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[Assessment 1727] Re: Adult Ed Math & Accuplacer, cont.
Jessie Stadd
jstadd at gmail.comFri Feb 6 10:03:07 EST 2009
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Hi Susan,I'd also like to request a copy, if I could.
Thanks,
Jessie
On Thu, Feb 5, 2009 at 4:34 PM, Susan Kidd <SKidd at sbctc.edu> wrote:
> A couple of years ago a group of ABE math teachers from Washington State
> looked at the content of CASAS Life Skills and Employability, the GED and
> both the COMPASS and ASSET Numeracy/Pre-Algebra tests. If anyone would like
> to see the crosswalk they created, I'd be glad to send you a copy.
>
>
>
>
>
> *Susan*
>
>
>
> Susan Kidd
>
> ABE Professional Development Coordinator
>
> State Board for Community & Technical Colleges
>
> office phone: 509-682-6968
>
> cell phone: 509-630-4520
>
> skidd at sbctc.edu
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* assessment-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:assessment-bounces at nifl.gov] *On
> Behalf Of *Joyce Winters
> *Sent:* Thursday, February 05, 2009 9:50 AM
> *To:* The Assessment Discussion List
> *Subject:* [Assessment 1696] Re: Adult Ed Math & Accuplacer, cont.
>
>
>
> Thanks so much for your work and offer to share it, Tom. Has anyone also
> done this kind of work with the Compass placement test?
>
>
>
>
>
> *Joyce Winters, *
>
> *Professional Development Specialist*
>
> *NWRC/Owens Community College*
>
> *2249 Tracy Road, Room 169*
>
> *Northwood, Ohio 43619*
>
> *567-661-7675*
>
> *joyce_winters at owens.edu*
>
>
>
> >>> "Mechem, Thompson" <tmechem at doe.mass.edu> 2/5/2009 10:35 AM >>>
>
> Ramsey, et al.---
>
>
>
> Well, I can tell you what in my amateurish way I have done. For a number of
> years part of my job has been to make presentations to GED teachers and
> program directors regarding what skill sets are needed for success on the
> five parts of the GED tests. As you know, no one can see the GED tests, so
> it's hard for teachers to know what to teach or what it means that one of
> their students got a 410 on the Writing test, and so on. The GED Testing
> Service in Washington provides us with valuable information on the
> most-missed questions (based on their analysis of every test taken
> world-wide since January 1, 2002); we have the GED Item-Writing Manuals,
> which give valuable insights into the philosophy of how the GED questions
> are formulated; and we pester the GEDTS at every opportunity for more info.
> Teachers have found this to be valuable for the most part.
>
>
>
> Lately I have focused more on the Math because it is the main reason for
> GED failures and it is far and away the main reason that GED grads end up in
> developmental courses.
>
>
>
> Last spring, after it finally sunk in that GED grads were not getting
> anywhere near as far as they needed in post-secondary education, that a
> great majority were wallowing in (mostly math) developmental courses,
> that poor performance on the ACCUPLACER math test was one of the main
> reasons for that, and that there was no correlation between a GED math score
> and an ACCUPLACER algebra score, I took the ACCUPLACER Algebra test
> (something I recommend everyone interested in this subject to do). And I
> almost threw up, not just for myself, trying to battle through it, but for
> our GED grads, knowing what it was going to look like to them. So I took the
> ACCUPLACER dozens more times and I have put together another presentation
> for teachers and program directors which talks about the differences (in
> philosophy, in how the test is presented and taken, and in the skills sets
> needed) and starts the dialogue as to how we can create a GED math
> curriculum that prepares our students to pass the GED tests, do well enough
> on the ACCUPLACER to avoid developmental courses, and succeed in college
> Math classes.
>
>
>
> (Here's a brief example: if the GED test wants you to use the formula for
> the area of a rectangle, it will create a "real-life" situation in a word
> problem, somebody building a patio or whatever, and the answer will be what
> our GED students consider an "answer," "460 square feet" or something like
> that. On the ACCUPLACER, the rectangle will have a width of "x" and a length
> of "x + 3," so the area will be (I can't type the exponent, but...) "x2 +
> 3x" and all the multiple-choice wrong answers will be in that form, more or
> less.)
>
>
>
> These presentations have been great for me because of the tremendous
> enthusiasm and input from the teachers, "Well, here's a difficulty you
> present and here's how I address that in my class." And the discussion this
> week has been fabulous in that respect as well: so many dedicated people and
> so many fantastic ideas I can hardly steal them all.
>
>
>
> If anyone were to e-mail me off-list, I could send you my PowerPoint
> presentation: one man's opinion, a work in progress, but perhaps food for
> further thought.
>
> Tom Mechem
> GED State Chief Examiner
> Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
> Commonwealth of Massachusetts
> 781-338-6621
> *"GED to Ph.D."*
>
> -----Original Message-----
> *From:* assessment-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:assessment-bounces at nifl.gov]*On
> Behalf Of *Ramsey Ludlow
> *Sent:* Thursday, February 05, 2009 8:50 AM
> *To:* The Assessment Discussion List
> *Subject:* [Assessment 1684] Re: Adult Ed Math & Accuplacer, cont.
>
> Very interesting, Donna. You refer to Tom Mechem's identification of the
> math that is tested on the Accuplacer. What are those, and how do we get
> that info?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ramsey Ludlow
> Oxford / Buckfield Hills Adult Education
> South Paris, Maine 04281
>
> Donna Chambers wrote:
>
> Jessie,
>
>
>
> Thank you for bringing up the issue of the less rigorous current NEDP math
> requirements. As you mentioned, CASAS is in the process of revalidating the
> competencies, but we cannot wait for this work to be completed. Here is how
> we are planning to address this in RI to be fare to the NEDP graduates who
> are planning to move on to college or other post-secondary programs through
> our Transitions program.
>
>
>
> All NEDP candidates are informed when they first enter the program that by
> fulfilling the national requirements they will still need further work to
> meet the demands of most post-secondary programs. Since our pilot will
> blend both TTC and NEDP, candidates will fulfill the NEDP math requirements
> as a first step and a base. This math is basic arithmetic. Our combined
> National External Diploma Program/Transitions to College Program will have
> the additional requirements of learning, practicing and being assessed in
> the math that is being tested on the Accuplacer (which my good buddy, Tom
> Mechem, has so painstakingly identified.) This is targeted scaffold
> instruction that requires competency-based assessment (no one gets by
> without demonstrating understanding). You might call this NEDP Plus, since
> these participants will be going beyond the NEDP competencies to earn their
> diploma. The reading and writing will also have increased rigor. What we
> will be doing is adding RI Transitions to College requirements to the NEDP
> requirements. This work does not change the existing NEDP requirements, but
> offers additional activities beyond for our Rhode Islanders.
>
>
>
> Massachusetts Adult Diploma Program has a similar process in that all
> diploma participants must meet the state MCAS rcompetency determination
> before a diploma can be awarded. In many ways, these graduates are more
> ready academically to transition into college because they are required to
> demonstrate understanding.
>
>
>
> I hope this helps.
>
> Donna Chambers
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
> *From:* Jessie Stadd <jstadd at gmail.com>
>
> *To:* Assessment at nifl.gov
>
> *Sent:* Wednesday, February 04, 2009 7:13 PM
>
> *Subject:* [Assessment 1677] Adult Ed Math & Accuplacer, cont.
>
>
>
> Hi All,
>
> I am the Program Coordinator for Academy of Hope and Beyond Talent's
> Pathways College Preparation Program, currently Washington D.C.'s only
> college prep program for adult learners. Unlike states where adult ed
> programs are housed in community colleges or public schools, the district
> relies on community-based non-profit organizations such as ours. In addition
> to Pathways, Academy of Hope offers ABE/GED classes and Beyond Talent offers
> peer-mentoring to non-traditional graduates.
>
>
>
> Pathways follows the College Prep model and is comprised of three
> month-long modules: writing, math, and college prep & career development
> (applications, financial aid documents, etc.). Our Pathways students are
> primarily GED or EDP graduates, although we have had several high school
> graduates in the program. All enter the program with generally weak math
> skills. Most will attend our local university, UDC, or neighboring community
> colleges in Virginia or Maryland, all of which use the Accuplacer. Prior to
> starting, most of our GED and EDP graduates placed into remedial math
> classes.
>
>
>
> To address your point, Donna, while all of our students need extra work in
> math, we have found that GED graduates generally have higher math skills
> than our EDP graduates. Our GED graduates have some understanding of algebra
> (at least of its existence!) but that is not the case for the EDP grads. EDP
> learners entering the program scored in the 210s and 220s on the B level
> math CASAS. As a GED instructor, I had always felt that the less rigorous
> math requirements of EDP were a benefit and allowed students to earn a
> credential who otherwise might not. However, as a college prep program
> coordinator, EDP is doing a disservice to its students who believe that
> since they earned an actual high school diploma they are prepared for
> college. I understand that EDP is now in the process of revamping their
> competencies to increase the amount of math required. For those students who
> are interested in pursuing higher education, I do believe this is a positive
> step.
>
>
>
> Thank you,
>
> Jessie Stadd
>
> AoH Program Coordinator, Pathways College Preparation Program
>
> Lifelong Learning Coach, Academy of Hope/Beyond Talent
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