WVABE Instructor Handbook
WVAdultEd Instructor Handbook
2015-16
Section 9
A Review of the Assessment to
Instruction Process
Adult Education Program
Office of Adult Education and Workforce Development
West Virginia Department of Education
The West Virginia Adult Education (WVAdultEd) Program is funded by the Adult Education and
Family Literacy Act, enacted August 7, 1998 as Title II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998.
WVAdultEd is administered through the West Virginia Department of Education, Office of Adult
Education and Workforce Development, Building 6, Room 230, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East,
Charleston, West Virginia 25305-0330.
The WVAdultEd Instructor Handbook is produced by the WVAdultEd Professional Development
Program, whose fiscal agent is the Regional Education Service Agency (RESA) 3, 501 22nd
Street, Dunbar, West Virginia 25064-1711.
For questions or concerns related to the content of the WVAdultEd Instructor Handbook,
contact Cathy Shank at the WV Adult Education Hotline, 1-800-642-2670, or via email at
cshank@k12.wv.us.
RESA 3 does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other
characteristic protected by law in access to, employment in, or provision of any of RESA 3’s programs, benefits,
or activities.
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A Review of the Assessment to Instruction Process
A REVIEW OF THE ASSE SSMENT TO INSTRUCTION PROCESS .................... 1
AT INTAKE, CONDUCT GLOBAL SCREENING OF BASIC SKILLS AND NEEDS ................................................... 1
CONDUCT EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................... 2
DETERMINE THE INDIVIDUAL'S PROGRAM PLACEMENT AND FEDERAL FUNCTIONING LEVEL (FFL)................... 3
PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CAREER EXPLORATION ............................................................................ 4
DISCUSS A PLAN OF STUDY ............................................................................................................... 4
PLAN CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION ............................................................................................... 4
MONITOR STUDENT PROGRESS ......................................................................................................... 5
VERIFY EDUCATIONAL GAINS (FFL COMPLETION) ................................................................................. 6
RECORD STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS .................................................................................................... 7
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A REVIEW OF THE ASSESSMENT TO INSTRUCTION PROCESS
The following steps outline the process for enrolling new students and moving them through
assessment procedures and on to instruction and goal completion.
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At Intake, conduct global screening of basic skills and needs
Conduct educational assessment
Determine the individual's program placement and Federal Functioning Level (FFL)
Conduct career exploration activities
Discuss a Plan of Study
Plan curriculum and instruction
Monitor student progress
Verify educational gains (FFL completion)
Record student achievements
These steps review information that is found in previous sections of the Handbook. New
instructors should use this section as a reference when questions arise about program
procedures and follow links to other sections for more information.
At Intake, Conduct Global Screening of Basic Skills and Needs

As part of your orientation process, describe the various program options offered in
your county/at your site: basic skills, high school equivalency preparation, English
Language Acquisition (formerly ESL), computer skills, distance education, SPOKES, skills
for college entry, WorkKeys preparation, preparation for entry into vocational training
programs, etc.
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Collect demographic data required by the Adult Education Management Information
System (AEMIS) to complete the Student Profile/400 Form (Section 4 Appendix).
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Have the student sign a General Release of Program Information Form (Section 4
Appendix) to allow for transmittal of directory and educational record information.
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Use a variety of goal-setting activities to help the student to identify preliminary
personal goals (Section 7 Appendix).
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For English Language Learners (ELLs), use the Background Interview (Section 14
Appendix) to gather demographic, needs assessment, and preliminary goal information.
Information on the student’s educational background can be used to decide which
standardized test to administer.
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Administer a learning styles inventory (Section 5 Appendix) to determine best teaching
strategies.
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o For SPOKES students, use the CITE.
o For ELLs, you may want to use the ESL Learning Styles Questionnaire (Section 14
Appendix).
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Identify barriers to program participation and screen for special learning needs (see
Section 5).
o For SPOKES students, use the Learning Needs Screening (Section 16 Appendix).
o For ELLs, use the ESL Background Interview (Section 14 Appendix)
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Make referrals for community services (child care, Lion’s Club, DRS, etc.) to assist with
identified barriers and special learning needs.
o Click on the Special Learning Needs tab on the WVAdultEd LiveBinder, located at
http://www.tinyurl.com/wvabe, to access resources for the following topics:
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National and State Hotline Directory
College Resources
Health Services Resources
Hearing Resources
Vision Resources
Legal Information
Family Literacy Resources
Regional Family Resource Networks
Collect documentation of learning disabilities so that appropriate testing
accommodations may be used. Maintain confidential information in a separate locked
file.
Conduct Educational Assessment

Administer the locator/appraisal for the standardized test (TABE or CASAS) used in your
program. Note: BEST Literacy and the computer-assisted BEST Plus do not require a
locator.
o For students referred by DHHR or a WIB, you may be able to obtain TABE scores
from the referring agency and may not need to administer a locator or pre-test.
o For students likely to have a very low literacy level, the instructor should skip
the locator/appraisal. Instead, administer TABE Form 9/10, Level L or CASAS
Form 27/28.
o For students with documented disabilities, special versions (Braille, audiocassette, enlarged print) of standardized tests may be obtained. For special
forms, contact the special projects coordinator at 1-800-257-3723 ext. 212.
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Returning ELLs who completed the prior program year at the Advanced ESL level (FFL
12) must be pre-tested using TABE or CASAS for Reading and/or Language.
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New ELLs with strong skills at entry who are likely to score at or above FFL 12 should
also be tested with TABE or CASAS and assigned an ABE FFL (1-6) rather than an ESL FFL
(7-12). Even when ELLs are given an ABE FFL, they should still be given a student type
“ELL (formerly ESL)” on the Student Profile/400 Form (Section 4 Appendix).
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Select the appropriate level/form of the standardized pre-test (TABE, CASAS, BEST
Literacy or BEST Plus). See Section 6 for more information.
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Select the subject area(s) you administer (math, listening, etc.) based on the student’s
program of study and/or personal goals.
o For SPOKES students, TABE mathematics and reading are always administered.
o For General AdultEd/HSE students, choose among mathematics, reading, and/or
language (TABE or CASAS).
o For ELLs, choose among reading/literacy, listening and/or oral interview (CASAS,
BEST Literacy or BEST Plus).
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Determine the scaled scores, grade levels, or level scores and record this information in
the student’s permanent program file (on the Student Profile/400 Form and/or testing
record). See Section 6 for more information on assessment.
Determine the Individual's Program Placement and Federal Functioning Level
(FFL)

Use the lowest of the standardized assessment scaled scores, grade levels, or level
scores (or use the scores for the subject area selected by the student) to enter in AEMIS
and determine the program FFL. AEMIS assigns the FFL based on the test scores that are
entered (see Section 6).
o At a minimum, document progress in the subject area recorded in AEMIS.
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Follow different procedures for Special Students (see Section 6):
o Students whose only goal is to check readiness for the high school equivalency
assessment and who attend fewer than 12 hours do not need to take the TABE
or CASAS and are not assigned an FFL. These students simply take a stateapproved high school equivalency readiness assessment (i.e., TRA or OPT) and
attend a TASC orientation/seminar session.
o For short-term, work-based project learners (12-30 hours of instruction), use a
standardized test or a performance-based assessment with a standardized
scoring rubric. The assessment information is NOT recorded on the Student
Profile/400 Form and an FFL is NOT assigned unless the student attends more
than 30 hours (see Section 6).
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Conduct Career Exploration Activities
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Using the career exploration tools (see Section 7) that your program has adopted,
identify the career interests and aptitude of the individual student.
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Introduce students to the concept of career pathways.
Discuss a Plan of Study
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Help the student to establish personal, work-related and further education goals; and to
examine relevant career pathways.
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Use the student’s personal and career goals as well as the assessment data you have
collected to help them determine a realistic Plan of Study
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Discuss certificate programs (Career Readiness, Digital Literacy, etc.).
Identify career pathway steps.
Provide information on local job providers/one-stop centers.
Provide information on post-secondary training (CTE, apprenticeship, college,
etc.).
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Confirm student attendance schedule and commitment status using a Student
Commitment Contract (see Section 4 Appendix).
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Set preliminary goals and record this information on the Student Profile/400B Form.
Remember to revisit/modify these goals following interim assessment when it is clearer
what the student may want to accomplish.
Plan Curriculum and Instruction
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Keep Universal Design principles in mind in order to make your classroom more
inclusive of all students (see Section 8).
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Consider how to provide Integrated Education and Training (IET) for in-demand jobs.
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Provide Contextualized Instruction (basic skills taught in the context of career-related
content)
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Prepare lesson plans that address the needs and interests of students in your class.
Follow the Comprehensive Lesson Plan Template Explanation (Section 8 Appendix) to
guide your planning.
o Select appropriate standards from the College and Career Readiness Standards
for Adult Education (Section 8 Appendix).
o Provide activities from a variety of resources (texts, real materials, software
programs, online resources, and/or create your own).
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o Provide appropriate print and multi-media materials based on the student’s
level, goals, interests, preferred learning styles, abilities, and time available.
o Offer appropriate instructional settings (large group, small group, one-on-one,
computer-assisted, etc.).
o Use the Four C’s (Connections, Content, Concrete Practice, and Concluding
Activities) to balance your lessons.
o Use Explicit Instruction (I Do, You Do, We Do) to assure that all students have
ample opportunities to see new skills demonstrated, try them out with instructor
assistance, and practice them on their own.
o Follow Universal Design guidelines by allowing students to make choices in how
they receive information, learn content, and demonstrate what they know.
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For your own reference, examine the Skills Checklists (found in the WVAdultEd File
Cabinet at http://wvde.state.wv.us/abe/file-cabinet/index.html#skillschecklists) for the
subject area(s) and levels appropriate for the student. The checklists will help you to
identify which skills are difficult for the students that may need to be reviewed.
o For regular adult education students, use the FFL in each area to select the
appropriate ABE Skills Checklist for mathematics, reading, or
writing/composition.
o For ELLs, use the FFL in each area to select the appropriate ESL Skills Checklist for
reading/writing or oral communication.
o A good place to start would be to use the Skills Checklist that corresponds to the
student’s weakest subject area (or the area selected as most important by the
student).
Monitor Student Progress
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Use formal and informal assessments to conduct frequent progress checks to assess
completion of skills.
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Employ a variety of assessment tools to track student progress. Be sure to use
instruments that address a full spectrum of DOK levels.
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For regular adult education students, Benchmark Tasks are available for items on the
ABE Skills Checklist. These may be used to check for mastery of individual skills and help
students see they are making progress.
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You and the student may want to use the Skills Checklist to keep track of skills that are
mastered. These checklists may also be used to show students’ readiness to take a
standardized post-test if an Assessment Waiver is required (see Section 6).
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Students preparing for high school equivalency may want to check their readiness
using practice tests found in textbooks or online (e.g., LearningExpress Library, TASC
Academy) before taking the TRA.
o Students with disabilities may want to practice their accommodations using the
Official GED Practice Test (OPT) before taking TRA with accommodations.
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Learners who need to verify their readiness for the TASC test will use the TASC
Readiness Assessment (TRA). The TRA may be used to document student achievement
on the Student Profile/400B Form. It may NOT be used as a standardized post-test to
show completion of FFLs.
Verify Educational Gains (FFL completion)

Verify that a student has completed an FFL or moved to a higher FFL by administering a
post-test (interim or exit) using the parallel form of the standardized instrument (TABE,
CASAS, BEST Literacy or BEST Plus) used to pre-test the student.
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When post-testing, administer an interim assessment prior to 100 hours of instruction.
Follow the Publisher’s Guidelines to determine the minimum number of hours between
specific assessments (Section 6 Appendix).
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Exceptions to the publisher assessment guidelines should be rare and must be
documented using the Assessment Record/Waiver form (Section 6 Appendix). This
documentation must be kept in the student’s permanent file.
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If possible, administer an exit post-test at the end of the course period or prior to a
student’s withdrawal. Use the Publisher’s Guidelines to determine the minimum number
of hours between specific assessments (Section 6 Appendix).
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Post-assessment scores must be recorded in AEMIS and evidenced in students’ files at
the end of the month in which the post-assessment was given.
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Both the completion of an FFL and movement to a higher FFL are determined by
comparing the pre-test score in the subject area recorded in AEMIS at the beginning of
the current program year to the post-test (interim or exit) score. AEMIS makes this
comparison automatically and generates reports showing student progress.
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To complete the entry FFL, the student’s post-test score must be at or above the
completion level benchmark of the entry FFL. To move to a higher FFL, the student’s
post-test score must be at or above the beginning level benchmark of the next level
above the entry FFL.
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Skills Checklists may be used to document readiness for post-testing when using an
Assessment Record/Waiver form (Section 6 Appendix).
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Record Student Achievements
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Track the student's achievements (educational; employment-related; further
education/training; personal, family, and community related goals, etc.).
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Document goal attainment on the Student Profile/400B Form. Because student’s goals
may change over time, a periodic review of goals is helpful for documenting
achievements. At a minimum, revisit the goals after interim assessment.
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Certain achievements are tracked by the state (versus the federal program) and must be
entered by you on the Student Profile/400B Form based on documentation you have
maintained. These include educational, family-related, employment-related, and
personal achievements listed in the “Upon Exit” section of the Student Profile/400B
Form (see Section 11).
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Some NRS Core Indicators are verified by standardized assessment data (pre- and posttest scores) that you enter in AEMIS (see Section 11): Completed an FFL and Moved to a
higher FFL.
o Completed an FFL and Moved to a higher FFL achievements do not require a
data-match; results are available even with NO Social Security Number and No
signed release form.
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Some Core Indicators are verified by state data matching with outside agencies (using
student social security numbers) and are NOT tracked by the local program (see Section
11): Obtained a High School Equivalency Diploma or Obtained or Retained an
Unsubsidized Job.
o Obtained a High School Equivalency Diploma or Obtained or Retained an
Unsubsidized Job achievements are only available even when the Social Security
Number (SSN) is entered in AEMIS and it is indicated that there is a signed
release form on file.
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The following Core Indicator is verified by a combination of data matching and using a
sample survey conducted by the state office (see Section 11): Enrolled in job training or
post-secondary education.
o Data-matching is not possible with out-of-state or private schools. Programs
should follow up with their students and then mark the achievement in AEMIS.
o If an achievement for postsecondary education is selected, a Postsecondary
Cohort Verification Form must be completed and included in the student’s
permanent folder.
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o The sample to be surveyed by the state office is selected from students whose
Student Profile/400B forms in AEMIS indicated any of the following Student
Achievements listed under the Further Ed/Training group:
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Enrolled in private college/university
Enrolled in out-of-state post-secondary/job training
Enrolled in private/local training outside of WV’s K-12 system
Enrolled in online post-secondary/Career Tech Ed (CTE)
Enrolled in local CTE program
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