FR Doc E6-7682
[Federal Register: May 19, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 97)]
[Notices]
[Page 29135-29137]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19my06-33]
Download: 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
List of Approved ``Ability-to-Benefit'' (ATB) Tests and Passing
Scores
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Update notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice provides an update to the list of ATB tests
approved by the Secretary, pursuant to section 484(d) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), and the implementing
regulations in 34 CFR part 668, subpart J.
This notice extends the Secretary's approval of the Combined
English Language Skills Assessment (CELSA) test, with updated passing
scores, as an ATB test for students whose native language is not
English and who are not fluent in English. It also adds the ESL
Placement (COMPASS/ESL) test as a newly approved ATB test for students
whose native language is not English and who are not fluent in English.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Morgan, U.S. Department of
Education, Federal Student Aid, Union Center Plaza, 830 First Street,
NE., Washington, DC 20202-5345. Telephone: (202) 377-4033.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of this document in
an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or
computer diskette) on request to the contact person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the HEA and 34 CFR part 668, subpart
J, students who do not have a certificate of graduation from a school
providing secondary education or its recognized equivalent must
successfully complete an ATB test as approved by the Secretary, in
order to be eligible for Title IV, program assistance.
A student who does not have a high school diploma or its recognized
equivalent whose native language is not English and is not fluent in
English, and who is enrolled in a program that is taught in the
student's native language must take an approved test developed in the
student's native language. To date, no non-English ATB tests have been
submitted to the Secretary for approval.
A student who does not have a high school diploma or its recognized
equivalent whose native language is not English and is not fluent in
English, and who is enrolled in a program that is taught in English
must take an ATB test designed to measure the English language
competence of a non-native speaker. Students who are enrolled in such a
program that has an ``English as a Second Language'' (ESL) component
and who are enrolled in the ESL component, must take an approved ATB
test specifically for a student whose native language is not English
and who is not fluent in English. Students who are enrolled in an ESL
program only also must take an approved ATB test specifically for a
student whose native
[[Page 29136]]
language is not English and who is not fluent in English.
Both CELSA and the ESL Placement (COMPASS/ESL) tests as listed in
this notice are approved by the Secretary for students whose native
language is not English and who are not fluent in English.
A student who does not have a high school diploma or its recognized
equivalent, and whose native language is not English and is not fluent
in English, who is enrolled in a program that is taught in English
without an ESL component, or the student does not enroll in the ESL
component of the program, must take an ATB test in English that
assesses secondary school verbal and quantitative skills.
The Secretary amends the list of approved ATB tests and passing
scores that was published in the Federal Register on March 11, 2005 (70
FR 12208) by adding the ESL Placement Test (COMPASS/ESL) and its
passing scores. The ESL Placement Test (COMPASS/ESL) may be used as an
ATB test for Title IV eligibility purposes consistent with 34 CFR part
668, subpart J as of the date of this notice. The Secretary is also
extending the approval of the CELSA test and updating its passing
scores. The current passing scores on CELSA Form 1 of (90) and CELSA
Form 2 of (90) will expire on June 19, 2006. The new passing scores of
CELSA Form 1 of (97) and CELSA Form 2 of (97) are effective on June 19,
2006.
List of approved tests and passing scores: For the convenience of
all interested parties, we list below all approved ATB tests and their
passing scores.
1. ASSET Program: Basic Skills Tests (Reading, Writing, and
Numerical)--Forms B2, C2, D2 and E2.
Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as
follows: Reading (35), Writing (35), and Numerical (33).
Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person,
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: ACT, Inc., 500 ACT
Drive, Iowa City, Iowa 52243-0168. Contact: Dr. John D. Roth;
Telephone: (319) 337-1030, Fax: (319) 337-1790.
2. Career Programs Assessment (CPAT) Basic Skills Subtests
(Language Usage, Reading and Numerical)--Forms B and C.
Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as
follows: Language Usage (42), Reading (43), and Numerical (41).
Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person,
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: ACT, Inc., 500 ACT
Drive, Iowa City, Iowa 52243-0168, Contact: Dr. John D. Roth,
Telephone: (319) 337-1030, Fax: (319) 337-1790.
3. 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 (25), Reading (62), and Writing (32).
Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person,
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: ACT, Inc., 500 ACT
Drive, Iowa City, Iowa 52243-0168. Contact: Dr. John D. Roth,
Telephone: (319) 337-1030, Fax: (319) 337-1790.
4. Combined English Language Skills Assessment (CELSA), Forms 1 and
2.
Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as
follows: CELSA Form 1 (97) and CELSA Form 2 (97).
Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person,
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: Association of
Classroom Teacher Testers (ACTT), 1187 Coast Village Road, Suite 1
378, Montecito, California 93108-2794. Contact: Pablo
Buckelew, Telephone: (805) 965-5704, Fax: (805) 965-5807.
Note: The CELSA test is approved only for certain students whose
native language is not English and who are not fluent in English as
provided in 34 CFR 668.153(a)(2).
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 (55), Sentence Skills (60), and
Arithmetic (34).
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: Technical
Support, Telephone: (800) 486-8497.
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: Technical
Support, Telephone: (800) 486-8497.
7. ESL Placement Test (COMPASS/ESL).
Passing scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as
follows: Grammar/Usage (64), Reading (70) and Listening (70).
Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person,
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: ACT, Inc., 500 ACT
Drive, Iowa City, Iowa 52243-0168. Contact: Dr. John Roth, Telephone:
(319) 337-1030, Fax: (319) 337-1790.
Note: The COMPASS/ESL test is approved only for certain students
whose native language is not English and who are not fluent in
English as provided in 34 CFR 668.153(a)(2).
8. 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., 1795 N. Butterfield Road, Libertyville, IL 60048.
Contact: Mr. David Teuber, Telephone: (877) 605-9499, Fax: (847) 680-
9492.
9. WorkKeys Program--Reading for Information Forms A01AA, A02AA,
C01AA & D10AA; Applied Mathematics Forms A01BB, A02BB, C01BB, & D01BB.
Passing scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as
follows: Reading for Information--Forms A01AA (76), A02AA (75), C01AA
(77) & D10AA (77);
Applied Mathematics--Forms A01BB (73), A02BB (74), C01BB (73) &
D01BB (73).
Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person,
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: ACT, Inc.,
WorkKeys Development, Professional Development Services, 101 ACT Drive,
P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, Iowa 52243-0168.
Contact: Dr. A. Candace Noble, Telephone: (319) 337-1296, Fax:
(319) 337-1229.
Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the
Internet at the following site:
http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
free at this site. If you have questions about
[[Page 29137]]
using PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) toll free, at
1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at:
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html
nara/index.html.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1091(d).
Dated: May 16, 2006.
Theresa S. Shaw,
Chief Operating Officer, Federal Student Aid.
[FR Doc. E6-7682 Filed 5-18-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P