Data: A Carrot or a Stick?

Data may be used…

To highlight, clarify, and explain what’s happening in your program

OR

To show what’s not happening in your program.

“However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.”

–W. Churchill

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Applied to Adult Education…Data can:

Guide you to improve instruction

Measure program success & effectiveness

Tell you if what you are doing is making a difference

Tell you which classes are getting the results you want—and which are not

Get to the root of problems, such as poor retention, low educational gains, or low transition rates

04/20/23

AttendanceContact hours of instruction the learner

receives (NRS)

Includes intensity and duration

Can help to tell us whether:Instruction is successfulContent and materials are relevantStudents are motivatedStudents are reaching their goals

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Educational GainAdvancement through 12 educational functioning

levels

Core NRS measure

Can tell us:Whether the program/students are meeting goals Which sites/classes/teachers are most effective Extent of student progress Impact of changes

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Definition of Adult Education Student

12 hours of contact only hours that don’t count GED official testing hoursOnly students who don’t count: students under 16,

students still enrolled in HS (credit recovery students)

Definition of Adult Education Student

What about CT and Dual Enrolled students?They count if on an approved pre-test they have a

deficiency in math or English. Does not matter if they are enrolled and/or attending college.

Core Outcome Measures

Educational Gain

Entered/retained employment

Receipt of secondary credential

Entered post-secondary education

Core Descriptive Measures

DemographicsRace/EthnicityGenderAge

Status and goalsLabor force statusPublic Assistance StatusRural ResidencyDisability StatusLearner’s main and secondary goals for attending

Core Participation Measures

Student ParticipationContact Hours Program enrollment type

To be perfectly clear:

Anyone who receives 12 hours of service is an adult education student and can be counted in the NRS tables (over 16, and not enrolled in day school,

If you count them, you MUST collect:Core Outcome MeasuresCore Demographic MeasuresCore Participation Measures

Maine Assessment Policy Guidelines

.

Who needs to be tested? 

Who Must Be Tested?

All literacy, GED, and high school completion students must be tested using the CASAS to determine appropriate placement in a learning environment, as well as their initial Educational Functioning Level (EFL). College transitions and academic brush-up students can be counted in the National Reporting System (NRS) as long as they are not already enrolled* in a college and must be pre-and post-tested using one of the instruments listed below. * An enrolled student is a student taking at least one college level course for credit in the current academic semester. Developmental Studies courses for which no college credit is received do not constitute enrollment in college.

 

What is the state policy on goal setting and intake? 

It is the state’s expectation that programs will have established student centered intake and goal-setting processes aligned with the state’s adult education standards and performance indicators. These program standards address setting goals for instruction and should be developed cooperatively with the teacher and learner. In setting these goals, it is important that a means of assessing the goal is identified to assure that the learner understands the target. Instructional goals should be re-evaluated on an on-going basis as the learner progresses. 

Students who are under 16 or who are 16 or older and who are currently enrolled in classes in a secondary school do not qualify for services under the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act and should not be reported in the National Reporting System. Therefore there is no requirement for pre- and post-testing.

Programs must pre-and post-test at least 60% of their enrolled students each fiscal year. Programs will need to consider past performance in this area and develop an assessment process to address this requirement.

For pre-GED, GED, and high school completion learners for whom assessment is required, reading and math tests are available. CASAS tests should also be aligned to a student’s goals and relate to his/her area of study. For example, if a learner’s goal relates to reading, then the reading test should be administered. Other assessments (i.e., math) could also be used, if desired, but this is not required. You must use the lowest test score for which the student will receive instruction to determine the EFL. For example, if the student scores lower in the math pre-test than in the reading pre-test, but will only receive instruction in reading, you must use the reading score to determine the EFL. If both reading and math instruction will be provided, you must use the math score to determine EFL.

CASAS appraisal tests provide information on an individual’s basic skills level in reading, math, or listening. They are used to place learners appropriately and to provide information on which pre-test to administer. When administering CASAS, each new student entering the program is required to take an appraisal test at program entry.

Based on the results of the CASAS appraisal test, the appropriate CASAS pre-test(s) must be administered within the first 12 hours of attendance.

. How frequently do I post-test? 

An appropriate post-test must be administered after 70-100 hours of instruction. In extenuating circumstances, i.e. for very high-intensity programs (meeting 15 hours/week or more) or in cases of exceptional student progress, a CASAS post-test can be administered after a minimum of 40 hours of instruction. 

If the student has exited the program and then returns within the same program year, the post-test score may be used as the new pre-test score if no more than three months has gone by between exit and re-enrollment. In order to streamline the amount of testing, post-test results may be used as pre-test scores for students continuing the next semester. Students’ post-test scores from the spring semester may also be used as pre-test scores for students returning to programs during the fall semester.

Only post-test at the same instructional level or no more than one instructional level higher than the pre-test (i.e. Life Skills level A pre-test must be followed by a Life Skills level A post-test or by a Life Skills Level B post-test). In any case, it is strongly recommended that program personnel follow the Suggested Next Test protocol provided to programs during CASAS training or available from directly from CASAS.

What methods are NOT acceptable to determine EFL and student gain? 

Official GED Practice Test

GED Test (other than to document completion of Level 6)

College Placement Tests, such as the Accuplacer

Using the same form of the test for pre- and post-testing

Using different instruments for pre- and post-testing

TABE tests

CASAS appraisal tests

Use of different CASAS series (i.e., pre-testing with Life Skills series and post-testing with ECS series)

Skipping a level in a CASAS series (i.e., pre-testing with level A and post-testing with level C)

Portfolio assessment

AEFLA Flow chart

Is the student 16 years old? If yes, continue. If no, stop. The student cannot count.

Has the student received 12 hours of service? If yes, continue. If no, the student cannot count.

Is the student in a program that is funded by AEFLA monies in your program? If yes, continue. If no, the student cannot count.

Does the student have a GED or HSD? If yes, go to question 5. If no, go to question 7.

Has the student been properly assessed using the CASAS assessment? If yes, go on to question 6, if no, the student cannot count.

If the student has a CASAS score lower than 246, go to question 8, if the score is 246 or higher, then the student cannot be counted.

Is the student still enrolled in day school? If yes, they cannot count. If no, go on to question 8.

If you made this far, mark the student as NRS “Opt in” in MAEMIS. Collect and enter all required data for NRS. This student can be counted.