Return-Path: <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id j91KvPG23002; Sat, 1 Oct 2005 16:57:25 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sat, 1 Oct 2005 16:57:25 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <392A3A19-CBEB-4FBF-A101-259C4875551F@comcast.net> Errors-To: listowner@nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: David Rosen <djrosen@comcast.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-WOMENLIT:3320] Re: New Computerized Literacy Tests X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.734) Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Status: O Content-Length: 5216 Lines: 128 Colleagues, Has anyone had experience with the PDQ assessments? Are these standardized? Can states use them for NRS assessment? Thanks. David J. Rosen djrosen@comcast.net On Sep 21, 2005, at 4:35 PM, Daphne Greenberg wrote: > ETS Announces New Computerized Literacy Tests > The PDQ Profile Series and the Health Activities Literacy Test are > available > online at www.ets.org/etsliteracy <http://www.ets.org/etsliteracy> > and > consist of real-world materials and open-ended questions that are > automatically scored by a computer. The tests also are adaptive in > that they > select questions based in part on an individual's level of skill, thus > making the individual's test shorter and more precise than it would > otherwise be. Both of these measures provide information that can > be used to > determine if and where there is a need to improve literacy skills; > better > focus teaching and learning activities; and, compare results with > those > obtained in state, national and international surveys. > "Literacy skills are critical to developing the human capital that > individuals and nations will need to succeed in the 21st century," > says > Irwin Kirsch, who directs the Center for Global Assessment at ETS > and who > developed the framework for the assessments. "The assessments are > based both > on the legacy of the National Adult Literacy Survey and the > International > Adult Literacy Survey, and the extensive research base surrounding > these > large-scale assessments." > The PDQ Profile Series consists of tests that provide accurate > information > about an individual's skill at using written and printed information > associated with adult roles and contexts. PDQ refers to the Prose, > Document, > and Quantitative literacy proficiency scales used in the large > scale surveys > and these new computerized tests. Prose literacy measures how well > individuals understand and use information found in newspapers, > magazines, > novels, brochures, manuals or flyers. Document literacy assesses > how well a > person understands information in forms, schedules, charts and > graphs, and > tables. Quantitative literacy involves reading the same type of > materials > associated with Prose and Document literacy, but differs in that the > individual needs to identify the appropriate information and > perform one or > more arithmetic operations using these materials. > The Health Activities Literacy Test also provides accurate > information about > an individual's skill at using written and printed information, but > focuses > on health-related activities that are defined in terms of health > promotion, > health protection, disease prevention, health care and maintenance, > and > systems navigation. Both the PDQ Profile Series and the Health > Activities > Literacy Test include a locator and full-length test version of the > assessments. The locator is a useful tool for providing a general > evaluation > of an individual's literacy skills for placement purposes, and the > full-length tests are useful measures for pre- and post-testing, to > determine whether skills have changed over time or as the result of a > particular intervention. > The PDQ Profile Series and the Health Activities Literacy Test > capitalize on > new computer technologies that allow for automatic presentation, > scoring, > scaling and reporting of the everyday open-ended literacy tasks. > The tests > are available for purchase by individuals and institutions and are > designed > to measure the skills of their learners, program participants, and > employees. By using internet technologies, the administrative burden > associated with traditional paper and pencil testing is eliminated. > Another > feature of these measures is the automatic production of individual > score > reports, emphasizing strengths and weaknesses with particular types of > literacy tasks. The reports are accompanied by interpretive > material that > includes functional competencies and near-term learning targets. In > addition, downloadable data files will be available to institutions > and > researchers using the tests. > For further information or to purchase a test, please visit: > www.ets.org/etsliteracy. <http://www.ets.org/etsliteracy> > About ETS > ETS is a nonprofit institution with the mission to advance quality and > equity in education by providing fair and valid assessments, > research and > related services for all people worldwide. In serving individuals, > educational institutions and government agencies around the world, ETS > customizes solutions to meet the need for teacher professional > development > products and services, classroom and end-of-course assessments, and > research-based teaching and learning tools. Founded in 1947, ETS today > develops, administers and scores more than 24 million tests > annually in more > than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide. > ________________________ > Julie K. Eastland > Program Administrator > Center for Global Assessment > Educational Testing Service > Rosedale Rd. > Princeton, NJ 08541 > Tel: 716-876-5802 > Cell: 716-982-1802 > > > >
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