level scores on both the BEST Literacy and BEST Plus are no longer tested with the BEST Literacy and are administered a TABE test.
What are the training requirements for administering the BEST Literacy assessment?
All staff who administers the BEST Literacy assessment must be trained in proper test administration practice according to the publisher. Center for Applied Linguistics (BEST Literacy publisher) provides a manual for training. BEST Literacy Training is generally three hours long. The local program is responsible for maintaining the security of all assessments and for keeping record of all persons trained to administer the BEST Literacy.

Local programs should develop a plan to determine how many testers are required to pre and post- test the maximum number of students efficiently and effectively. There is a State Board of Education minimum requirement that all staff has completed at least a GED or high school diploma to be a tester, but it is highly and strongly recommended that a 4-year degreed staff administer the BEST.

Refresher BEST Training is recommended at least every two years.

The GREAT Centers may provide assessment training and contact information for trainers. Programs should call toll free, 1-800-441-READ, to find the closest training option or go to the TCALL website for a calendar of training in each GREAT Center region. The Web address is: http://www-tcall.tamu.edu/ Assessment training can be provided to meet the schedule of the local program.
When does post-testing occur, by calendar date or instructional hour?
Post-testing occurs per student after at least 60 hours of instruction. Programs may choose a calendar date or dates for post-testing, but programs must ensure that each student has obtained at least 60 hours of instruction. More hours of instruction may occur before post testing. Students in TANF may receive 20-30 hours of instruction per week and may be tested after more than 60 hours, and programs may choose to test TANF students monthly or every other month.

What are the instructions for using scale scores from the assessments to place students into NRS educational functioning levels and determining whether students have completed levels?
Please refer to Table III for information about NRS Educational Functioning Levels and associated score ranges.

Follow the guidelines from a certified trainer and the BEST Literacy Test Manual.
A screening tool may be used to determine if a participant is "ready" to take the BEST Literacy test. The BEST Plus oral test may not be used to predict "when a participant is ready" to take the BEST Literacy. Instead, the sample Literacy Screening Tool maybe used as a screening tool. Participants should correctly fill out the screening tool without assistance within a reasonable amount of time. If the participant correctly fills out the screening tool without assistance and within a reasonable amount of time, then administer the BEST Literacy.

Sample Literacy Screen Tool:

Name: _________________________
Address: _______________________
Date of Birth: ___________________
Signature: ______________________
Today's Date: ___________________
Score each test or sub-test to obtain a raw score.
Convert each raw score to a scale score provided in the BEST Literacy Test Manual.

Use TABLE IV to determine the NRS Educational Functioning Level per the NRS approved score ranges.

TABLE IV – BEST LITERACY NRS Functioning Levels, Scale Score Ranges, and Student Performance Levels
National Reporting System Educational Functioning Levels	Scale Score Ranges	Student Performance Levels (SPL)
Beginning ESL Literacy	0-20	0-1
Low Beginning ESL	21-52	2
High Beginning ESL	53-63	3
Low Intermediate ESL	64-67	4
High Intermediate ESL	68-75	6
Advanced ESL	76-78*	6

* If an examinee pretests into the NRS Advanced ESL level with a scale score of 76-78, use a different ESL assessment that measures higher reading and writing skills to more accurately measure an examinee's language ability. Any student that falls into this category should be re-tested with another assessment at the time of pre-testing.

Note: ESL or ELL students are assessed at baseline in both Oral and Literacy basic skill areas/domains and must be placed by the lowest level/domain. The lowest scale score determines the Domain of Significance (DOS).
If a student has the same functioning level for the BEST Plus and the BEST Literacy, BEST Plus Oral is the Domain of Significance (DOS).
If an ESL student has a specific skill area goal that differs from the area in which he/she scores the lowest, the student must be tracked by the specific skill area. Programs must track in all areas in which instruction is provided unless documented for an individual student.
Students must have completed at least the hours of instruction recommended in the publishers' guidelines before taking the post-test.
If the student scores in the Scale Score Range in a higher level than the DOS, the student is recorded in TEAMS and on the NRS federal report as completing a level. In other words, compare the pre-test score range to the post-test score range. If the student moves to a higher score range, the student completes the level.
Original score sheets from tests and/or electronic score reports with results of students' pre and post test scores must be stored and/or backed up on appropriate media or printed out and filed in hard copy and be made available for local, state and federal audit purposes.

C. BEST Plus

Who should be tested with the BEST Plus Test?
BEST Plus should be administered to all limited English proficient students to measure oral and listening proficiency.
Are alternate forms of the test used for pre and post testing?
BEST Plus print-based version has three parallel forms. The three print-based version forms are A, B, and C and are specifically for pre- and post-testing purposes. The computer-adaptive version allows the computer to select the next test item, choosing items most appropriate for the examinee according to the scores entered for previous responses. The examinee will not see the same test twice in the BEST Plus. The print version and the computer version can be used as parallel forms of the BEST Plus, i.e., one version can be used as a pre and the other version used as a post-test.
Is a locator test administered before the actual BEST Plus?
No.
If the assessment has sub-tests in more than one area, describe the appropriate test for each population along with the procedures for determining which sub-test to use with each type of student.
The BEST Plus test does not have more than one sub-test in an area. Populations who have advanced level scores on both the BEST Literacy and BEST Plus are no longer tested with the BEST Literacy and are administered a TABE test.
What are the training requirements for administering the BEST Plus Test?
All staff that administers the BEST Plus must be trained in proper test administration practice as set forth in (in accordance with) the publishers' guidelines. Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) BEST Plus publisher trained a cadre of trainers from the GREAT Center to be certified BEST Plus test administrator trainers. Texas LEARNS funded this training through state leadership funds. These certified trainers provide BEST Plus training to local program staff. Local programs may not train additional BEST Plus test administrators without apart from the expertise of a CAL BEST Plus certified trainer. The local program is responsible for arranging to have at least one certified BEST Plus test administrator on staff, maintaining the security of all assessments, and keeping record of all persons trained to administer the BEST Plus. Local programs may order BEST Plus computer-adaptive or print-version test administrations only through a certified BEST Plus test administrator on staff.

BEST Plus test administrators must participate in BEST Plus Refresher Toolkit training every two years and can be done in a variety of ways.

Local programs should develop a plan to determine how many testers are required to pre and post test the maximum number of students efficiently and effectively. The minimum education requirement for BEST Plus test administrators is determined by CAL. There is a State Board of Education minimum requirement that all staff has completed at least a GED or high school diploma to be a tester, but it is highly and strongly recommended that a 4-year degreed teacher administer the BEST Plus regardless of CAL's requirements. The GREAT Centers provide BEST Plus assessment training and contact information for certified test administrators. Programs should call toll free 1-800-441-READ to find the closest training option or go to the TCALL website for a calendar of training in each GREAT Center region. The Web address is http://www-tcall.tamu.edu/. Assessment training can be provided to meet the schedule of the local program.
When does post-testing occur, by calendar date or instructional hour?
Post-testing occurs per student after at least 60 hours of instruction. Programs may choose a calendar date or dates for post-testing, but programs must ensure that each student has obtained at least 60 hours of instruction. More hours of instruction may occur before post testing. Students in TANF may receive 20-30 hours of instruction per week and may be tested after more than 60 hours, and programs may choose to test TANF students monthly or every other month.

What are the instructions for using scale scores from the assessments to place students into NRS educational functioning levels and determining whether students have completed levels?
Please refer to Table IV for information about NRS Educational Functioning Levels and associated score ranges in the BEST Plus.

Follow the guidelines from a certified BEST Plus Trainer.
Score each question according to the training instructions.
Enter scale score into TEAMS.
Use TABLE V to determine the NRS Educational Functioning Level per the NRS approved score ranges.

Original score sheets from tests and/or electronic score reports with results of students' pre and post test scores must be stored and/or backed up on appropriate media or printed out and filed in hard copy and be made available for local, state and federal audit purposes.

TABLE V – BEST Plus NRS Functioning Levels, Scale Score Ranges and Student Performance Levels
NRS Functioning Level	*BEST* Plus Scale Score Ranges	Related Student Performance Levels
Beginning ESL Literacy	0-400	0-1
Low Beginning ESL	401-417	2
High Beginning ESL	418-438	3
Low Intermediate ESL	439-472	4
High Intermediate ESL	473-506	5
Advanced ESL	507-540	6

D. TABE Complete Language Assessment System—English (TABE CLAS-E)

Who should be tested with the TABE CLAS–E Test?
TABE CLAS-E may be administered to limited English proficient students to measure oral and listening proficiency.
Are alternate forms of the test used for pre and post testing?
TABE CLAS-E has pre- and post-tests available in four levels to ensure that students test within the correct range for their abilities.
Is a locator test administered before the actual TABE CLAS–E?
A short Locator Test ensures that adult learners start with the appropriate assessment level.
If the assessment has sub-tests in more than one area, describe the appropriate test for each population along with the procedures for determining which sub-test to use with each type of student.
TABE CLAS-E has sub-tests in listening, speaking, reading and writing. It is recommended to administer all 4 sub-tests to limited English proficient students. Exceptions may be made if a Literacy Screening Tool is administered and the student is unable to complete the information indicating no reading or writing skills. The local program may choose to administer the listening and speaking sub-tests only. A student will be placed in an educational functioning level with at least one of the four sub-test scores.

Sample Literacy Screen Tool:

Name: _____________________________
Address: ___________________________
Date of birth: ________________________
Signature: __________________________
Today's date: ________________________
What are the training requirements for administering the TABE CLAS - E Test?
The TABE CLAS-E system's professional development materials include a DVD or VHS video tape for use with individual or group training sessions. Per the CTB-McGraw-Hill publisher of the TABE CLAS-E, training is designed to be delivered locally through DVD or VHS video. Included from the publisher is explanatory and descriptive information about how to use the system, examples of test items and score reports, and more. These materials show teachers how to interpret and apply test results to classroom instruction and student learning. Once students have been accurately assessed, teachers can tailor their instruction by leveraging the assessment system's Instructional Guidance materials. The materials are designed for classes of multi-proficient language learners and address critical content objectives.

Local programs should develop a plan to determine how many testers are required to pre and post test the maximum number of students efficiently and effectively. The State Board of Education requires all testers to have at least a GED or high school diploma, but it is strongly recommended that a 4-year degreed staff administer the TABE CLAS-E. All staff administering the TABE CLAS-E must be trained before administering the test. Local programs are responsible for organizing the training and documenting staff training. Training information must be entered into TEAMS.

Annual or periodic refresher training is recommended to maintain the integrity of and promote the security of the TABE CLAS-E testing process. Programs may work with the GREAT Centers to organize group training.
When does post-testing occur, by calendar date or instructional hour?
Post-testing occurs per student after completion of at least the minimum hours of instruction recommended in the publishers' guidelines. Programs may choose a calendar date or dates for post testing, but programs must ensure that each student has obtained at least the minimum hours of instruction recommended in the publishers' guidelines. More hours of instruction may occur before post testing. Students in TANF may receive 20-30 hours of instruction per week and may be tested after completing more than the hours recommended in the publishers' guidelines, and programs may choose to test TANF students either monthly or every other month.
What are the instructions for using scale scores from the assessments to place students into NRS educational functioning levels and determining whether students have completed levels?
TABE Complete Language Assessment System--English provides teachers with a reliable, easy-to-use system that accurately identifies the instructional needs of English as a second language students. TABE Complete Language Assessment System--English assesses English proficiency levels to accurately measure students' reading, listening, writing, and speaking skills. The optional speaking test gives teachers maximum flexibility in how they assess their students.
1. Scope and Sequence - The scope and sequence lists the test objectives by content area--Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking—and the four proficiency levels in which they are assessed. CTB/McGraw-Hill subject matter experts created the test objectives and proficiency levels after a thorough examination of several sets of state and international standards.
2. Reading - To assess students' reading proficiency, the Reading test employs realistic document-based passages such as schedules, forms, flyers, store receipts, advertisements, product instructions, and newsletters. Lower-level students also answer discrete, picture-based items. Assessed Reading objectives include quantitative literacy, read words--e.g., applying knowledge of morphemes and syntax, word meaning, and appropriate associated information--and reading comprehension.
3. Listening - With the use of a CD or audiocassette, the Listening test presents items in a spoken format of varying lengths. Familiar adult contexts are used to assess students in meaningful work, community, and education situations. Students are tested in quantitative literacy, listening comprehension, and interpersonal skills.
4. Writing - The Writing test uses selected-response items to gauge the student's knowledge of English language grammar and mechanics, and constructed-response items to measure their application of this knowledge in expository writing. Selected-response items test quantitative literacy, usage and conventions, and sentence formation and coherence. The constructed-response items are scored using holistic rubrics to assess the student's expository writing ability. Lower-level students describe pictures and fill out realistic forms. Higher-level students write descriptions, brief work or community-related letters, and a short essay.
5. Speaking - The optional Speaking test is individually administered. The test uses picture-based stimuli to determine student proficiency in quantitative literacy, social interaction, providing information, and accomplishing goals. Realistic work and community contexts integrate critical speaking skills, such as phone competency, the expression of opinions and abilities, negotiating meanings, and providing descriptions and instruction. In order to provide the most valid scores possible, the Speaking test introduces an innovative, multiple-criteria scoring rubric that simultaneously measures grammar, meaning, and the appropriateness of spoken responses. Students receive credit for strong performance in one or more areas, rather than simply receiving a one-dimensional score.
6. Score Reports - The Individual Student Report identifies both a student's strengths and skill areas that need improvement. The reports also present number-correct scores for each test in the assessment, NRS and Student Proficiency Levels, and Objectives Mastery information. The system's Group List Report presents scores by sub-test for each student in a specified group or class. The report, which can be used to evaluate both individual and group performance, also provides number-correct information. The Prescriptive Report links a student's performance by objective to specific study assignments, thereby providing additional practice on skills that need improvement. In order to provide the most valid scores possible, the Speaking test introduces an innovative, multiple-criteria scoring rubric that simultaneously measures grammar, meaning, and the appropriateness of spoken responses. Students receive credit for strong performance in one or more areas, rather than simply receiving a one-dimensional score. The Assessment Summary Report allows teachers to summarize a group's performance on each sub-test in the assessment. In addition to evaluating group skill proficiency levels, this report can also be used to help administrators estimate overall program effectiveness. Original score sheets from tests and/or electronic score reports with results of students' pre and post test scores must be stored and/or backed up on appropriate media or printed out and filed in hard copy and be made available for local, state and federal audit purposes.

E. Administering and Scoring the TABE CLAS-E

TABE Complete Language Assessment System--English delivers number-correct and scale scores for each skill area:—Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking--and for the total battery of assessments. Additional scores include: National Reporting System (NRS) proficiency levels; objective mastery scores; and Student Performance Levels (SPLs). Please refer to Table V for information about NRS Educational Functioning Levels and associated score ranges in the TABE CLAS –E. Follow the guidelines from a training DVD or VHS Video. Enter a scale score for each sub-test into TEAMS. The sub-tests are: Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking.

Table VI - TABE CLAS-E Forms A and B

Scale Scores for NRS ESL Educational Functioning Levels

Functioning Level

Reading Scale Scores

Writing Scale Scores

Listening Scale Scores

Speaking Scale Scores

Beginning ESL Literacy

250-392

200-396

230-389

231- 425

Low Beginning ESL

393-436

397-445

390-437

426-460

High Beginning ESL

437-476

446-488

438-468

461-501

Low Intermediate ESL

477-508

489-520

469-514

502-536

High Intermediate ESL

509-557

521-555

515-549

537-567

Advanced ESL

558-588

556-612

550-607

568-594

TABE Complete Language Assessment System--English also offers scoring with TestMate TABE®.

F. General Assessment of Instructional Needs (GAIN)

Who should be tested with the GAIN?
GAIN has been approved by OVAE for NRS Education Functioning Levels 1 through 6 for Adult Basic Education and Adult Secondary Education.
Are alternate forms of the test used for pre- and post- testing?
Yes. Two English/reading forms—Forms A & B--and two mathematic forms--Forms A & B-- are available in paper/pencil and Web administration modes. The test items in paper/pencil and Web-enabled modes are identical and thus facilitate the use of one mode in pre-test situations and the other mode in post test situations if desired. Scores on GAIN forms are designed to be psychometrically equivalent, regardless of the particular test form that was used or the administration mode that was employed. Parallel forms reliability coefficients for English/reading measured .93; the reliability coefficient for math measured .91. Taken as a whole, research findings indicate that GAIN possesses strong reliability levels and low susceptibility to measurement error.
Is a locator test administered before the actual GAIN?
GAIN has no locator test.
If the assessment has sub-tests in more than one area, describe the appropriate test for each population along with the procedures for determining which sub-test to use with each type of student.
GAIN does not utilize subtests correlated to grade level equivalencies; rather GAIN has two forms (Form A & Form B) for English/Reading and two forms (Form A & Form B) for Mathematics. Each form assesses skills ranging from basic literacy and numeracy to the more advanced skills that are typically taught as part of secondary education. A complete GAIN administration consists of two tests, each of which is timed for 45 minutes. The total time for the two tests is 90 minutes. The test of English/Reading contains 80 questions and the test of Mathematics contains 75 questions. GAIN English sub-scale scores will be provided for reading and grammar/usage/style. GAIN math sub-scale scores will be provided for arithmetic, rational numbers/operations/charts/graphs, and algebra/geometry/trigonometry.
What are the training requirements for administering the GAIN assessment?
Training for the GAIN is available by contacting the publisher at 1-877-605-9496 or e-mailing corporate instructors at training@wonderlic.com. To become a certified Wonderlic GAIN Test Administrator (GTA) one must meet the following eligibility requirements:
(1) Sponsorship by at least one school that is a current Wonderlic GAIN client
(2) A working email account
(3) Achieving a passing score on the Wonderlic GAIN Test Administrator's Examination.
Once certified, an invitation to attend the interactive 1-hour GAIN Training webinar will be sent. GAIN Test Administrator Certification training/testing is provided online; this allows for training/testing to occur according to the needs/time frame determined by the GTA candidate. Wonderlic Online training occurs via webinar twice weekly. However, local GTA training and Wonderlic Online training will be provided at additional times and/or on-site if needed.
When does post-testing occur, by calendar date or by instructional hour?
Post-testing is recommended after 60 hours of instruction.
What are the instructions for using scale scores from the assessment to place students into NRS educational functioning levels and determining whether students have completed levels?
The individual GAIN report automatically places the student in the proper NRS level. The report also gives diagnostic information and learning prescriptions to promote advancement to the next EFL. The table below translates GAIN scale scores into educational functional levels and grade level equivalents. The composite score from the English assessment and composite score from all sections of the Mathematics assessment (scale score) must be recorded in TEAMS to have a valid assessment score. TEAMS will determine which test is the DOS. If a tie occurs, the English will be the DOS by default.

Score Reports
Original score sheets from tests and/or electronic score reports with results of students' pre and post test scores must be stored and/or backed up on appropriate media or printed out and filed in hard copy and be made available for local, state and federal audit purposes.

TABLE VII – GAIN English and Mathematics Scale Scores for NRS ABE and ASE Educational Functioning Levels
NRS Educational Functioning Level	English Composite Scale Score Range	Mathematics Composite Scale Score Range	Grade Level Equivalents
ABE Beginning Literacy	200-406	200-314	0.0-1.9
ABE Beginning	407-525	315-522	2.0-3.9
ABE Low Intermediate	526-661	523-669	4.0-5.9
ABE High Intermediate	662-746	670-775	6.0-8.9
ASE Low	747-870	776-854	9.0-10.9
ASE High	871-1000	855-1000	11.0-12.0+

Table of Contents

State Assessment and Goal Setting/Attainment Policy for Adult Education

Table VI - TABE CLAS-E Forms A and B

Low Beginning ESL

Advanced ESL

State Assessment and
Goal Setting/Attainment Policy for Adult Education