TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PAPER
Career Education Basic Skills Assessment
Florida Department of Education
Division of Career and Adult Education
Bureau of Standards, Benchmarks and Frameworks
Career
and Technical Education Services Section
Contact:
Jane Silveria, State Supervisor
325 West Gaines Street, #701
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400
(850) 245-9022
FAX (850) 245-9019
jane.silveria@fldoe.org
Revised October 5, 2010
1
Table of Contents
Section 1: Introduction and Purpose Page 3
Section 2: Basic Skills Requirem
ents Page 3
Section 3: Test Procedures and Test
Security Page 8
Section 4: Test Accommodations P
rocedures Page 11
Section 5: Scale Score to Grade Equivalents Charts
Page 14
Revised October 5, 2010
2
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE
Throughout the years, career and technical education (formerly vocational education) has
focused on teaching technical competencies and related academic skills that prepare students to
enter and advance in a variety of career fields and postsecondary education. Program and course
descriptions are reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that the technical and academic skills
identified for each program/course meet industry standards as well as requirements established
by regulatory boards.
Each career and technical education program has associated basic academic skills (reading, math
and language) that are required for completion. For the purpose of career education and basic
skills, com
pletion is accomplished when a student reaches the final Occupational Completion
Point (OCP) and receives a Career Certificate of Completion from the program.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this paper is to provide information about: (1) the legal b
asis for basic skills
assessment in career education; (2) procedures to be followed throughout the assessment process;
(3) counseling of students who do not meet the basic skills exit requirements; (4)
exemptions/waivers of basic skills requirements; (5) accommodations for students with
disabilities; and (6) the repeal of Section 1008.29, F. S.
SECTION 2: BASIC SKILLS REQUIREMENTS
Section 1004.91, F. S., Career-Preparatory Instruction:
requires students who enroll in a program
offered for career credit of 450 hours or more to complete an entry-level examination within the
first six (6) weeks of admission into the program. The examination is designed to assess student
mastery of basic skills. Assessment instruments meeting this requirement include:
•
Florida College Entry-
Level Placement Test (CPT) or Multiple Assessment Placement
Service (MAPS) (as authorized);
•
Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE) 9 & 10, Comp
lete Battery or Survey; and
•
Wonderlic Basic Skills Test (WBST) as per Rule 6A-10.040 (1), F.A.C.
Students with documented disabilities must be provided with accomm
odations in the testing
procedure as needed on an individual basis. Rule 6A-1.0943, F.A.C., Statewide Assessment for
Students with Disabilities
,
provides examples of allowable testing procedure accommodations.
Students who do not achieve the minimu
m level of basic skills required for completion (exit)
from his/her career education programs will not be awarded a Career Certificate of Completion.
However, adult students with disabilities may be exempted from meeting the basic skills level to
earn a Career Certificate of Completion and be reported as a completer. Section 1004.91 (3),
F.S.
Students who are exempted from basic skills assessment inclu
de those who:
•
possess a college d
egree at the associate in applied science (AAS) level or higher;
•
have completed or who are exem
pt from the college-level communication and
computation skills examination pursuant to Section 1008.29, F. S., or who are exempt
Revised October 5, 2010
3
from the college entry-level examination pursuant to Section 1008.29, F.S. Section
1008.29, F. S., was repealed in 2009 and exemptions are now listed in Section
1007.25(12), F.S.; or,
•
who have passed a state, national or industry licensure exam
.
Students enrolled in law enforcement training academies are exem
pt from the requirements of
Section 1004.91, F.S. (The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) has designated the
Florida Basic Abilities Test (FBAT) for use with these students. Please refer to Section
943.17(6), F.S., for more information.)
All students must be tested within the first six (6) weeks of enrollm
ent in a career education
program of 450 hours or longer; however, if the student successfully completes his/her
coursework, does not meet the basic skills requirements for exit (pre- and post-testing), takes and
passes a related licensure exam identified by the Department of Education, Division of Career
and Adult Education, and posted on the Website at
http://www.fldoe.org/workforce/dwdframe/rtf/basicskills-License-exempt.rtf, that student shall
be counted as a completer and does not have to be retested on one of the basic skills
examinations. The local educational agency (LEA) is required to maintain documentation that
the student passed licensure in order to report the student as a completer for funding and auditing
purposes. The student should be post-tested to determine whether or not they meet the exit
requirements before they take the related professional licensure examination.
Thus, assessment is used to determine whether or not the st
udent has the basic skills necessary to
be successful in the chosen career program. If, following admission to the program, a student is
unable to demonstrate the basic skills exit requirements, remediation is provided. After
remediation, the student has the opportunity to post-test before the completion of the final OCP.
If the student’s basic skills score still does not meet program
exit requirements, the student may:
•
remediate further;
•
pass a state, national or industry licensure exam defined by the FLDOE posted on the
website at http://www.fldoe.org/workforce/dwdframe/pdf/basic-skills.pdf; or,
•
if they are a student with a
disability, provide appropriate documentation and request an
exemption from meeting the basic skills exit requirements of the program.
A student enrolled in a career education program that does not meet the ba
sic skills requirements,
but passes an identified licensure exam should be recorded as “incomplete” until the LEA
receives documentation of the licensure and then reports the student as a completer from the
career education program and from Vocational Preparatory Instruction (VPI). If the student does
not meet the basic skills requirements for completion, is not exempt, or does not pass an
identified licensure exam, the student cannot be reported as a program completer and cannot earn
a Career Certificate of Completion.
The student who does not meet the program basic skills exit requireme
nts on the pre-test should
be referred to either Vocational Preparatory Instruction (Pre-VPI or VPI) or Adult Basic
Education (ABE) for assistance.
Revised October 5, 2010
4
The basic skills requirements for career education programs are exit requirements from those
programs, not entry or placement requirements. A student may enter the career education
program before reaching minimum basic skills levels, but may not receive a Career Certificate of
Completion until basic skills requirements are met, except students exempted in accordance with
Section 1004.91, F.S. Remediation must be provided to assist students to attain the required
basic skills levels. The remediation may be provided concurrently with enrollment in the career
education program, or, in certain cases (i.e., programs with waiting lists), prior to entry into the
career education program.
PLEASE NOTE: Federal Office of Civil Rights (OCR) legislation prohibits denying
entry
into
any career education program on the basis of criteria that have the effect of disproportionately
excluding persons of a particular race, color, national origin, sex or handicap. In order to use
such criteria, the recipient must demonstrate that such criteria have been validated as essential to
participation in a given program. (45 C.F.R. 80, Appendix B, Guidelines for Eliminating
Discrimination and Denial of Services on the Basis of Race, Color, National Origin, Sex and
Handicap in Vocational Education Programs, Revised 10-1-09)
Florida Department of Education Rule 6A-10.040 (4), F.A.C., allows opportunities for
remediation when needed and to avoid penalizing a student who may not be able to attain the
required basic skills requirements due to a disability. If the student has demonstrated mastery of
the student performance standards for the career education program, but has not attained the
appropriate basic skills levels required for completion from that program, the LEA may use the
exemption, code the student as a completer, and award the appropriate Career Certificate of
Completion.
The steps for exempting a student with a documented disability would be as follows:
•
pre-test using TABE, determine the student’s strengths and weaknesses,
•
provide instruction,
•
post-test to determine gains, and
•
if the student does not meet the exit requirem
ents on the TABE, but has met the
requirements of his/her career program, exempt the student from the basic skills
requirements and report them as a completer.
This rule includes permissive language that allows LEAs to exempt adults with disabilities from
meeting the required basic skills level to earn a Career Certificate of Completion. Since
application of the exemption is permissible and not mandatory, each LEA must develop a local
written policy describing the steps to be followed and documentation to be maintained
throughout the testing, remediation, certification, reporting, and audit process. Rule 6A-10.040
(4), F.A.C.
This policy should not deny anyone access or opportunities b
ecause of a disability.
COUNSELING
Counseling is an essential element in career preparation to assist students in identifying career
goals and selecting appropriate training programs. Explaining the dem
ands of the academics
Revised October 5, 2010
5
involved in the career education program is an important part of the counseling process. A clear
understanding of expectations will better prepare the student for making sound decisions and
successfully completing the program. It is important for students to understand the relationship
between basic skills and success in his/her chosen career education program, and that improving
his/her skills will help foster success in the program and in future employment.
34 C.F.R. 104.47(b), implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 states that the
recipient shall ensure that qualified students with disabilities are not counseled toward more
restrictive career objectives than are students without disabilities with similar interests and
abilities. This requirement does not preclude a recipient from providing factual information
about licensing and certification requirements of particular careers. (
Recipient
means any state
or its political subdiv
ision, any instrumentality of a state or its political subdivision, any public or
private agency, institution, organization, or other entity, or any person to which Federal financial
assistance is extended directly or through another recipient, including any successor, assignee, or
transferee of a recipient, but excluding the ultimate beneficiary of the assistance.) 34 C.F.R.
104.3(f)
All students who are referred to adult education programs require ongoing counseling/
monitoring to ensure that: (1) progress is being m
ade; (2) support services are being provided if
needed; and (3) progression toward completion of program goals is occurring.
STANDARDIZED TESTING
It is vital that assessment instruments used are both valid and reliable and are only used with the
students for whom they were designed. The state of Florida has approved standard
ized tests to
meet the requirements of Florida Statutes and Florida State Board Rules Rule 6A-10.040, F.A.C
.
Standardized tests are valid and reliable and are used throughout the country in a variety of
educational and employment settings. Some of these tests are normed on certain populations and
some are criterion-based tests.
Validity refers to the degree to which evidence and theory support the interpretations of test
scores entailed by proposed uses of the tests. Validity is the most fundame
ntal consideration in
developing and evaluating tests. The process of validation involves accumulating evidence to
provide a sound scientific basis for the proposed score interpretations.
Reliability refers to the consistency of such measurements when the testing procedure is repeated
on a population of individuals or groups. The Standards for Educational and Psychological
Testing (1999) indicates that reliability evidence may be reported in terms of variances or
standard deviations of measurement errors, in terms of one or more coefficients, or in terms of
IRT-based (Item Response Theory) test information functions.
Individual raw scores or scale scores are often referred to as the distribution of scores for one or
more compa
rison groups, and are used to draw useful inferences about an individual’s
performance. Test score interpretations based on such comparisons are said to be norm-
referenced. Other test score interpretations make no direct reference to the performance of other
Revised October 5, 2010
6
examinees. These interpretations may take a variety of forms: most are collectively referred to
as criterion-referenced interpretations.
The use of standardized, valid and reliable assessme
nts ensures quality assessment. Quality
assessment plays a major role in career and adult education programs, including the following:
•
Students and program
s are informed of the students’ academic skills levels.
•
Instruction can be focused on the students’ academic needs.
•
Students are better equipped to determine both short- and long-term goals.
•
Students have a better insight to other barriers.
•
Students and programs can work together on the students’ goals.
•
Programs can closely monitor effectiveness.
•
Programs have accurate data to report to th
e State and for National Reporting System
(NRS) purposes.
•
Programs are informed of student gains.
Summary
All career education students enrolling in career education programs of 450 hours or more m
ust
be tested within the first six (6) calendar weeks after admission into the program. The purpose of
testing is to determine the extent of basic skills mastery and to evaluate the need for necessary
academic instruction. This applies to all postsecondary career education students, including
secondary students dually enrolled in postsecondary career education certificate programs.
Exceptions include those exempted in Section 1004.91, F.S.
Testing may not to be used as a screening device. Students ma
y not be denied entry into a career
education program based solely on a test score. Students with disabilities must be tested and
provided academic instruction if needed although they may be exempted from meeting the basic
skills exit requirements for his/her career education program. The procedure for this exemption
must be determined by district policy and must be documented. This policy should be written
and approved by the school board or community college board of trustees.
After a student has completed the remediation prescribed, the student shall be retested on the
alternate version of the same
test used for pre-testing Rule 6A-10.040, F.A.C. No student,
except those exempted in rule, shall be awarded a Career Certificate of Completion until the
student reaches the minimum basic skills levels required for the final Occupational Completion
Point (OCP) for that career education program or passes a related state, national or industry
licensure exam identified by the Department of Education, Division of Career and Adult
Education and listed on the website at http://www.fldoe.org/workforce/dwdframe/pdf/basic-
skills.pdf.
Section 1004.91, F.S.; Rule 6A-10.040, F.A.C.
Program Course Standards, updated yearly, list minimum basic skills levels as grade equivalents.
The charts in Section 5 of this document provide a crosswalk of grade equivalents to the scale
scores of the TABE and WBST (CPT does not have grade equivalents;
however, a correlation
chart for CPT to TABE is included in Section 5). A student only has to reach the minimum basic
skills level when completing the
final
Occupational Completion Point (OCP) and receiving a
Revised October 5, 2010
7
Career Certificate of Completion. Students may be reported as completers of OCPs upon
mastery of the technical skills without meeting the required basic skills levels if the OCP is not
the final OCP. If a student tests and is deficient in only one area, the student needs only to be
retested in the area in which he was deficient.
SECTION 3: TEST PROCEDURES AND TE
ST SECURITY
Test security is an essential component of standardized testin
g. The importance of test security
can not be stressed enough. If test security is compromised, data is not accurate. All test
booklets, answer sheets, answer keys, etc., must be maintained in a secured manner and not
revealed to students or teachers prior to testing. To do otherwise would give some students an
unfair advantage. Moreover, the test would no longer examine achievements, but would merely
assess recall of answers.
Teachers are not permitted to study, read, inspect or copy the test before, during or after it h
as
been administered Rule 6A-10.042, F.A.C. Again, this would give an unfair advantage to certain
teachers and students when the test is next administered. Only those staff with responsibility of
administering the test should have access to the test.
It is unlawful for anyone to knowingly and willingly violate test security rules adopted by the
State Board of Education for ma
ndatory tests. Test security is covered in Section 1008.24, F.S.
and in Rule 6A-10.042, F.A.C.
Recommendations for good practices in testing:
Testing Personnel:
Training of personnel administering tests is critical to ensure ma
intaining test security and
appropriate testing procedures, including accommodations for students with disabilities.
Every effort should be made for DOE-approved assessments to be
administered by personnel not
directly involved with the instructional process.
Testing Procedures:
Recommended testing procedures established by test publishers should be followed for proper
test admi
nistration including, but not limited to, the following:
•
preparing the testing room, including seating plans.
o
the room should be comfortable, well lit, with suf
ficient work space.
o
the room should be arranged to discourage cheating.
o
a “Do not disturb” sign should be posted on the door.
o
cell phones, electronic devices, and other personal belongings should not be
allowed in the testing a
rea.
•
securing and storing test ma
terials.
•
admitting examinees to the testing room, including recommended identification
docum
ents.
•
distributing and collecting m
aterials.
Revised October 5, 2010
8
•
reading the script.
•
documenting irregularities.
•
reading test
instructions and directions to examinees.
•
following testing time
guidelines.
•
posting “Start” and “Stop” tim
es.
•
providing accommodations for students with d
isabilities.
•
handling unexpected interruptions.
•
monitoring test-taking to prevent the opportunity for cheating.
•
documenting and reporting problems with materials, disruptive student behavior,
cheating, or any other unexpected/irregular incident.
Every stand
ardized assessment has a standardized protocol that must be followed to ensure
accura
te test results. All test administrators must familiarize themselves with the test
administrator manual for each test they administer. The Department of Education, Division of
Career and Adult Education offers free certification workshops for TABE through the Regional
Training Councils (RTCs).
The quality of a program depends on the accuracy of assessme
nt and reporting. Proper test
procedures allow the state and the U.S. Department of Education to compare programs.
All test administrators must adhere to the following guidelines:
•
Florida educators shall adhere to
The Code of Ethics and the Principles of Professional
Conduct of The Education Profession in Florida,
found on the web at
http://www.fldoe.org/edstandards/pdfs/ethics.pdf, in the implementation of student
assessment testing programs. Rule 6B-1.006, F.A.C.
•
Florida educators who are responsible for the admi
nistration of state and district
assessment tests shall abide by policies established in statute and rule regarding test
security.
•
Florida educators responsible for adm
inistering district and statewide assessment tests
shall adhere to the instructions found in the administration manuals for each test.
•
Personnel with test adm
inistration and test proctoring responsibilities will be
appropriately trained.
•
Students will be prepared for the testing activities prior to the day of testing.
•
Test admi
nistrators will provide adequate test administration conditions.
•
Students with disabilities will be p
rovided appropriate test accommodations and
modifications.
•
Test results will be com
municated only to appropriate audiences.
Revised October 5, 2010
9
TEST GUIDELINES
General:
Programs should have an assessment policy in place that includes procedures to ensure the
following:
•
Students are informed of the reason they are being tested, prior to the test adm
inistration.
•
Students ar
e informed as to how the test results will be used.
•
An appropriate test environment is used.
•
Proper test procedures are followed when admi
nistering the tests.
•
The appropriate amount of instruction is provided between pre- and post-testing.
•
The appropriate pre- and post-test is admi
nistered.
•
The test is accura
tely scored.
•
All test materials are kept secure.
•
All test scores and dates of testing are entered into the Local Education A
gency’s (LEA)
Management Information System (MIS).
•
Test scores are kept
confidential.
Minimum time between testing:
•
The American Psychological Association (APA) states that there should be a m
inimum of
six (6) months between testing when using the same assessment document (same
level/same form of the same test).
•
The National Reporting System (NRS), http://www.nrsweb.org/, states that there should
be at least sixty (60) hours of instruction when using the same level, different form of a
test, and at least 120 hours of instruction when using the same level, same form of a test
instrument.
NOTE: If hours of instruction are not documented, APA guidelines should be follow
ed.
Calculator: Some tests allow the option of using calculators on some portions of the
mathematics test. If this is allowable, the site should provide calculators and instruction on the
use of those calculators for the testing procedure. This ensures equity for all students.
Test scores are valid for two (2) years: Test scores can be accepted as long as they are less than
two (2) years old. If the student remains enrolled for a period of more than two (2) years, the
scores would remain valid for as long as the student is enrolled. If the student has a break in
enrollment of more than one year, the student must be retested.
Post-testing: A student should be post-tested on the alternate version of the same level of the test
used in pre-testing, or either version of a higher level of the test. Rule 6A-10.040, F.A.C. When
post-testing with any approved test, testing publisher guidelines must be followed.
Revised October 5, 2010
10
Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE):
Locator Test: The locator test is used to determine the level of the TABE to administer to the
student for the initial pre-test. Some institutions prefer to use only the “D” and/or the “A” level
of the TABE without using the locator. This is acceptable for Career and Technical (CTE)
programs.
•
The Department of Education, Division of Career and Adult Education, recomm
ends
using the D level of the TABE if the program completion levels are below 9
th
grade, the
A level if they are above 9
th
grade and using either D or A level if the program
completion level is 9
th
grade.
•
However, if a student is tested without using the locator and tests out of content range
[two (2) grade levels above or below the content range of the test admi
nistered] on a
given assessment instrument, the student should be given the locator and retested on the
proper level before being enrolled in ABE or VPI.
Reporting grade level equivalencies: When reporting math grade levels on the TABE, you must
report the Total Math score, not an average of math computation and applied math, or the higher
or lower of either of these scores.
TABE Survey versus Complete Battery: Both the TABE Survey and Complete Battery are
approved in Rule 6A-10.040, F.A.C.
TABE scores may be accepted from one public institution to another p
rovided they are less than
two (2) years old and are transmitted electronically (or mailed in a sealed envelope) from the
institution that administered the test.
SECTION 4: TESTING PROCEDURE ACCOMMODATIONS
Some students with disabilities ma
y require testing procedure accommodations. Students with
disabilities should have every opportunity to discuss such needs with appropriate staff early,
during the counseling process, when the student participates in planning his/her program.
However, adult students are not required to reveal his/her disability and may elect to participate
in the program without special assistance. Students may also self-identify, provide
documentation and request accommodation services if they do not succeed without
accommodations. Documentation of the need for specific testing procedure accommodations
should be maintained in the student's confidential records and revealed only on a “need to know”
basis. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA),
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html, which is incorporated into state law
under Section 1002.221, F.S., is designed to protect the privacy of a student’s education records.
The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program from the U.S.
Department of Education. Generally, schools must have written permission from the
parent/guardian or eligible student in order to release any information from a student's education
record.
Revised October 5, 2010
11
Rule 6A-1.0943, F.A.C., Statewide Assessment for Students with Disabilities, provides the basis
for accommodations to Florida's statewide assessment system for students with disabilities and
provides examples of allowable testing accommodations. Consideration must be given to
providing accommodations that will allow the student with a disability to demonstrate the skills
and knowledge the test is designed to measure, rather than a score that reflects the student’s
disability. Accommodations are not to provide the student with an unfair advantage or interfere
with the validity of the test; they are required to allow the student an equal opportunity to
demonstrate the underlying skills that are being measured by the test. Students are unique and
may require different accommodations, even if they have the same disability. When specifying
test accommodations for an individual student, consideration should be given to the option
requested by the student. Test accommodations are based on accommodations used by the
student during classroom instruction. All accommodations should be documented on the
student’s Individual Educational Plan (IEP), Adult Individual Educational Plan (AIEP), 504 Plan
or other educational plan.
Testing accommodations may include, but are not limited to:
•
Flexible scheduling: The student ma
y be administered a test during several brief sessions
allowing frequent breaks during the testing sessions, within specifications of the test
administration manual. Students may be provided additional time for the administration
of the test.
•
Flexible setting: The student ma
y be administered a test individually or in a small group
setting. The student may be provided with adaptive or special furniture and special
lighting or acoustics.
•
Flexible responding: The student may use varied m
ethods to respond to the test,
including written, signed and verbal response. Written responses may include the use of
mechanical and electronic devices. A test administrator or proctor may transcribe student
responses to the format required by the test. Transcribed responses must accurately
reflect the response of the student, without addition or edification by the test
administrator or proctor.
•
Flexible presentation: The student may use m
echanical aids, revised formats such as
Braille, large print, or signed or oral presentations for directions and items other than
reading items.
•
Assistive devices: The student ma
y use the following assistive devices typically used in
classroom instruction:
o
If the purpose of the assessment requires com
plex computation, calculators may
be used as authorized in the test administration manual. A calculator may not be
used on assessments of basic computation as specified in the test administration
manual.
o
Visual ma
gnification and auditory amplification devices may be used. For
students with visual impairments, an abacus may be used.
o
Technology ma
y be used without accessing spelling or grammar-checking
applications for writing assessments and without using speech output programs
for reading items assessed. Other assistive technology typically used by the
student in classroom instruction may be used provided the purpose of the testing
is not violated. Implementation of assistive devices must assure that test responses
are the independent work of the student. (Rule 6A-1.0943, F.A.C.)
Revised October 5, 2010
12
The goal is to ensure that each student has every opportunity to dem
onstrate mastery of basic
skills. Some students with disabilities may need special accommodations during the testing and
instructional process. These accommodations must be provided to ensure equal access to
programs and activities.
Accommodations may be used only if they do not alter the und
erlying content that is being
measured by the assessment or negatively affect the assessment's reliability or validity.
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13
SECTION 5: SCALE SCORE TO GRADE LEVEL EQUIVALENT CHARTS
The following pages show comparison charts for the norm-
referenced tests. The scale scores
given are the minimum scale scores for each grade level equivalency.
TABE Information - Scale Score to Grade Equivalent Charts
TABE 9
R = Reading
Complete Battery, All
Levels exce
pt L
Survey, All levels
MC = Math Computation
AM = Applied Mathematics
R
MC
AM L
R MC
AM L
GL
TM = Total Mathematics
L = Language
12
612
617
606 601
617 619 610 600
11
603
605
593 586
598 607 592 586
10
584
595
575 572
582 592 573 572
9 567
578
562 562
569 576 560 568
8 554
554
549 551
555 557 548 555
7 538
530
534 540
541 528 535 542
6 519
507
505 524
520 508 507 528
5 487
471
474 508
487 475 474 508
4 463
440
445 491
463 436 449 492
3 430
390
415 459
429 397 419 467
2 371
307
356 390
369 315 354 393
1 300
245
275 295
300 245 302 295
GL = Grade Level Equivalency
Spelling is not required.
Revised October 5, 2010
14
TABE 10
R = Reading
Complete Battery, All
Levels exce
pt L
Survey, All levels
MC = Math Computation
AM = Applied Mathematics
R
MC
AM L
R MC
AM L
GL
TM = Total Mathematics
L = Language
12
609
618
610 603
608 626 614 604
11
600
603
591 586
597 604 593 586
10
585
590
573 571
590 593 572 581
9 568
578
559 561
567 580 560 563
8 552
555
549 550
553 557 548 554
7 540
528
534 541
537 529 536 542
6 522
509
504 525
518 511 505 530
5 487
471
475 508
489 472 474 508
4 461
438
445 491
461 442 446 496
3 431
392
414 459
430 392 413 460
2 373
305
353 394
372 307 353 395
1 300
244
279 295
300 245 317 295
GL = Grade Level Equivalency
Spelling is not required.
The Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE) 9 & 10 has a Standard Deviation of plus or minus
(+/-) two (2) years when using grade level equivalents. The charts below should assist you in
making decisions as to whether the student was tested on an inappropriate level of the TABE, or
if the content range of material is appropriate for the student using either grade equivalents or
scale scores. When testing students/clients, it is good educational practice to retest a student who
scores two (2) grade levels above or below the content range of the test administered.
For Frequently Asked Questions concerning TABE, go to
www.ctb.com.
TABE 9 & 10 Content Ranges
TABE Levels
Standard Deviation - 2
Years
(below the Content Range)
Content Range
Standard Deviation + 2 years
(above the Content Range)
Level E
0.0
2.0 – 3.9
5.9
Level M
2.0
4.0 – 5.9
7.9
Level D
4.0
6.0 – 8.9
10.9
Level A
7.0
9.0 – 12.0
Revised October 5, 2010
15
TABE Standard Deviation by Scale Score*
(Equivalent of two (2) grade levels (<) below and (>) above)
TABE 9 Survey Tests
LEVEL GE
RANGE
<
Reading
>
<
Language
>
<
Math
Comprehen
>
<
Applied
Math
>
E
2.0-3.9
294 365-460 520 235 395-489
523 235 307-435
500 200 340-445 499
M
4.0-5.9
268 461-515 550 399 490-525
550 300 436-499
550 354 446-497 545
D
6.0-8.9
464 516-566 600 490 526-560
590 434 500-574
600 450 498-559 585
A
9.0-12.9 540 567-812 N/A
540 561-826
N/A
528 575-755
N/A 530 560-795 N/A
TABE 10 Survey Tests
LEVEL GE
RANGE
<
Reading
>
<
Language
>
<
Math
Comprehen
>
<
Applied
Math
>
E
2.0-3.9
290 365-460 518 235 395-489
522 235 307-435
500 200 340-445 499
M
4.0-5.9
367 461-515 552 400 490-525
548 310 436-499
549 353 446-497 547
D
6.0-8.9
463 516-566 595 490 526-560
585 440 500-574
600 440 498-559 590
A
9.0-12.9 540 567-812 N/A
540 561-826
N/A
525 575-755
N/A 533 560-795 N/A
TABE 9 Complete Battery Tests
LEVEL GE
RANGE
<
Reading
>
<
Language
>
<
Math
Comprehen
>
<
Applied
Math
>
E
2.0-3.9
247 368-460 515 239 397-490
524 235 308-435
507 249 350-443 501
M
4.0-5.9
364 461-518 550 398 491-523
550 307 436-505
554 345 444-504 545
D
6.0-8.9
463 519-567 595 492 524-560
585 440 506-575
600 450 505-560 590
A
9.0-12.9 538 568-812 N/A
540 561-826
N/A
530 576-755
N/A 534 561-795 N/A
TABE 10 Complete Battery Tests
LEVEL GE
RANGE
<
Reading
>
<
Language
>
<
Math
Comprehen
>
<
Applied
Math
>
E
2.0-3.9
246 369-460 516 235 395-491
523 243 310-435
500 200 350-443 500
M
4.0-5.9
374 461-518 550 396 492-524
550 320 436-507
550 345 444-506 546
D
6.0-8.9
460 519-567 595 490 525-561
585 440 508-573
605 445 507-559 590
A
9.0-12.9 535 568-812 N/A
536 562-826
N/A
528 574-755
N/A 534 560-795 N/A
When testing students/clients, it is good educational practice to retest a student who scores two
(2) grade levels above or below the content range of the test administered. The charts above
correlate the grade levels to scale scores.
* Information taken from “
Norms Book: Complete Battery and Survey
”, CTB McGraw-Hill, 2004.
Revised October 5, 2010
16
Pat Smittle, from Santa Fe Community College, Gainesville, developed the following chart, to help testing personnel
and counselors determine the grade level equivalency of students testing on the Computerized Placement Test
(CPT). The chart shows the correlation from CPT to TABE. Since TABE 7 & 8 and TABE 9 & 10 are scored on the
same scale, this correlation may be used with TABE 9 & 10.
CPT (Correlated to TABE 7 & 8 and TABE 9 & 10) Complete Battery
GL
CPT Reading to
TABE Reading
CPT Language to
TABE
Language
CPT Arithmetic to
TABE Math
Co
mputations
CPT
Arithm
etic to
TABE Applied
Math
CPT Arithmetic
to TABE To
tal
Math
12
77
79 79 50
54
11
72
76 54 48
49
10
67
74 49 41
47
9
58
65 48 39
41
8
52
58 40 35
38
7 50
NC
36
31
31
6
48
55 31 28
29
5
41
51 28 25
25
4
36
47 26 NC
24
3
32
41 25 24
20
2
NC
32 23 20
NC
1 27
31
NC
NC
NC
Revised October 5, 2010
17
WBST Information
Wonderlic Basic Skills Test (WBST)
GL Verbal
Quantitative
Composite
12 327
313
322
11 297
288
294
10 268
262
265
9 238
237
237
8 208
212
209
7 178
186
180
6 148
161
152
Revised October 5, 2010
18