Switching ELLs from CASAS to TABE

Hello!

Our program utilizes both CASAS and TABE to assess our students' reading levels. For our ELLs, we generally start them on CASAS unless they're already on the more advanced end of our program and/or have specifically academic goals in mind, such as earning a GED. More and more we're feeling that the CASAS isn't a very good measure of the progress made by learners in the High Intermediate and Advanced ESL levels. In the past, we've waited for a student's reading score to place them in the "Completed ESL" category (above 235) before switching them to TABE. However, many of our ELLs show little or no significant gains on the CASAS after reaching a scaled score of 215 or so, despite continuing to make progress with their English skills that we can see during informal assessments. Now we're considering switching all our ELLs to the TABE after they reach High Intermediate ESL or after they test out of the 83/84 CASAS reading test (Level B).

If your program also uses CASAS and TABE, we'd be interested in knowing if and when you switch your ELLs from CASAS to TABE and how you make that determination. Or if you program has other suggestions for ways to accurately assess and report literacy gains for more advanced ELLs, we'd appreciate hearing them.

Thank you!

Comments

I am so happy to hear that others also use TABE for assessment in their ESOL class. We have been doing this for almost 10 years even though it was not encouraged. The reason I recommended  using TABE is the individual students' goals. I felt that it is important to give equal emphasis to student goals as institutional goals, state goals and NRS recommendations. We don't use CASAS; every year I found myself with a good number of students who are high on both Best Literacy and TABE-E. They certainly were way above the listening speaking test levels of Best -Plus. I don't have normed, researched, or published data to show that it has been the best decision. It is not only the students who needed GED who benefitted form it, but others who had a high school diploma from their home country. Most where able to pass  workplace tests to advance in their employment. Many were very successful in Post-secondary education. They not only scored high on placement tests like Compass, Asset, Acuplacer, TOFEL etc., but didn't go into any remedial classes. They also did very well in their Composition 1and 2 classes. This is the reason I strongly believe that using TABE is one of the better way to serve ESOL students who want to enter post secondary education. I also found myself  hearing a lot from students that, attending GED classes didn't help them. I know most ABLE programs recommend GED classes for ESOL students who score at higher levels. I thought they might be right because of an article I read on CAL newsletter ; according to NRS data ESOL students attending GED classes have the lowest retention and progress rate. We are limiting these students opportunities, if we limit ourselves with our testing options driven by numbers, data and progress. Numbers won't  be the indicator of good program if  adult students don't have the opportunity to achieve their goals. In other words, a 1000 students with pre and post scores and 12 hours might be good for grant purpose, but not for  individual students to utilize their gifts and talents to their full potential

Hello Roberta,

Thank you for this great topic.  I will monitor the discussion for feedback as we continue to work on the next version of TABE.  I also want to make sure you are aware that there is a version of TABE designed specifically for Adult ELL students. TABE Complete Language Assessment System - English (TABE CLAS-E) is federally approved for NRS reporting for all 6 ESL Functional levels.  TABE CLAS-E has approved content areas of Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking and is currently used by many states for their ELL accountability reporting.  www.ctb.com/tabeclas-e has more information if needed.

Regards,

Mike Johnson | National Adult Education Manager, CTB

McGraw-Hill Education | 1333 Burr Ridge Pkwy. Burr Ridge, IL 60527

P: 630-789-4586 | C: 630-995-6712  | mike.johnson@ctb.com

 

 

We use CASAS for ELL unless they pretest above 235.  Then we switch to TABE.  I have experience with testing data for both CASAS and TABE (I coordinate testing for my program) as well as teaching experience with ELL and GED.  The biggest factor that I would recommend considering is the goal(s) of each student.

If the goals of your student(s) are employment/life skills, I think the CASAS is a much better fit.  The diagnostics regarding the competencies are much more useful instructional tool than the TABE.  TABE diagnostics (and from what I've seen, TABE-E diagnostics too) are much more suited for academic focus.  If you have lower level students, I would keep them in CASAS even if they have those academic goals.  

As for the difficulty testing up out of NRS 5, there are a few things that you might want to look at. Test taking strategies (such as time management) while not fun to teach, can be helpful.  What I would really recommend is that if your program has the means to be trained on http://www.startoolkit.org/ I really recommend it.  It was designed to help teach reading to adults.  They train on the component skills of reading (alphabetics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension), diagnostics for each of those components, and teaching strategies for each component.  You will be amazed to know how students testing in the same NRS level can have widely ranging abilities in each of the component skills.

Thank you all for your comments! This has been very helpful for discussions and planning within our agency, and it's actually led us to a few more questions for the group.

TABE-E is something that we've looked at in the past but opted out of purchasing. For the programs that do assess ELLs with TABE, do you use TABE-E, TABE Reading and Language, or both? If your program has both, how do you make that determination?

As far as the STAR toolkit training, our agency has some staff members who have been trained and some who are about to be trained. The STAR diagnostics have been extremely informative for our ABE program, but we've only used them sporadically with our ELLs. At what level does your program begin using STAR with ELLs?

Much appreciation,

Roberta

Before considering any test change, you want to make sure the new testing policy whether it bring on the wrath/approval of funders.  Their testing requirements will probably outrank yours.

As for TABE CLAS-E, it is designed explicitly for ELL (as a bridge to TABE.)  While it is NRS approved, it is not used in our state.  As I said in my earlier post, I prefer CASAS diagnostics to TABE diagnostics as an instructor (TOPSpro reports are much richer than Testmate, which I pretty much hate.)  As for giving just the reading and language tests of TABE, funders may question not doing the full battery (another reason to check with funders.)

As for STAR, I am excited to hear that you are using it. I would say NRS 5 and 6 on the ELL side can make the transition.  It is designed for ABE, but where do you think upper lever ELL test into on the ABE side?  While I don't know of studies on it, I would say NRS 3, give or take a level.

Hello folks, Assessment for English learners who have academic goals has been an ongoing discussion for years in our field. With the new emphasis on  the CCRS and standards-based instruction, the issue has been raised to even greater relevance. I agree that learners' goals should drive our practices. It's very important that we not recommend high school equivalency, e.g., GED, to students who have already graduated from high school, many of whom also have post secondary credentials. Post secondary institutions will recognize and accept their previous diplomas. These students need to spend their time focused on academic English for reading, writing, speaking and listening.

Like some on the list have mentioned, we also have been using TABE with these learners for years. While this tool has limitations since it was not designed for this population, as has already been noted here, programs have found that it can serve a useful purpose. An article written in 1999 by Van Duzer and Berdan "Perspectives on Assessment in Adult ESOL" in the Annual Review of Adult Learning and Literacy Volume 1 outlined the pros and cons of various assessments. You can access the article as reprinted in Focus on Basics here http://www.ncsall.net/index.html@id=521.html. As was also mentioned, TABE-E,, which was designed for language learners, is now on the NRS list of approved assessments, although it has not been approved by all states.

This is an important issue to discuss as a community. Thanks for everyone's input!

Cheers, Susan Finn Miller

Moderator, Assessment CoP