Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant Street, Malden, Massachusetts 02148-4906 Telephone: (781) 338-3000
TTY: N.E.T. Relay 1-800-439-23
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Adult and Community Learning Services
TO: ABE Directors, SABES Coordinators, Career Centers, LWIB,
Teacher/All Staff
FROM: Jolanta Conway, MA AE State Director
DATE: October 13, 2017
RE: What's in this Mailing?
The monthly mailing for Octoberwill be posted to our website shortly. Please review the information and share with your staff.
FY2019-22 Open and Competitive RFP
ACLS Career Opportunity – High School Equivalency (HSE) Specialist position
Assessment Updates
Curriculum and Instruction Web Pages Updated
Integrated Digital English Acceleration Training Opportunity
Integrated Education and Training Webinar
2018 Mass Literacy Champions Awards
SMARTT Update
New WIOA Resource
Central MA Workforce Investment Board – Regional Workforce Plan Review
South Shore Workforce Development Board – Regional Workforce Plan Review
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FY2019-22 Open and Competitive RFP
The FY2019-22 Open and Competitive RFP for CALCs as well as Distance Learning and Primary Instruction by Volunteers can be found here. Proposals are due on December 22, 2017 by 3:00 pm.
ACLS Career Opportunity
ACLS is looking to recruit a talented and dynamic educator to join the ACLS team as an Educational Specialist C. TheHigh School Equivalency (HSE) Specialistwill oversee the HSE Test Centers throughout the state and provide technical assistance, information, and direct resources to all HSE Test Centers’ staff members. This requisition will remain open until filled; however, first consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days of the position posting on September 20, 2017.
Assessment Updates
- Primary Assessment Area (PAA)
As per the policy change announced in the policy memorandum dated November 2016 ( the Primary Assessment Area (PAA) must not be changed during a fiscal year after it has been set at the beginning of the instructional cycle.
It is acceptable, however, to change the PAA when a student transitions from ESOL to ABE services (or vice versa) in the course of a fiscal year.
The assessment manual has been revised to reflect this exception.
- Newly Revised Adapted Directions for the Administration of CLAS E-Writing CLAS E-Reading Tests
The adapted directions for administering the CLAS E Locator, CLAS E-Writing, CLAS-E Reading tests at all levels have been slightly revised to improve the administration process of these tests. The attached revised directions replace all previous versions and are effective immediately.
- CLAS E-Writing Test Samples Needed
In anticipation of recertifying practitioners who score CLAS E-Writing tests, ACLS and the SABES Assessment Center are asking programs to send the SABES Assessment Center an actual student test at each of the four CLAS E-Writing levels.
If possible, we would also like to get those tests in each of the two forms (A and B) as well for a maximum of 8 tests. No scoring or rationale is needed, just the tests themselves.
We would appreciate clean, clear copies. Scanning and emailing are acceptable if the copies are sharp and clear, otherwise mailing them is best. Please do not fax the copies.
Email:
Mail: SABES, Bristol Community College, 777 Elsbree Street, Fall River, MA, 02720.
We would appreciate it if you could send these samples to the SABES Assessment Center by November 10, 2017.
- BEST Plus 2.0 Test Administrator Eligibility Requirements
In a face-to-face oral test such as BEST Plus 2.0, administrators play a crucial role in ensuring that examinees are able to perform at their best. Test administrators must make every effort to administer and score the test consistently and accurately. Before attending a BEST Plus 2.0 initial certification training with the SABES Assessment Center, potential BEST Plus 2.0 test administrators must ensure they have:
- An excellent command of the English language (i.e., SPL 9)
- In-depth knowledge of English grammar, including an understanding of terms such as subordination, additive detail, emerging complexity, and so forth
- The ability to set nervous people at ease
- Experience and comfort interacting with nonnative English speaker
- The ability to follow directions
- Familiarity in using a mouse or command keys
- Ability to save data on a computer or USB drive
- Enough familiarity with computers to follow the instructions for administering the computer-adaptive version of BEST Plus 2.0
- Access to a local technical person to assist with technical issues that may arise
- Good hearing
- BEST Plus 3.0
The Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL)isdeveloping BEST Plus 3.0 to be submitted to OCTAE for approval this coming spring. With approval, the launch date for BEST Plus 3.0 would be July 1, 2019 to begin the new program year.
BEST Plus 3.0 will have a new customized software program to support the computer-adaptive test, which will enable CAL to seamlessly push down updates forms of the test to programs. This will help to ensure that during pre- and post-testing students see completely different sets of items. There will also be a web-accessible centralized database of your program’s scores. Currently CAL is conducting bias and sensitivity reviews and field tests for new items.
CAL will also be implementing a modest price increase beginning January 1, 2018. The revised pricing schedule is posted on the Adult English Assessments website at the pricing change will be effective on the CAL Store on January 1, 2018.
ACLS-funded programs currently using the BEST Plus 2.0 must continue to use the BEST Plus 2.0 version until further notice.
- TABE 11/12 Forms
The MAPT, TABE 9/10, CLAS E-Writing, CLAS E-Reading and BEST Plus 2.0 are tests currently approved by the NRS until February 2019.
In addition to the TABE 9/10 identified to be suitable for use in the NRS through February 2, 2019, The Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) has announced an additional test and test forms that have been determined to be suitable for use in the NRS, Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE 11/12). Forms 11 and 12 are approved for use on paper and through a computer-based delivery format. You can read more about the TABE 11/12 forms on the test publisher website.
The TABE 11/12 measures the new NRS educational functioning levels for Literacy/English Language Arts and Mathematics at all Adult Basic Education (ABE) levels, as described in Appendix E of Implementation Guidelines: Measures and Methods for the National Reporting System for Adult Education.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Since the TABE 9/10 is NRS approved until February 2019, ACLS-funded programs currently using the TABE 9/10 must continue to use the TABE 9/10 forms until further notice.
- Exciting Formative Assessment Training Opportunity
SABES is offering anew exciting formative assessment training.
This new two-part training on formative assessment, developed by nationally recognized adult education trainer, Andy Nash, Director of the New England Literacy Resource Center, prepares instructors to create and use formative assessment as part of daily standards-based instruction. Formative assessment helps teachers and learners consider what to look for as signs of learning progress, how to capture that evidence, and how to intentionally use it to improve learning.
The training is taught over one day—Part 1 in the morning, and Part 2 in the afternoon.
Part 1 is facilitated by Andy Nash. In this session, participants will learn about the basics of formative assessment and consider various formative assessment approaches.
Part 2 is content-based, focusing on reading, math, or ESOL, and will be facilitated by content experts in each field: Joan Shottenfeld will facilitate the Reading session, Sara Lonberg-Lew will facilitate the Math session, and Laura Porter will facilitate the ESOL session. In Part 2, participants will learn to use a guiding process to create new assessments in either reading, math, or ESOL for their own lessons, based on the College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education (CCRSAE).
Time, location and registration details:
Date:11/03/2017, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Location:World Education, 44 Farnsworth Street, Boston, MA 02210
Registration:
For any questions related to assessment, please email Dana Varzan-Parker: .
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Curriculum Update, October 2017
ACLS Curriculum and Instruction
The ACLS Curriculum and Instruction pages have been revised and updated. The STAR Handbook will be posted on the Evidence-based Reading Instruction (EBRI) / STAR page this month.
Questions, Comments, or Suggestions?
Please contact Jane Schwerdtfeger at .
Integrated Digital English Acceleration Training Opportunity
In partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges Basic Education for Adults is pleased to announce the two final regional Integrated Digital English Acceleration (I-DEA) two-day training conferences in Georgia and New York! The conferences will equip English language faculty and administrators with practical information and hands-on tools to successfully implement and deliverI-DEAat their locations. TheI-DEAflipped classroom hybrid model provides a year of free, professionally developed open source curriculum that prepares lowest level English Language Learners to enter college and career pathways with digital literacy and academic, employability, and English language acquisition skills.I-DEA’s federal level gain outcomes have been consistently 16 percent higher than traditional English language classrooms over the past four years.
The upcomingregional conference is inAlbany, New York December 11-12. There are no registration fees for the conferences, and meals are provided. Further details can be found by navigating to theconference registration page. The cost to you is travel and lodging. You can contact William Durden (r 360.704.4368) with any questions or for additional information. I hope you will take advantage of this great PD opportunity!
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Integrated Education and Training Webinar
On Monday, October 30th, from 2:00 – 3:00 PM, COABE is offering a free webinar: WIOA Success: Fulfilling the WIOA Vision through Integrated Education and Training. Presented by Jason C. Beard, Senior Manager, ETS HiSET®, viewers will learn about the effective use of labor market information, establishing employer relationships, and leveraging collaborations with WIOA partners.
2018 Mass Literacy Champions Awards
Mass Literacy is now accepting applications for the 2018 Mass Literacy Champions Awards. The program recognizes and rewards outstanding Massachusetts literacy providers who have made significant contributions to literacy education. Mass Literacy Champions will receive:
- A $1,000 grant for program development
- A professionally produced video to promote their organization valued at $1,000
- Statewide recognition as a Mass Literacy Champion
- Visibility and recognition in the media
- Publishing opportunities
- The opportunity to serve as an adviser to Mass Literacy
Up to five Mass Literacy Champions will be chosen.Nominate yourself or another outstanding educator today.The deadline to apply is October 31, 2017.
Learn more and apply here.Questions? Contact Julie DeFrancesco at .
SMARTT Update
All updates can now be found on the SMARTT Dashboard by following this link: You can also access the dashboard by clicking on “What’s New” from the SMARTT landing page. Be sure to visit the dashboard often to get the latest information on all things related to SMARTT.
New WIOA Resource
WorkforceGPS has released the Back-to-Work Backpack, which is a list of resources across WIOA topics including business engagement, career pathways, customer-centered design, sector strategies, and workforce preparation.
Central MA Workforce Investment Board - Regional Workforce Plan Review
The Central MA Workforce Investment Board invites members of the public to come and learn about the regional workforce plan it has drafted.
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Central MA Workforce Investment Board Office
340 Main Street, Suite 400
Worcester, MA 01608
South Shore Workforce Development Board – Regional Workforce Plan Review
The South Shore Workforce Development Board invites members of the public to come and learn about the draft regional workforce development plan it is working on.
Monday, October 30, 2017
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
South Shore Workforce Development Board
15 Cottage Ave, Suite 302
Quincy, MA 02169
RSVP:
(617) 934-4852
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