Ready, Set, Start! Using CASAS in Your Even Start Program Ready, Set, Start! Using CASAS in Your Even Start Program Presenter: Martha Gustafson Date: June 17, 2004 CASAS National Summer Institute 2004 Presenter: Martha Gustafson Date: June 17, 2004 CASAS National Summer Institute Murphy Canyon Road #220 San Diego, CA

© CASAS Overview of CASAS Began in 1980 as a partnership of the California Department of Education and a consortium of adult education agencies in California 24 years of research and development experience Uses a nationwide, field-based consortium More than 80 certified trainers and 75 national consortium members Approved and validated by the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor CASAS is a non-profit organization Began in 1980 as a partnership of the California Department of Education and a consortium of adult education agencies in California 24 years of research and development experience Uses a nationwide, field-based consortium More than 80 certified trainers and 75 national consortium members Approved and validated by the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor CASAS is a non-profit organization Introduction

© CASAS Overview of Even Start Even Start Family Literacy Programs promote a unified family literacy program that integrates Early childhood education Adult education Parent education CASAS provides assessment materials appropriate for adults involved in adult literacy activities.

© CASAS Key CASAS Components Competencies (more than 300 competency statements) National Scale (common measurement to report and interpret proficiency levels) Assessment Instruments (more than 140 available) Instructional Support Materials Quick Search/Instructional Materials Guide Test Content by Competency Lists Class and Individual Profiles Introduction

© CASAS Targeted Instruction Selection of Competencies Competency-based Education (CBE) Evaluation of Competencies Attainment Participant Needs Assessment Participant Needs Assessment CBE Who are your students and what do they need? Why are they in your program? What do your students need to master to be successful in their daily life? What and how are you going to teach your students? How can you measure what they have learned?

© CASAS An Integrated Systems Approach Assessment Curriculum Instruction CASAS Competencies Quick Search/ Instructional Materials Guide CASAS Tests CBE

© CASAS Intake and Assessment Think about your Even Start program… 1. What kind of intake and assessment process do you have in place? 2. Does it place students into accurate levels and help determine the appropriate pre-test? 3.Do your instructors get test results in a timely manner? Do they understand the link between assessment and curriculum?

© CASAS Basic Communication 1. Consumer Economics 2. Community Resources 3. Health 4. Employment 5. Government and Law 6. Computation 7. Learning to Learn 8. Independent Living Skills CASAS Competencies:Content Areas The CASAS system utilizes more than 300 competency statements in these content areas. Competency statements are updated and revalidated annually in response to program and learner needs. The complete list is available from CASAS directly or online at. CBE

© CASAS Competency Coding System Content Area 3.Health Competency Area 3.4Understand basic health and safety procedures Competency Statements Interpret product label directions and safety warnings Identify safety measures that can prevent accidents and injuries CBE

© CASAS Activity: Functions of Assessment Why Assess in an Even Start program Write one or more benefit(s) of assessment for each group below. 1. Learners: 2. Instructors: 3. Program Administrators: 4. Funding Sources: Write one or more benefit(s) of assessment for each group below. 1. Learners: 2. Instructors: 3. Program Administrators: 4. Funding Sources: CBE

© CASAS An Integrated Systems Approach Assessment Curriculum Instruction CASAS Competencies Quick Search/ Instructional Materials Guide CASAS Tests Assessment

© CASAS The Functions of Assessment and Instruction Level B MONITORPLACEDIAGNOSECERTIFYINSTRUCT Level B Form 120 APPRAISAL TEST READING Level B Learners take an appraisal to determine appropriate program or instructional level placement and/or to identify the pretest they should take. Learners take an appraisal to determine appropriate program or instructional level placement and/or to identify the pretest they should take. Learners take the pretest. Learners take the pretest. Instruction and informal ongoing assessment by instructor. After a specified interval, learners take a post-test based on pretest scores. Instructors monitor learner progress. Some programs may administer a certification test to confirm the learner’s skill level in preparation for program exit. READING Level B READING CERTIFICATION for EMPLOYABILITY Form 501 Instructional Materials Guide Assessment

© CASAS Test Administration

© CASAS Test Administration

© CASAS Test Items: Task Areas 1.Forms 2.Charts, maps, consumer billings, matrices, graphs, or tables 3.Stories, articles, paragraphs, sentences, directions, or pictures 4.Signs, price tags, ads, or product labels 5.Measurement scales and diagrams 6.Selection of correct picture or response from oral cue Using Test Results

© CASAS Student Performance By Competency Using Test Results

© CASAS TOPSpro TM Test Scoring Features or Test Records Scores CASAS tests Creates class performance report Displays raw score and scaled score Identifies inaccurate scores Creates competency profiles Calculates learning gains Using Test Results

© CASAS Class Profile by Competency

© CASAS An Integrated Systems Approach Assessment Curriculum Instruction CASAS Competencies Quick Search/ Instructional Materials Guide CASAS Tests IMG

© CASAS QuickSearch/Instructional Materials Guide Quick and easy access to database of 1600 instructional materials Includes print, video and software materials Correlated to more than 300 CASAS competency statements Can search for information by: identified competencies instructional level (A, B, C, and D) publisher Program type (such as ABE and ESL) IMG

© CASAS Quick Search IMG

© CASAS IMG Quick Search: Search by Title

© CASAS Quick Search: Print to Screen IMG

© CASAS Quick Search By Competencies, cont. IMG

© CASAS Why use CASAS with Even Start programs? Helps programs assess parents involved in adult literacy activities –Appraisals for placement –Pre-tests to help identify strengths and weaknesses –Post tests to monitor and report progress –Certification tests to determine level exit readiness –Functional Writing Assessment to assess writing