I would like a copy also.  

 

From: assessment-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:assessment-bounces at nifl.gov]
On Behalf Of Catherine Brewer
Sent: Sunday, February 08, 2009 9:17 PM
To: The Assessment Discussion List
Subject: [Assessment 1766] Re: Adult Ed Math & Accuplacer, cont.

 

Hi Susan

 

It appears your crosswalk is quite popular.  Please email me a copy.

 

Thanks

 

Kitty

 

Catherine Brewer, Coordinator

Academic Sussess Center and Ross

     County ABLE/GED

285 W. Water Street

Chillicothe, Ohio  45601

Phone:  (740)779-2035

FAX:  (740)779-9609

email:  kitty.brewer2 at pickawayross.com

 

                                    If you're willing, we're ABLE.

________________________________

From: assessment-bounces at nifl.gov [assessment-bounces at nifl.gov] On
Behalf Of Jessie Stadd [jstadd at gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, February 06, 2009 10:03 AM
To: The Assessment Discussion List
Subject: [Assessment 1727] Re: Adult Ed Math & Accuplacer, cont.

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 <mailto: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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