Return-Path: <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h1HG9mP26776; Mon, 17 Feb 2003 11:09:48 -0500 (EST) Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2003 11:09:48 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <5.1.0.14.2.20030217110134.021b1c40@pop.utk.edu> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Brenda Bell <bsbell@utk.edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-4EFF:2294] EFF Assessment Update X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 5.1 Status: O Content-Length: 5287 Lines: 89 In response to several off-line questions about the development of assessments for the EFF standards, I'm posting this fairly long update about work in progress: This month the EFF Assessment Consortium (a partnership between the Center for Literacy Studies at the University of Tennessee and SRI International), in collaboration with the states of Maine, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington, begins piloting performance assessment tasks for 6 levels of the EFF Standard Read with Understanding. This field review is the current phase of work to develop an Assessment Framework that will enable the adult literacy field to align curriculum, instruction, assessment, and reporting with the important learner and policy goals represented by the 16 EFF Content Standards. Five states Maine, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington have been our partners in this multi-year research and development effort, providing 25 adult literacy and basic skills programs in their states with stipends to support collection of data on learner performance. (For a complete list of the participating programs, go to http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/collections/eff/eff_org_field.html) In October 2000, OVAE joined NIFL in this important work, providing additional resources to enable us to more quickly produce performance descriptors for NRS levels. All states interested in using performance assessments to measure and report progress on the NRS (including those states using EFF standards) could use these descriptors to guide design of performance assessments. In 2001, in addition to supporting ongoing EFF assessment development research, OVAE and NIFL jointly supported a National Research Council/Board on Testing and Assessment workshop on quality criteria for Performance Measures in Adult Education. The results of this workshop illuminated some of the methodological issues for the EFF approach to standards-based performance assessment and clarified the value and the difficulty of developing tests of cognitively complex performance for accountability purposes. In June, 2002 we completed two years of collecting learner performance data on 12 of the 16 EFF Standards. We have made substantial progress during these two years in defining the tools that will make up the EFF Assessment Framework and in developing those tools for the five EFF Standard areas that are currently included in the National Reporting System: Read with understanding, Convey ideas in writing, Listen actively, Speak so others can understand, Use math to solve problems and communicate. More detailed information on the first year of collecting learner performance data is contained in the Consortium Report EFF/NRS Data Collection Project 2000-2001: An Interim Report on the Development of the EFF Assessment Framework. (http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/collections/eff/eff_nrs_2002.html) In July 2002, the Consortium held a Benchmarking and Accountability Model Development Workshop to help us move to the current phase of EFF assessment work: building performance assessment tasks that will measure and report growing competence in using EFF standards. We brought together key technical advisors and representatives of our five state partners in the project to help us refine our approach to defining levels on the standards and reporting progress on the NRS. In response to issues and challenges highlighted in the recent National Research Council report Performance Assessments for Adult Education: Exploring the Measurement Issues (BOTA, 2002), the group recommended that EFF concentrate this year on building and field testing a prototype of the EFF Assessment System based on the standard Read with Understanding. This prototype will include the performance continuum for RWU, design specifications for tasks at each of 6 EFF levels, assessment tasks, scoring rubrics, samples of scored student work to anchor performance levels, scenarios describing how assessment tasks in the prototype are selected and used, and technical quality data on the reliability and validity of the prototype performance assessment tasks. While the focus is on the design of prototype tasks for accountability purposes, designs and prototype tasks to be used for instructional purposes will also be developed. As a first step to carrying out the advice of the Benchmarking Group, the Consortium held a Task Development Institute in November 2002 where more than 40 practitioners and assessment experts worked with us to develop assessment tasks and rubrics to EFF specifications. Over the past several months, the EFF Assessment Consortium has been refining these tasks and preparing them for use by teachers and their students. From February 17 to May 16, 2003, 48 teachers and their students will try out the assessment tasks in a variety of program settings and instructional contexts. Data collected during this pilot will enable us to revise the tasks and prepare the full package of materials that will be needed for general use of the RWU tasks. Brenda Bell, Associate Director Center for Literacy Studies, University of Tennessee Co-Director, EFF Assessment Consortium office/voice mail 865-974-6654 fax 865-974-3857 bsbell@utk.edu
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