Because of open-enrollment policies, or any number of other reasons, students are not always assessed in classroom settings. They should, however, be tested, either individually or in small groups, within two weeks of intake or up to a month after class placement, but no longer. This page will help you handle administering the REEP writing assessment to individual students or small groups.

Individual testing should be done only with students at SPL 4 and above because the intense oral work involved in the warm–up is more difficult for an individual than for a group of students working together.

Ideally, pre– and post–tests should be administered to individual students by the classroom teacher to lower her/his anxiety about the test. (Please remember, though, that the tests are not scored by the student's teacher.)

As with scheduled large-group testing, photocopy warm-up activity sheets and writing test forms (A, B, C, and D) from the REEP Writing Rubric, Test and Activities Guide. The scoring Rubric, score sheets, and anchor essays are provided in the formal trainings now being conducted across the state.

Individual students and small groups should be given the same form at the beginning of the year as what was given to class–sized groups. For example, begin with Form A, then use Form B at the next assessment, and then use Form A again if you administer a third assessment. The scoring process will be smoother for scorers if all are scoring the same Form of the test.

Introduction to test and warm-up activities:

With the following slight modifications, you must use the same introduction to the test and warm–up activities that are ordinarily given to the students. Adhere to the time limit of 30 minutes set for the introduction to the test, warm–up activities, etc. as described in the REEP Writing Rubric, Test and Activities Guide.

Also, keep in mind as you begin the warm-up activities that the student or students might not have been familiarized with such activities by attending classes in your program. You might have to explain or model the activities a bit, but be very careful not to turn the time into a session on learning these techniques; the students should be concentrating on preparing to take the test.

Introducing the test (5 minutes): Complete as described in the Guide.

Brainstorming (10 Minutes): Ask the individual student the questions as stated in the Guide. If you use a blackboard or chartpad to note any brainstorming ideas or warm–up activity notes prior to the test, erase them before you administer the test.

Conversation Activity (10 Minutes): Use Option A (Oral Practice) in the Guide, as it will work better with individual students, or for small groups. (Option B was designed to work with a class–sized group, and is not recommended to use in this setting. The individual student will be at a disadvantage in using Option B, and his/her work may not reflect what the student is capable of doing.) Ask the individual student the questions as stated in the Guide. The goal of the warm–up activities is to make students feel comfortable with completing the test, so steps 1–4 are also important for individuals or small groups. Brainstorming about a topic related to the writing task, and the conversation activity are both designed to stimulate the thinking process and ensure that students comprehend the writing task. You can do all of the activities listed above even though they are not be in a classroom setting. For example, you can do the brainstorm activity with the student where you would interview the student. (The student should not interview you).

Writing test instructions: (5 minutes) Complete as described in the Guide. Adhere to time limits for the test. Tell students they have 30 minutes to complete the test (this is usually more than enough time for a beginning level student.) Students who require additional time may be given an additional 15 minutes. Our experience has shown that that students being tested generally spend more time on their writing if they know they will be there the full 30 minutes. Do not tell students at the outset that they have 45 minutes because teachers have found that this prospect scares students at beginning levels. Intermediate and advanced level students, on the other hand, often need the full 45 minutes.

Remember, students may NOT:

Scoring the Tests: The directions for scoring the test remains the same for individual students or classes, as described in the Guide.

If you have any questions, please contact your SABES Curriculum and Assessment Coordinator, Carey Reid at the SABES central resource center, or Jane Schwerdtfeger, the Curriculum and Assessment Development Specialist at ACLS.

Unless the student is between SPL 0 and 2, you may choose whether REEP or BEST Plus is most appropriate to use.

Remember to use Scale Scores when reporting to SMARTT. We offer handy Scale Score Correlations. (Use your "Back" button to return to this page.)

Remember too that a student's primary assessment area cannot change during the year.

Programs photocopy warm-up activity sheets and writing test forms (A, B, C, and D) from the Guide. The scoring Rubric, score sheets, and anchor essays are provided in SABES trainings.