Sam,

I can certainly see value in using all three means of assessment that you 
mention.  Each one gives you a snapshot in time of what a learner knows and 
is able to do and gives you information to inform instruction based on what 
that particular assessment is designed to assess.  A variety of assessments 
gives you a bigger picture of what a learner knows and can do.  As 
instructors, we also use some very informal assessments in addition to 
these you have mentioned to add to that picture of where learners are and 
where they need to get to- such as, probing question and answer during a 
lesson.  Assessments over time give us that picture of progress.

The challenge will be to make sure that all parts of your system are in 
alignment: the assessment, instruction, and curriculum.  But that does not 
mean a variety of assessments cannot be used- only that we understand what 
they are based upon and how we are using them.

Any other suggestions?
Aaron

At 02:25 PM 1/12/2006 -0800, you wrote:

>content-class: urn:content-classes:message

>Content-Type: multipart/alternative;

>         boundary="----_=_NextPart_001_01C617C7.0BCF833C"

>

>Regie and others,

>

>

>We are in the position of setting new standards and developing new 

>curriculum.  Because the kinds of students we serve and our program 

>structure - we would like to use the portfolio method of assessment, 

>however, we would like to provide our students with the tools to get to 

>community (etc.) --- we are private non-profit -- my organization (public 

>schools) use CASAS standards...we would like to be able to tell our 

>students where they are based on CASAS....a large number of our students 

>are more suited to EFF (life skills)  as that is where they are and 

>most-likely will remain....portfolio (shows progression and what the 

>student is currently capable of) CASAS (shows students what level they are 

>at...and thereby where they could/should be)...EFF (is a goal for 

>functional skills (for life)).....

>

>I would like to be able to offer students...all three....

>

>Sam

>

>

>-----Original Message-----

>From: assessment-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:assessment-bounces at nifl.gov]On 

>Behalf Of Regie Stites

>Sent: Monday, January 09, 2006 4:13 PM

>To: The Assessment Discussion List

>Subject: Re: [Assessment] EFF Discussion Begins Today!

>

>Hi Sam,

>You are right. This is simple question with a complicated 

>answer.  Crosswalks between CASAS competencies and EFF Standards and EFF 

>Performance Levels have been done in various ways for various purposes.  I 

>don't know if anyone has yet done a crosswalk between CASAS content 

>standards and EFF, but that certainly is possible.  But rather than 

>provide you with links to these crosswalks, let me first insert a note of 

>caution.  Comparing CASAS and EFF is like comparing apples and 

>oranges.  It's okay if the difference between apples and oranges doesn't 

>matter to you.  For example, we crosswalked EFF performance levels to NRS 

>Educationing Function Levels which, in turn, are referenced to CASAS scale 

>scores.  So for some EFF standards you could make a connection between EFF 

>levels and CASAS scores that way.  But this really is an apples and 

>oranges comparison, because CASAS "reading" is not the same thing as EFF 

>"reading" (see my post about how EFF standards are different from CASAS 

>competencies).   As long you are happy defining "reading" or "math" etc. 

>at the "fruit" level (where the differences between apples, oranges, and 

>grapes don't matter much - that's what NRS does) you can cross-reference 

>CASAS and EFF.  But in most cases, the difference between apples and 

>oranges matters (substituting 6 oranges for 6 apples in an apple pie 

>recipe is not a good idea).   So, my question is how exactly do you plan 

>to make use of a cross-reference between CASAS and EFF?

>

>Regie Stites

>SRI International

>

>Samuel McGraw III wrote:

>>

>>Marie et. al.,

>>

>>

>>

>>I have a simple (yet possible complex answer) question.

>>

>>

>>

>>Has anyone cross referenced EFF and CASAS standards? And if so. What the 

>>outcome.

>>

>>

>>

>>Sam

>>

>>Seattle Goodwill Learning Center

>>

>>-----Original Message-----

>>

>>From: <mailto:assessment-bounces at nifl.gov>assessment-bounces at nifl.gov 

>>[mailto:assessment-bounces at nifl.gov]On Behalf Of Marie Cora

>>

>>Sent: Monday, January 09, 2006 7:10 AM

>>

>>To: Assessment Discussion List

>>

>>Subject: [Assessment] EFF Discussion Begins Today!

>>

>>

>>

>>Good morning, afternoon, and evening to you all.

>>

>>

>>

>>I'm pleased to welcome Peggy, Aaron, Regie, and EFF Center Staff to our 

>>discussion.  I've been thinking about this over the weekend, and I have a 

>>couple of questions to start us off:

>>

>>

>>

>>For our guests:

>>

>>

>>

>>-The EFF Standards are complex in terms of what they try to capture in a 

>>performance.  Is this was makes them different from competencies?  Or 

>>perhaps even different from other standards?

>>

>>

>>

>>For subscribers:  I found the "thought-provokers" really helped me to 

>>focus on a piece of this big picture so I could get a handle on it.  Did 

>>anyone try #1 below?  Or perhaps if there are EFF users on the List, you 

>>might comment on this activity.  As for #2 below - I found this question 

>>helpful because it did make me consider how often and in what ways I 

>>would look for achievement over time, and it also made me think that I 

>>would necessarily look for such incremental gains via classroom 

>>assessment rather than with a high stakes test.

>>

>>

>>

>>1.  Pick any EFF standard, read its definition, and imagine what it would 

>>look like if you were actually assessing the application of the 

>>integrated skill process described in the standard's definition.

>>

>>

>>

>>2.  How often do you feel a need to look for evidence that learning has 

>>happened?  How does the nature of the evidence you are looking for change 

>>as you look for learning within the space of one class session, one week, 

>>one month, one course, one year, and so on.

>>

>>

>>

>>Anyway, that's what I was thinking about.  How about you?  Please post 

>>your questions and comments!

>>

>>Thanks,

>>

>>marie

>>

>>Assessment Discussion List Moderator

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>-------------------------------

>>

>>National Insitute for Literacy

>>

>>Assessment mailing list

>>

>><mailto:Assessment at nifl.gov>Assessment at nifl.gov

>>

>>To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to 

>><http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/assessment>http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/assessment

>>

>>

>

>

>

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Aaron Kohring
Coordinator, LINCS Literacy & Learning Disabilities Special Collection 
(http://ldlink.coe.utk.edu/)
Moderator, National Institute for Literacy's Content Standards Discussion 
List (http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/Contentstandards)
Coordinator, Equipped for the Future Websites (http://eff.cls.utk.edu/)

Center for Literacy Studies, University of Tennessee
EFF Center for Training and Technical Assistance
Phone:(865) 974-4109 main
           (865) 974-4258 direct
Fax:   (865) 974-3857
e-mail: akohring at utk.edu