Adult and Community Learning Services (ACLS)

Policy Memorandum 17.02: Primary Assessment Area (PAA) Policy

To:	ABE Educators
From:	Jolanta Conway, ABE State Director
Date:	November 16, 2016

This purpose of this memorandum is to announce a change in Primary Assessment Area (PAA) Policy in order to better align with the National Reporting System (NRS) assessment guidelines. What has not changed: Setting Student Primary Assessment Area

In FY17, programs will continue to set the PAA based on students' instructional needs as expressed by the student.
Any of the following can be selected as the primary assessment to report educational functioning level completion: BEST Plus 2.0, CLAS-E Reading, CLAS-E Writing, MAPT (Math or Reading), TABE 9/10 (Language, Reading or Math) or TABE L (Reading).
Programs have the option of testing in multiple areas but only one can be assigned as the PAA and recorded in SMARTT.
Programs are required to pre- and post-test students in one assessment area, except for ASE students who must be assessed in both reading and math.
The PAA for students enrolled in STAR must be reading.
Co-enrolled students can have different primary assessment areas.

What has changed: Student Primary Assessment Area in a Fiscal Year

Programs may no longer change a student's PAA once that area has been set at the beginning of the instructional cycle.

Last Updated: November 18, 2016