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Assessment PoliciesImplementation and Monitoring

American Institutes for ResearchFebruary 2005

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State Assessment Policy State Assessment Policy States are required to have an

assessment policy that describes: Valid and reliable assessments,

appropriate for adult literacy students Standardized administration procedures Scoring and reporting procedures Training activities

DAEL verifies policy through data quality checklist and monitoring visits

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Findings from Review of State Findings from Review of State Assessment Policies Assessment Policies

Only 36 states submitted a complete assessment policy

Inappropriate tests still being used “Informal classroom/teacher

observation” still listed as assessment method

Allowed use of same form for pre- and post-test

Time for post-testing not specified or widely variant – few standards for post-testing specified

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DAEL Monitoring Visits Also DAEL Monitoring Visits Also Found:Found: Lack of written assessment policies Insufficient or incomplete policies in several

areas Use of inappropriate tests Most common problems:

Time interval between pre- and post-testing was uneven, inappropriate or inconsistently implemented

Much information in data quality checklists could not be verified by the monitoring team.

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Requirements for Requirements for AssessmentsAssessments Standards test, conforming to

psychometric standards Test designed to measure progress in

basic and/or functional literacy skills Multiple, parallel forms Identify unacceptable assessment

methods

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Required Administration Required Administration ProceduresProcedures Set times for pre- and post-testing

followed by all programs Number of hours or weeks of attendance

How to test and place special populations (e.g., unable to test)

Different forms used for pre- and post-tests

Correct test procedures used

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Scoring and Reporting Scoring and Reporting RequirementsRequirements Placement benchmarks for pre-test

scores Advancement benchmarks for post-

test scores tied to assessments Teachers should have access to scores

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Effective TrainingEffective Training Local test administration staff trained on

test administration and scoring procedures

Conducted by a qualified person Sufficient number of staff trained in

each program Quality training materials used Multiple and ongoing, follow-up training

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Improved Pre-Post Test RatesImproved Pre-Post Test Rates Without post-test no level gain can be

reported Improved post-testing leads to better

overall performance Table 4B data limited

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Monitoring Assessment Monitoring Assessment ProceduresProcedures Test scores recorded with:

Administration date Test name and form used in database Scale scores Hard wire to EFL

Timely review of data -- on-site monitoring and review

Training: who trained, by whom, how many staff?

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DiscussionDiscussion Assessment policy issues Monitoring and implementing

assessment policies Strategies for improving proportion of

students post-tested Other??