BEST Literacy Memo - March 2008
The University of the State of New York
Office of Curriculum and Instructional Support
Adult Education and Workforce Development - Room 306 EB
89 Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12234
(518) 474-8940; Fax: (518)486-1751
TO: Directors of Adult Education Programs
SUBJECT: Use of BEST Literacy Test
DATE: March 2008
In 2007, the State Education Department conducted a study to explore the possible use of the BEST Literacy test. Unlike the BEST Plus test, which is a test of English speaking and listening comprehension ability, the BEST Literacy is a test of English reading and writing ability. This study was in response to requests from the field, based on the perception that ESL students who score above 540 on the BEST Plus test are not ready to be enrolled as ABE students nor are they ready to be assessed using the TABE.
Findings:
- Most students who exit ESL level 6 with a score of 540 or higher on the BEST Plus, if tested with the BEST Literacy, would score at ESL levels 2 through 5. This means they could continue as an ESOL student with the BEST Literacy as the assessment instrument.
- There is a very high correlation between student scores on the BEST Literacy and on the TABE.
- Students who were pretested and posttested with the BEST Literacy consistently demonstrated gain.
Policy:
- Beginning July 1, 2008, agencies will have the option of using the BEST Literacy to assess only those students who have exited ESL level 6 by scoring 540 or higher on the BEST Plus. The BEST Literacy cannot be used alone as an initial assessment.
- Students who score 540 or over on a BEST Plus posttest have demonstrated gain in that year. Therefore, it is not necessary to test these students again until July 1 of the next program year. At that point, the BEST Literacy can be administered. That would become the pretest for the subsequent year and gains would be reported based on a BEST Literacy posttest.
- Students who score on NRS level 6 on the BEST Literacy should be transferred to ABE and tested with the TABE.
- ASISTS will accept BEST Literacy scores as of July 1, 2008.
Please note that since use of the BEST Literacy will be an option, not a requirement, programs may continue to use the TABE for ESOL students who score above a 540 on the BEST Plus. It will be the program’s responsibility to cover the cost of purchasing the BEST Literacy.
The BEST Literacy is a written paper-and-pencil test that can be administered
either individually or in groups. Test administration takes one hour or
less and requires no special training. Detailed information about the BEST
Literacy is available from the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) at
www.cal.org/topics/ta/bestliteracy.html
or 1-866-845-BEST
(2378).
Agencies that wish to purchase the BEST Literacy test can do so at any time directly from CAL. However, NYSED-funded adult literacy programs may be entitled to a bulk discount of approximately 7 to 10% if one inclusive order is submitted, rather than agencies placing orders separately. If you plan to use the BEST Literacy beginning July 1, in order to see if there will be a sufficient quantity to qualify for the bulk order discount, please complete the following BEST Literacy Survey Order Form and submit it to SED by March 28, 2008, per the instructions on the form. You will receive a confirmation e-mail upon receipt of the form to ensure that all forms have been received and order totals counted.
The Survey Order Form provides pre-discount prices for the BEST Literacy Test Packets, BEST Literacy Test Manual and shipping costs for budget planning purposes. At least one Test Manual, which contains instructions on how to administer and score BEST Literacy, is needed in order to administer the test. If there are sufficient order totals for the discount, you will be contacted with the revised amount and CAL will invoice and ship to your agency individually, based on the test packet/manual totals on each Survey Order Form. If we do not have sufficient orders for the discount, the Survey Order Form will be submitted to CAL as is and they will still invoice and ship to your agency individually. You will be notified by April 30 if the discount will be available and orders will ship from CAL during the month of May.
For specific questions about the BEST Literacy test, please contact CAL directly using the contact information provided above. For questions on the BEST Literacy policy, contact the Adult Education and Workforce Development Team at (518) 474-8940.
BEST Literacy Order Survey Form–For NYSED-Funded Agencies
*To be eligible for the tentative NYS bulk discount, please send survey form by March 28, 2008 via e-mail or fax to Claudia Dean at the NYSED Adult Education and Workforce Development Team at cdean@mail.nysed.gov or fax (518) 486-1751
Customer Information: (To be filled out by the purchasing organization. Please type or print.)
| Organization Name No abbreviations |
|||
| Contact Name | Contact Title | ||
| Phone Number | ( ) | Fax Number | ( ) |
| Shipping Address | City, State, Zip | ||
| E-mail Address | |||
BEST Literacy Test Packets
There are 20 Examinee Test Booklets and 20 corresponding Scoring Sheets in each packet.
| # of BEST Literacy Test Packets ($45* per Packet) |
Form B | Form C | Form D |
Total # of Test Packets _________ X $45* = ____________
*before tentative discount
BEST Literacy Test Manual (Required)
Contains the instructions on how to administer and score BEST Literacy, including tables needed to convert raw scores to scale scores for BEST Literacy Forms B, C and D.
Total # of Test Manuals _________ X $25* = ___________
*before tentative discount
| *Subtotal for all Print Materials | *$ |
*These are the regular prices before a tentative NYS bulk order discount of approximately 7 to 10%, depending on the amount of the statewide order. Your individual shipping costs will vary accordingly.
Approximate shipping: *$ __________________________
| $0 to $35 = $5.00 | $35.01 to $100 = $8.00 |
| $101 to $200 = $15.00 | $201 to $500 = $30.00 |
| $501 to $1000 = $50.00 | $1001 to $2000 = $100.00 |
| $2001 to $4000 = $200.00 | $4001 to $5000 = $250.00 |
| Over $5000 = $400.00 |
*Total (including shipping) |
*$ |