BEST Updates Memo - July 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
REVISED
TO: Directors of Adult Education Programs
FROM: Tom Orsini
SUBJECT: BEST ESOL Tests – Updates and Reminders
DATE: July 2008
As a new fiscal year begins, please review with staff the following NYSED policies and procedures for BEST Plus, BEST Plus Scoring Refresher sessions, and the new BEST Literacy policy that becomes effective on July 1, 2008. Please note that the BEST Literacy policy has been updated since the original March 2008 memo in order to allow more Limited English Proficient adults to enroll in ESOL classes rather than in ABE*.
Current BEST Literacy Policy:
- Beginning July 1, 2008, agencies have the option of using the BEST Literacy to assess those students who have exited ESL level 6 by scoring 541 or higher on a BEST Plus posttest.
- *In addition to those who score 541 or higher on a BEST Plus posttest, if a student scores above a 540 on the BEST Plus at intake, then the BEST Literacy may be administered. However, the BEST Plus must be given at intake first; the BEST Literacy cannot be used alone as an initial assessment.
- At intake, students who score on NRS Advanced ESL Level 6–a scale score of 76 or higher– on a BEST Literacy pretest should be then tested with the TABE and enrolled in ABE classes.
- During a program year, students who score 541 or higher 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, unless the student’s BEST Literacy scale score is 76 or higher. In that case, the student must be given a TABE and transferred to ABE.
- During a program year, students who score 76 or higher on a BEST Literacy 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 student must be given a TABE and transferred to ABE. The TABE score would become the pretest for that year and gains would be reported based on a TABE posttest.
- ASISTS will accept BEST Literacy scores as of July 1, 2008. ASISTS will not count a BEST Literacy score unless a BEST Plus score of 541 or higher is also entered.
- Since use of the BEST Literacy is an option at this time, not a requirement, programs may continue to use the TABE for ESOL students who score 541 or higher on the BEST Plus.
Once a year, NYSED will coordinate a group order of BEST Literacy materials
from the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) in order to receive
a discount. While that order has already been completed for 2008-2009,
agencies that wish to purchase the BEST Literacy test can do so at any time
directly from CAL. All agencies that have purchased BEST Literacy should
also have received a new 2008-version BEST Literacy Test Manual, which contains
new scoring tables. If you have not received a new Test Manual or for specific
questions about BEST Literacy, please contact the Center for Applied
Linguistics (CAL) at
www.cal.org/topics/ta/bestliteracy.html
or 1-866-845-BEST (2378).
BEST Plus and BEST Plus Scoring Refresher Session Reminders:
While administering the BEST Literacy test requires no special training, staff members may not administer the BEST Plus Oral English Proficiency test until they have participated in an initial six-hour BEST Plus Test Administrator training provided by the RAEN. Test Administrator training is not to be confused with the BEST Plus Scoring Refresher sessions. Only those who have attended the initial six-hour BEST Plus training may attend a Refresher session.
The primary intent of the BEST Plus Scoring Refresher session is to recalibrate scoring for active test administrators. Therefore, it is not appropriate for individuals who have attended the six-hour BEST Plus Test Administrator training but have not actually administered the test or have done so very infrequently. If months have elapsed between when training was originally taken and when an individual will begin administering the BEST Plus, then the initial training should be retaken.
SED requires that trained and active BEST Plus test administrators participate in a RAEN sponsored/coordinated Refresher session approximately once a year. Staff should be made aware that at the end of a Refresher session, they will complete a Scoring Activity, and Scoring Activity results will be sent to both the participants themselves and their agency’s program manager. Program managers must ensure that test administrators with “unacceptable” results participate in remediation activities either in-house or through the RAEN. While it is ultimately the responsibility of a program manager to determine if an individual should continue testing, please note that SED will be more prescriptive about who may or may not administer the BEST Plus for ITAP agencies and agencies under corrective action.
It is essential that all programs managers share the above information with all appropriate staff, as it is apparent through RAEN activities and from inquiries to the AEWD team that many test administrators have not been receiving important BEST test information.
cc: RAEN Directors