Presenters: Margie Ranch, Cindy Burnside

1

• Presenter(s) Margie Ranch,
  Cindy Burnside
• Affiliation Des Moines Area Community College,
  Des Moines, Iowa Independent Consultant,
  Moravia, Iowa
• Topic Writing Skills Assessment and
  Certification

2
CASAS Functional Writing Assessment -
Not Just a Test!
3
All Things Considered

• Students with high school diplomas may lack
  transferable workplace skills.
• Displaced homemakers, at-risk adults, job
  retraining candidates, and older workers need
  validation of competencies.
• More than 40 of the U.S. Workforce and more than
  50 of high school graduates do not have the
  basic skills to do their job.
• 16 of college graduates have inadequate basic
  skills.
• Michael R. Bloom and Brenda LaFleur, 1999

4
Competencies
CASAS is an assessment system that focuses on
learners goals. The CASAS Competency List
includes Competencies that have been
correlated To the SCANS (Secretarys Commission
on Achieving Necessary Skills) identified by the
U.S. Department of Labor.
5
CASAS
The mission of CASAS is to provide
learner-centered curriculum management,
assessment, and evaluation systems to education
and training programs in the public and private
sector. CASAS
6
Why Writing?
Consider the various careers
Can we afford to ignore?
7
Case Studies ABEB Level

• Reading 220
• Pretest
• Form 12 2
• Picture 42 3
• Posttest
• Form 15 2
• Picture 49 3
• Instruction 10 hours

8
Case Studies ESLC Level

• CASAS Reading 224
• 246
• Pretest
• Form 17 3
• 17 3
• Picture 40 2
• 42 3
• Posttest
• Form 21 4
• 22 4
• Picture 42 3
• 53 3
• Instruction 10 hours
• 30 hours

9
Case Studies GEDD Level

• CASAS Reading 247
• 258
• Pretest
• Form 14 2
• 20 4
• Picture 46 3
• 54 3
• Posttest
• Form 23 5
• 23 5
• Picture 56 4
• 70 5
• Instruction 60 hours
• 40 hours

10
Timeline289 Hours (approximate)

• Kansas Training
• Meetings
• Conference Calls
• Follow-up Sessions

• Read and score samples
• Preparation for ICN Trainings (Iowas
  Communication Network)
• Face to-Face Trainings
• Stage Recalibration

11
Problems

• 4 Years ago, 51 teachers began the Stage
• certification process
• 18 remain.
• Commitment
• Homework packets
• Mandatory assessment and classroom application

Time
gt
Money
12
Iowas SolutionCadre (Paid Readers)

• 2 Stage III Certified Trainers
• Conduct Training and Recalibration
• State/National Levels
• Issue Certificates
• 16 Stage II Certified Trainers
• Conduct Training
• Local/Outside Districts
• Report Standardized Results

13
Further Program Development

• 20 Stage 1 Certified Trainers
• Train teachers to use assessment
• Score assessments
• Report Standardized Results
• Classroom Users
• Add dimension and direction to instruction
• Award certificates to students
• Report Non-Standardized Results

14
Certificates Awarded
201.02 increase
8.89 increase
15
Outcomes

• Teachers are using the assessment to facilitate
  instruction.
• Focuses instruction
• Validates skills
• Builds confidence

16
Benchmarks
One of the State mandated benchmarks for Iowa
is Receipt of a basic literacy skills
certificate in the subject areas of (1)
Reading, (2) Mathematics, (3)
Writing, and (4) Listening Iowa Department
of Education
17
National Reporting SystemNRS
Iowa utilizes CASAS as the statewide assessment
system to validate educational gain resulting
from instruction.
18
Instructor Testimonials

• Focuses the learning
• Turns scoring from subjective to objective
• Rubric helps focus learner
• Helps with GED Preparation
• Rubric facilitates taking the street language
  out
• Helps students focus on writing needs in ABE
  rather than rush into GED
• Benefits ESL students
• The Form helps in life skills
• Weighted final score shows progress
• Works with lower level students
• Helps with accountability

19
Student Testimonials

• I think the certificate shows improvement. In my
  opinion the certificate will help in my future.
• In my opinion the certificate will help me to get
  a better job.
• In my opinion, I think the certificate is very
  important for everybody. It makes us know our
  English is improving and it also makes us get a
  good job.
• The certificate means for me a good motivation to
  continue with my English classes. It makes me
  proud because I feel I am learning English. Maybe
  Ill use this to show my future employer.
• I went to high school and some college. I knew
  there were things I didnt know. The certificate
  proves to me that I know something. The
  certificate is something for me. I feel a sense
  of accomplishment. I feel confident of my skills.