Dear Educators,

   I am an adult educator for the Rhode Island Department of Corrections.
Presently we use the TABE 7/8, without the TABE Locator.  I am wondering on
the efficacy of using such an instrument as a method to place students in
either special education classes or regular GED classes.  The Standard we
use at our department is that if a student has overall TABE test report
scores of 6.0 or greater he or she is placed in the general adult education
classes. If a student's scores are below 6.0 he or she is placed in a
special education class.  Is the use of the aforementioned test an effective
instrument for discerning a student's class placement.

   Also, I have been told our department  the State of RI may be switching
to CASAS at the start of the next school year for adult education classes
and for student class placement.  I was wondering on the efficacy of CASAS
for placing students in either ABE (special education classes) or GED as
compared to the TABE battery for such an analysis.

   In addition I was wondering,  which instrument CASAS or TABE is best for
use as a diagnostic aid?  Specifically, which student test report either
TABE or CASAS give the teacher better guidance with respect to analyzing the
areas of students' strengths and weaknesses?

               Thanks in advance for your feedback,   Albert Alba, Jr. PhD.