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Adult and Community Learning Services

Assessment Update,February 2009

The BEST Plus Assessment Policy Manual Now Posted

The Assessment Policy Manual for the BEST Plus    is updated. The manuals for MAPT, TABE, and the REEP Writing Assessment have also been posted. Each manual has a Table of Contents that, when using an electronic version of the document, allows users to click on the section in the Table of Contents and be taken to that section of the document.

NEW! Training and Recertification Requirements for Required ABE Assessments

This short document    succinctly outlines the deadlines and requirements for required assessments.

BEST Plus Administrator Annual Recertification Due March 31

To ensure scoring accuracy, BEST Plus test administrators must recertify annually by taking part in a Scoring Refresher and successfully completing a 30-minute scoring activity. To recertify, test administrators will need:

• The BEST Plus Scoring Refresher Toolkit
• The BEST Plus Scoring Refresher Workbook, Test Administrator's Edition (one for each Test Administrator)

Every ESE-funded program has been given a set of these materials. If you do not have these materials at your program, please contact your SABES regional CAC to borrow a set. Test administrators should use the Toolkit to review and recalibrate their scoring within a structured forum so that they can share their insights and questions about administering and scoring BEST Plus tests. For example, test administrators may view the Toolkit DVD/video either as a group with a facilitator (preferred method). However, if this preferred method is not feasible, practitioners may proceed individually.

After reviewing, practitioners should complete Scoring Activity #3. Practitioners will have one month to complete this activity. The Scoring Activity must be received by the regional CAC by March 31. The CAC will score and send a new Certificate of Competence to the practitioner by April 30. The new certificate will be valid for at least one year. Staff who receive a borderline "Acceptable" or an "Unacceptable" score in any one of the three rubric areas will have an opportunity to receive remediation in order to continue to administer the BEST Plus.

Test Administrators who do not return their Scoring Activity by this date will not be able to administer the BEST Plus until they re-take the initial BEST Plus training, refresher, and scoring activity.

For more information and specific instructions on how to use the BEST Plus Toolkit, please refer to Appendix A in the Assessment Policies for Using the BEST Plus   .

REEP Writing Assessment Administrators Annual Recertification Due April 17

In order to ensure that all REEP test scorers are scoring consistently using the REEP rubric and anchor papers, all staff that score the REEP writing assessment need to recalibrate annually, and receive a certificate that they have gone through the recalibration process.

On or before March 15, SABES Regional CACs will mail the Program Directors in their region essay packets for each REEP Test Administrator. Program Directors must distribute the packets to their Test Administrators as soon as they are received. Practitioners will have one month to score six new REEP essays and mail or fax them to their Regional CAC by April 17. To be recertified, practitioners will need to score five of the six essays within one point of the actual score. If four essays are scored correctly, practitioners must receive remediation. If three essays or fewer are scored correctly or practitioners do not recertify, the practitioner must re-take the REEP Scoring training. By May 15, the regional CAC will either contact the practitioner for remediation or mail them a recertification certificate, which will be valid for one year. Test Administrators who do not return their REEP essays by April 17 will not be able to administer the REEP until they re-take the initial REEP Scoring training.

Why bother recertifying in REEP if Massachusetts will not be using it for required pre- and post-testing after FY10? Scoring the REEP takes knowledge, practice, and strict adherence to the rubric for consistent scoring. It is very useful for giving diagnostic feedback on the different components of writing. Using the rubric with learners can help explain in what areas learners are strong and need work. The REEP has a great writing curriculum; we hope you'll continue to find it useful whether or not it is required.

Test Administrators, Please Use the SMARTT Project Roles Screen

Thanks to the 44 Projects that have entered this information. For those that haven't, please do so as soon as possible.

A new requirement for all test administrators (MAPT, BEST Plus, REEP, TABE) is to 1) enter their name into the Project Roles screen in SMARTT, and 2) enter their email in Staff Contact Information in SMARTT also. This is so ACLS and SABES will have accurate counts of test administrators for training purposes. When we do move to adopting new assessments to eventually replace the REEP and TABE Forms 7/8, we'll need accurate numbers statewide, and within programs. We also want to have an up to date list for MAPT and other Test Administrators so we may contact you regarding any important assessment information.

The Project Roles screen has been recently updated to include only the following: MAPT Test Administrators, TABE Test Administrators, REEP Test Administrators, and BEST PLUS Test Administrators. Old roles have been removed

To enter Test Administrator's names in SMARTT, log on to SMARTT 2 Plus, at https://smartt.doemass.org/smartt/. Select "Project" from the left-hand menu, and then select "Project Roles" form the left-hand menu. Select the "Edit" tab at the top of the Project Role Assignment screen to edit or add names to this screen. Then select the "Edit" button to the right of the test administrator type you wish to change or add. Select the name(s) from the list that appears, and select "Remove" to delete any that are no longer current. Then select "Finished."

To enter current email addresses for Test Administrators, log onto SMARTT 2 Plus, at https://smartt.doemass.org/smartt/. Select "Staff" from the left-hand menu. At the Staff Search screen, select "Search" at the bottom of the page. Select the staff person for whom you wish to enter an email address. Select "Contact" at the top of the page, and then click the "Edit" tab. Enter the email address in the slot "Work email," and click "Save."

Over the next month or so, we will check to ensure the roles and emails have been updated. We appreciate your help in improving communication between ACLS and staff, and in our planning.

What do you use for placement? ACLS and SABES are compiling placement tools, since SABES receives many requests for resources in this area. We received one last month-thank you, Alisa Povenmire! If you have a placement tool for locating a learner's reading, writing, math level or MAPT level that you find works well, please send it to either Jane Schwerdtfeger (janes@doe.mass.edu) or Carey Reid (creid@worlded.org), so we can share our field's wealth of experience and helpful materials among all ABE colleagues.

Questions? Please contact Jane Schwerdtfeger at janes@doe.mass.edu