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:  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

 



  


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