[Notices] [Page 57539-57541] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr27oc98-127] [[Page 57539]] _______________________________________________________________________ Part III Department of Education _______________________________________________________________________ List of Approved ``Ability-to-Benefit'' Tests and Passing Scores; Notice [[Page 57540]] DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION List of Approved ``Ability-to-Benefit'' Tests and Passing Scores AGENCY: Department of Education. ACTION: Update Notice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The Secretary gives notice that he has approved the American College Testing Service (ACT) test as an ``ability-to-benefit'' (ATB) test. The ACT test consists of a test in English and a test in Math. The Secretary has approved the score of 14 as the passing score for the English test and the score of 15 as the passing score for the Math test. The Secretary has approved this test and passing score under the authority of section 484(d) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) and the regulations the Secretary promulgated to implement that section in 34 CFR Part 668, Subpart J. An institution must use this test, or one of the other previously approved ATB tests listed in this notice to determine if a student, who does not have a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent, is eligible to receive funds under any title IV, HEA program. The title IV, HEA programs include the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Family Education Loan, William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work-Study, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, and State Student Incentive Grant programs. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lorraine Kennedy, U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, SW, Regional Office Building 3, Room 3045, Washington, DC 20202-5451, Telephone: (202) 708-8242. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday. Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding paragraph. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Secretary is publishing this notice because, under 34 CFR 668.145(c)(1), when the Secretary approves an ATB test, the Secretary publishes the name of the test and the passing scores on the test in the Federal Register. The ACT test is approved for five-years, unless the Secretary withdraws this approval or the publisher requests that approval of the test be withdrawn. In either case, the Secretary will publish a notice in the Federal Register indicating this change. For the convenience of institutions participating in the title IV, HEA Programs and other parties, the following is a listing of the nine approved ATB tests and passing scores. 1. American College Testing (ACT): (English and Math) Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as follows: English (14) and Math (15). Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: American College Testing (ACT), Placement Assessment Programs, 2201 North Dodge Street, P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, Iowa 52243, Contact: James Maxey, Telephone: (319) 337-1100, Fax: (319) 337-1790. 2. ASSET Program: Basic Skills Tests (Reading, Writing, and Numerical)--Forms B2 and C2. Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as follows: Reading (34), Writing (34), and Numerical (33). Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: American College Testing (ACT), Placement Assessment Programs, 2201 North Dodge Street, P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, Iowa 52243, Contact: John D. Roth, Telephone: (319) 337-1030, Fax: (319) 337-1790. 3. Career Programs Assessment (CPAT) Basic Skills Subtests (Language Usage, Reading and Numerical)--Forms A, B, and C. Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as follows: Language Usage (43), Reading (44), and Numerical (42). Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: American College Testing (ACT), Placement Assessment Programs, 2201 North Dodge Street, P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, Iowa 52243, Contact: John D. Roth, Telephone: (319) 337-1030, Fax: (319) 337-1790. 4. COMPASS Subtests: Prealgebra/Numerical Skills Placement, Reading Placement, and Writing Placement. Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as follows: Prealgebra/Numerical (21), Reading (60), and Writing (31). Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: American College Testing (ACT), Placement Assessment Programs, 2201 North Dodge Street, P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, Iowa 52243, Contact: John D. Roth, Telephone: (319) 337-1030, Fax: (319) 337-1790. 5. Computerized Placement Tests (CPTs)/Accuplacer (Reading Comprehension, Sentence Skills, and Arithmetic). Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as follows: Reading Comprehension (52), Sentence Skills (60), and Arithmetic (36). Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: The College Board, 45 Columbus Avenue, New York, New York 10023-6992, Contact: Ms. Loretta M. Church, Telephone: (212) 713-8000, Fax: (212) 713-8063. 6. Descriptive Tests: Descriptive Tests of Language Skills (DTLS) (Reading Comprehension, Sentence Structure and Conventions of Written English)--Forms M-K-3KDT and M-K-3LDT; and Descriptive Tests of Mathematical Skills (DTMS) (Arithmetic)--Forms M-K-3KDT and M-K-3LDT. Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as follows: Reading Comprehension (108), Sentence Structure (9), Conventions of Written English (309), and Arithmetic (506). Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: The College Board, 45 Columbus Avenue, New York, New York 10023-6992, Contact: Ms. Loretta M. Church, Telephone: (212) 713-8000, Fax: (212) 713-8063. 7. Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE): (Reading, Mathematics Computation, Applied Mathematics Language, and Spelling)--Forms 5 and 6, Level A. Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as follows: Reading (768), Mathematics Computation (804), Applied Mathematics Concepts and Applications (759), Language (714), and Spelling (749). Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: CTB/McGraw-Hill, 11301 Jollyville Road, Townhouse I-4, Austin, TX 78759, Contact: Ms. Lorna Harrison, Telephone: (512) 349-7578, Fax: (512) 349-7580. 8. Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE): (Reading, Mathematics Computation, Applied Mathematics Language, and Spelling--Forms 7 and 8, Level A. Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as follows: Reading (559), Mathematics Computation (558), Applied [[Page 57541]] Mathematics (559), Language (545), and Spelling (540). Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: CTB/McGraw-Hill, 11301 Jollyville Road, Townhouse I-4, Austin, TX 78759, Contact: Ms. Lorna Harrison, Telephone: (512) 349-7578, Fax: (512) 349-7580. 9. Wonderlic Basic Skills Test (WBST)--Verbal Forms VS-1 & VS-2, Quantitative Forms QS-1 & QS-2. Passing scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as follows: Verbal (200) and Quantitative (210). Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: Wonderlic Personnel Test, Inc., 1509 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville, IL 60048- 1380, Contact: Mr. Victor S. Artese, Telephone: (800) 323-374, Fax: (847) 680-9492. Exception: Section 668.153 sets forth special provisions for testing students whose native language is not English and who are not fluent in English, and for students who have disabilities. None of these tests have been approved for those purposes. Accordingly, institutions may continue to make ATB eligibility determinations for those types of students under the tests approved as of June 30, 1996. Moreover, the administration of those tests will not be governed by the provisions of 34 CFR Part 668, Subpart J. Electronic Access to This Document Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or portable document format (pdf) on the World Wide Web at either of the following sites: http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm http://www.ed.gov/news.html To use the pdf you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government Printing Office at (202) 512-1530, or, toll free, at 1-888-293-6498. Anyone may also view these documents in text copy only on an electronic bulletin board of the Department. Telephone: (202) 219-1511 or, toll free, 1-800-222-4922. The documents are located under Option G--Files/Announcements, Bulletins and Press Releases. Note: The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Dated: October 21, 1998. David A. Longanecker, Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education. [FR Doc. 98-28659 Filed 10-26-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P