[NIFL-ASSESSMENT:649] RE: recommended instructional hours before retest?

From: Connor, Bill (Bill_Connor@ctb.com)
Date: Wed Sep 15 2004 - 12:09:25 EDT


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From: "Connor, Bill" <Bill_Connor@ctb.com>
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Subject: [NIFL-ASSESSMENT:649] RE: recommended instructional hours before retest?
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I think you may have misread my reply.  We recommend alternating the forms, not repeating if the same level is given.  BTW, both forms are now normed etc. at the same time with item selection coming from a single item pool. The six month time if the same form and level is repeated is considered sufficient time for any consistent memory effect to have passed.  I.e. the reading passage may look familiar, but its contents are no longer rememebered.

Bill Connor
Senior Product Manager
CTB McGraw-Hill LLC
1-831-393-7429

-----Original Message-----
From: Marie Cora [mailto:marie.cora@hotspurpartners.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2004 7:20 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [NIFL-ASSESSMENT:647] RE: recommended instructional hours before retest?

Hi Bill and everyone,

Thanks for sending this information.  I had a question for you Bill:  my
training in test administration has always taught me to alternate test
forms so that the test remains as bias-free for each student as
possible.  (For example, a student with excellent memory may excel on
the test if it's the same one she took the last time, while a different
student perhaps cannot rely on his memory to help him through.)

So I wanted to ask you about that:  why does CTB recommend using the
same form?  Alternate forms are supposed to be exactly comparable, so it
shouldn't make a difference in performance if a different form is used.

Thanks!
marie cora
Moderator, NIFL Assessment Discussion List, and 
Coordinator/Developer LINCS Assessment Special Collection at 
http://literacy.kent.edu/Midwest/assessment/


marie.cora@hotspurpartners.com

-----Original Message-----
From: nifl-assessment@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-assessment@nifl.gov] On
Behalf Of Connor, Bill
Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2004 5:25 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [NIFL-ASSESSMENT:645] RE: recommended instructional hours
before retest?

CTB recommends that at least a six month interval occur between
retesting using the SAME FORM AND LEVEL of the test.  As TABE has two
forms at each level, one can retest every three months using the same
LEVEL, but different FORMS.

Bill Connor
Senior Product Manager
CTB McGraw-Hill LLC
1-831-393-7429

-----Original Message-----
From: Marie Cora [mailto:marie.cora@hotspurpartners.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2004 11:27 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [NIFL-ASSESSMENT:643] RE: recommended instructional hours
before retest?

Hi Cathy and everyone,

Good question.  I know this is a question on many people's minds. 

Off the top of my head:  the state of Mass. grappled greatly with
test/retest requirements with the TABE.  The state contracted with the
Center for Educational Assessment at UMass, Amherst who performed
various analyses on retesting and numbers of instructional hours and the
results and recommendations can be found at:

http://www.sabes.org/assessment/tabe.htm

The state now follows these requirements.

Each of the tests that you mention, Cathy, (TABE, BEST, CASAS) should
state a minimum number of hours before retest in their corresponding
Norms Book.  Any program that has purchased any of these assessments
should have the Norms Book.

If you go to the LINCS Assessment Support Website and click on
Measurement Tools, the contact information for each test is there.  That
could also be a place to look for this information - by emailing
personnel at the test publisher.
http://literacy.kent.edu/Midwest/assessment/tools.html

All that said, I'm sure you are looking for a quick answer here, rather
than slogging thru all those exciting norms books!

Does anyone happen to have these numbers off the top of their head?  In
the meantime, I'll go slogging myself and see what I can find.

Thanks,
marie cora
Moderator, NIFL Assessment Discussion List, and 
Coordinator/Developer LINCS Assessment Special Collection at 
http://literacy.kent.edu/Midwest/assessment/


marie.cora@hotspurpartners.com

-----Original Message-----
From: nifl-assessment@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-assessment@nifl.gov] On
Behalf Of Cathy Shank
Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2004 1:59 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [NIFL-ASSESSMENT:642] recommended instructional hours before
retest?

Does anyone know what each of the test publishers for TABE, CASAS, and
BEST
recommends as the MINIMUM number of instructional hours before someone
is
reassessed?
 
With high stakes testing, many centers are under pressure to post-test
sooner (before a student drops out) in order to demonstrate some type of
progress.  We are wondering what the test creators have said about
optimum/minimum instructional time between tests.


Cathy C. Shank
ABE Professional Development Coordinator
Adult Education and Literacy Information Network
RESA III, 501 22nd Street
Dunbar, WV  25064
phone: 304-766-7655 ext. 112
toll-free:  1-800-257-3723 ext. 112
fax: 304-766-7915
email: cshank@access.k12.wv.us



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