Adult and Community Learning Services (ACLS)

Policy Memorandum 17.02: Primary Assessment Area (PAA) Policy

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.