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TESTS OF ADULT BASIC EDUCATION (TABE)

 

[tabe books]

Note: Persons outside of Massachusetts should not contact us about ordering TABE materials or administering the test. Please contact TABE publisher McGraw-Hill/Contemporary instead (800-621-1918). This website is designed solely to provide state policy information for Massachusetts adult literacy practitioners.

The TABE (Tests of Adult Basic Education) is a commercially-produced multiple choice test with answer booklets, color-coded answer sheets, and supporting materials.This page collects program requirements for testing, testing methods, and additional tips. The publisher of the TABE, McGraw-Hill/Contemporary, has a TABE Introduction section on their website. From that page, use your "Back" button to get back to this page. Training is available through SABES on how to administer TABE Locator and Sub-Tests and report results through SMARTT.

The Massachusetts Dept. of Elementary & Secondary Education has contracted with the Center for Educational Assessment at UMass/Amherst to develop new ABE Reading and Math tests aligned with the state's Curriculum Frameworks. Programs will use these tests instead of the TABE starting in July 2006.

OVERVIEW OF REQUIREMENTS

Massachusetts programs will use the TABE to measure learner gains in ABE reading, language, and mathematics, according to this chart:

Primary Assessment Area
Assessment Instrument
ABE Reading GLE 2-12 TABE Forms 7 and 8, Levels E, M, D, A
ABE Writing GLE 2-12 TABE Forms 7 and 8, Levels E, M, D, A
ABE Math GLE 2-12 TABE Forms 7 and 8, Levels E, M, D, A
ABE Reading, Writing, Math GLE 0-1.9 Do not use TABE Level L. Continue to use assessments approved via the crosswalk process in FY02. If previously approved assessment is TABE, select another assess-ment; do not use Forms 5/6 or 9/10. Contact your SABES Curriculum and Assessment Coordinator or Jane Schwerdtfeger for suggestions.

A Locator test is given first to determine which level of the TABE test to administer to a particular student: E (Easy), M (Medium), D (Difficult) or A (Advanced). Programs then administer initial, mid-year, and end-of-year tests to measure gains.



USING THE LOCATOR TEST

The Locator is made up of reading, mathematics, and language test items, and gives separate scores for each of those areas. Program staff may administer the Locator for any of the three areas - reading, mathematics or language. To use the Locator, you simply count the number of correct test items (NC) to determine the corresponding level of test to administer. It is an un-timed test, though the distributor recommends allotting 20 minutes for the Practice Session (if needed) and 35 minutes for the test itself.

If the Locator Test Score is...
use TABE Level
Reading Mathematics Language
6 & below 6 & below 6 & below
E
7 - 10 7 - 11 7 - 9
M
11 - 14 12 - 15 10 - 12
D
15 & above 16 & above 13 & above
A

REQUIRED STAFF TRAINING

Only staff who have attended a SABES TABE training, passed the take-home test, and received a certificate may administer the TABE. Trained staff may not train other staff members to administer the TABE.


ADMINISTERING THE TABE

Use only the Complete Battery, not the Survey Test. Depending on the primary area selected by the student, a program is required to administer only the sub-tests below. While the entire Battery is not required, programs may decide to give all the sub-tests to better inform instruction. One area must be selected as the primary area to track educational gain in SMARTT.

Note: The Mathematics Computation and Spelling sub-tests are neither required nor recommended at this time.

Primary Area Sub-test Required
Number of Items
Time (mins.)
ABE Reading Reading
50
50
ABE Writing Language
55
39
ABE Math Applied Mathematics
50
50

Different levels of the TABE can be given for initial, optional mid-year, and end-of-year tests because TABE scale scores are calibrated across all levels. For example, if the Locator test placed a student at Level E, use Level E, Form 7 as the initial test. At optional mid-year, if the student is still functioning at Level E, use Level E, Form 8. If at optional mid-year the student is functioning at Level M, use Level M, Form 7. Use the same protocol for end-of-year assessments. Never give the same Form of the test at the same level sequentially to a student.


DETERMINING WHEN TO RE-TEST

TABE Test Levels are designed to assess at the following GLE ranges.

TABE Test Level
Grade Equivalent Range
E (Easy)
1.6 - 3.9
M (Medium)
3.6 - 6.9
D (Difficult)
6.6 - 8.9
A (Advanced)
8.6 - 12.9

As many practitioners have noticed, a learner's Locator test score does not always accurately predict the appropriate Complete Battery Level. The Center for Educational Assessment at UMass/Amherst has developed Guidelines for Re-testing with TABE, Forms 7/8, which can be downloaded from HERE.To get a quick sense of how to determine whether retesting is necessary, go HERE now. Click your "Back" button to return to this page.)


TESTING ACCOMMODATIONS

Accommodations may be given only to students who have a documented formal diagnosis of a learning disability carried out by a licensed professional--a medical doctor, psychologist of psychiatrist or, in some cases, specialists for whom they have signed off. The program may extend the time limits for administering the TABE to time and a half for any student with a documented learning disability.



SMARTT REPORTING

Scale Scores are superior to GLE or other measures because they are comparable across different forms of tests as well as among programs. Remember to use Scale Scores when reporting to SMARTT. Click here for a handy table of 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.



REQUIRED MATERIALS

Massachusetts programs should use the following materials when administering the TABE test.

  • TABE Form 7 Complete Battery (includes Examiner's Manual) Levels E, M, D, A
    TABE Form 8 Complete Battery (includes Examiner's Manual) Levels E, M, D, A
    Practice Exercise and Locator Test
    Answer Sheets: Scoreze for each Form and Level or CompuScan with Stencils
  • Norms Book, Forms 7 & 8.


ADDITIONAL TESTING TIPS
  • Program staff new to administering the TABE should practice giving the test to another staff member before giving it for the first time.

    Because the Complete Battery tests are timed, your program needs to have a way of timing the test accurately.

    Don't have a student do too much testing at once: E.g. give the student the Complete Battery (Level E, M, D, or A) separate from the Locator test, or give the Locator and one subtest at one sitting.

    When students are filling out the scoring sheet, make sure they fill in the correct form of the test they are using (either 7 or 8). You will also notice that the answer sheets correspond in color to the test booklet (i.e., green for Locator, orange for Complete Battery)

    If students don't have an ID number in a program, they should leave this line blank on the answer sheet.

    You can use pen or pencil on the Locator test. Felt tip pens won't work.

    Again, you do not have to administer all the sections of the Complete Battery to a student, only one (either Reading, Language or Applied Math.) You would then enter the scale score for the primary area test into SMARTT. If you wished to administer all three sections of the Compete Battery to a student for diagnostic purposes, you can, but you aren't required to enter all three scores into SMARTT. (You do have the option to enter the additional scores into SMARTT if you want to.)

  • You may test more than one student at a time when giving the same Complete Battery test, (all Reading, or all Applied Math, or all Language). Since the tests have different times for completion, it might be confusing to have them all in one room with some students stopping or starting the test at different times.

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