Students & Families Adult Education Adult & Community Learning Services
Adult and Community Learning Services

Assessment Update, April 2009

Accommodations for the MAPT

Among the many test development and test maintenance activities going on for the MAPT for Math and MAPT for Reading, UMASS Amherst's Center for Educational Assessment (CEA) has been collaborating with the Center for Educational Software Development (CESD-you know them as the people behind the OWL system) and ACLS to review the MAPT according to best practices for test accommodations and accessibility. Sometimes, administering a test by computer can be a way of making the test more accessible, because test-takers can adjust fonts and magnify elements of the screen on their end. (We will write more on this in a future Assessment Update). At the same time, computers and Internet-based delivery can pose other challenges for test-takers and as such, the MAPT is held to the guidelines for both accessible testing and good Web design. Along those lines, ongoing work on accommodations and the MAPT is supported by aspects of the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (AERA, et al., 1999) as well as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Rehabilitation Act. Much of this work you may not know about, because it occurs "behind the scenes," so to speak. This update is an effort to let you know about some of the work that a number of staff are working on.

As part of our accessibility efforts, ACLS' Jane Schwerdtfeger, CEA's April Zenisky, and CESD's Gail Parsloe have served this past year as the MAPT Accommodations Working Group, tasked with looking into numerous aspects of the accessibility of the MAPT. Much of our work has focused on the OWL delivery system and some of the test questions, or items. In response to comments and questions received from the field, we have been looking into ways to continue to enhance the quality and legibility of images on the MAPT tests, and have instituted additional reviews of items for accommodations-related issues in the item development process. Staff at the CEA have reviewed every image (over 600!) on the operational MAPT tests, and are in the process of revising the clarity of those pictures, tables, and graphs where necessary and possible. We have edited the format of all numbered passages on the MAPT for Reading to improve their readability, and we have checked all images with color to ensure that those images are accessible to test-takers with color blindness as well. We are also working on developing a list of approved accommodations for the MAPT and exploring ways to learn more about the accessibility needs of ABE students without breaching confidentiality.

That said, as we continue to work on the MAPT and accessibility, we will keep you posted as accommodations efforts progress. If you have questions about policies for the use of accommodations on the MAPT, we'd like to hear from you. Contact April Zenisky at UMass (azenisky@educ.mass.edu) or Jane Schwerdtfeger at ACLS (janes@doe.mass.edu).

BEST Plus Online Purchase Code Activation

For the past two years, BEST Plus test administrators have been able to get their purchase codes and activate their administrations online at any time of the day, any day of the week. Test administrators that have used this automated service report that they like it and find it to be a time-saver. You can get your purchase code online using any computer, even if your testing computer does not have Internet access. Here's how you use the online activation system using your computers.

1. Run BEST Plus on your testing computer or laptop and get your 5-letter Registration Key for the number of administrations you need to activate (20, 50, 100, 300, or 500). Leave your computer running with the Registration screen up.

2. Once you have your Registration Key, go to any computer with Internet access, open your browser, and go to http://www.cal.org/bestplus/BPOnlineActivation/index.aspx.

3. Type in your organization's Customer Number, your individual e-mail address, your individual password (for security reasons), and click on "Submit."

4. Type in your 5-letter Registration Key (received from Step 1) into the box, verify that you entered it correctly and that it is for the correct amount, and then write down the 5-digit Purchase Code you receive and close your browser.

5. Return to your testing computer or laptop and type in your Purchase Code. Your tests will be added to your computer once you've entered the Purchase Code. You are ready to start testing.

If your computer has Internet access, press the Windows Start key or Alt and Tab on your keyboard to be able to run your browser without quitting BEST Plus. Once you open your browser, follow steps 2 through 5 to get your Purchase Code. To return to BEST Plus, just click on "BEST Plus menu" from your Taskbar.

To get started, test administrators must have registered an e-mail with BEST Plus and have their program's Customer Number. Program directors are provided this information, but if you need assistance please contact us by e-mail at bpsupport@cal.org or by phone at 866-845-2378, option 1, Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 7 PM EST. For more information, please read our online activation guide or our frequently asked questions.

REEP Writing Assessment Administrators Annual Recertification Due April 17

All REEP Writing Assessment Test Administrators must recertify by April 17. All information about the REEP recertification process is listed in last month's Assessment Update in the ACLS Monthly Mailing: http://www.doe.mass.edu/acls/mailings/2009/0213.html

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