This technical assistance paper provides policy and guidance to individuals with test administration responsibilities in adult education programs. The Florida assessment policies and guidelines presented herein are appropriate for state and federal reporting. Therefore, guidance and procedures regarding the selection and use of appropriate student…

This guide is designed to assist States, agencies, and/or facilities who work with youth who are neglected, delinquent, or at-risk (N or D). The information in the guide will benefit those who are (a) interested in implementing pre-posttests, (b) in the process of identifying an appropriate pre-posttest, or (c) ready to evaluate current testing…

The author analyzes four informal reading inventories (IRIs) designed for adult students. Evaluative data presented for each IRI include the following: information on word lists and passages and on comprehension questions, estimates of difficulty based on the Fry index of readability, and a summary of scoring and evaluation guidelines. (SK)

Informal assessment techniques are adaptable to local adult basic education needs, relatively free of anxiety-producing format, effective time utilizers, and immediately interpretable by teacher/student. Presents assessment examples: student selected materials, Verbal Picture Analysis, graded paragraphs, Cloze Procedure, sentence completion,…

The Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE) is a widely used multiple-choice test battery of basic skills in reading, language, and mathematics. The Test of Applied Literacy Skills (TALS) is an applied literacy battery consisting of document, prose, and quantitative literacy tests. The central issue in this study was the relationship of the TABE and…

Materials, to be effective, must be adapted to the learning potential, experience, and social backgrounds of students. Since all commercially produced materials are not satisfactory, the author offers some guiding principles that should be used when making selections. (RB)

A project was conducted to revise the list of assessment instruments that Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE)-funded agencies are permitted to use to report learner gains. Through a mail survey, the project researched 19 standardized assessment instruments used by agencies for reporting learner…

This book is designed to aid teachers and administrators who have not had special training in counseling and who are working in educational programs for the disadvantaged adult. Subject areas discussed are: The Counselor and the Client (Duties of the Counselor; Areas of Assistance for the Client); Who Are the Disadvantaged (Characteristics of the…

This handbook was developed to provide adult educators in Texas with sufficient background in assessment models to ensure confidence in recognizing and/or selecting appropriate measurement techniques and in using evaluation results to individualize and improve instruction for adult students. The handbook is based on information derived from a…

This guide provides advice on effective use of assessments in adult basic and literacy education programs. Chapter 1 considers different types of standardized tests, their purposes, their advantages and limitations, misuses of standardized tests, and other types of assessments. Chapter 2 on informal assessments defines alternative and informal…

Although a large number of adults in the United States are assumed to need literacy training, little agreement exists on that number. Adults who attend literacy instruction are assumed to acquire the skills, but little is known about program effectiveness. Another assumption is that adults should define their goals, but this does not ensure that…

This paper was developed to help Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) administrators make informed decisions when selecting employability assessment tools. The paper focuses on one aspect of participant assessment: assessing the level of basic education skills of economically disadvantaged youth. The paper provides the following: (1) comparative…

Several issues should be considered in selecting assessment instruments and procedures for use in adult literacy programs. Teachers must consider the purpose of the assessment; the appropriateness of the assessment instrument for adults; the reliability, validity, and practicality of the instrument; whether the assessment is culturally sensitive;…

An updated and improved listing of test and measurement items useful in Adult Basic Education Classrooms is provided. Diagnostic, placement, achievement, and group and individual intelligence tests are reviewed. Information on test type and purpose, appropriate grade level, test time, number of forms, the manual, scoring, and format is included.…

An 11-point plan was developed by the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS) in cooperation with the California Department of Education for the 1990-91 year. Major program objectives were designed to enhance agency involvement, identify underlying causes of student attrition, examine test administration and security practices,…