Free (To You) Online Testing Administrations

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a major disruption in our lives, and the lives of our students. The pandemic even forced our Minnesota Adult Education Support Network to cancel or postpone many events last spring.

However, we discovered that there were other ways to provide similar services – Adult Basic Education is resilient and innovative! Not only did we find new ways to provide services online, but we discovered that less travel resulted in a financial savings. These unspent funds were pooled and designated to be used to purchase online test administrations for both CASAS and TABE. These test administrations will be allocated to Minnesota ABE programs based on previous testing history.

What are the benefits of online testing?

There are many benefits of online testing.

• For your students: CASAS and TABE have online sample test items (CASAS) or online tools training (TABE) which allow the students to experience the online testing environment. The use of these tools can help your students build basic computer skills as they prepare to test.
• For your intake staff: More efficient use of time – for CASAS, administer the computer-based locator which moves the student seamlessly into the appropriate pretest. No need to score the locator to determine pretest. For TABE, the program scores the locator and quickly suggests the pretest to administer.
• For your records: More accurate test results as they are computer scored – less chance for human error!
• For your data entry staff: Less staff time, as online test results can be directly uploaded into SiD for both CASAS and TABE
• For your teachers: Student reports indicate specific learning needs to aid in lesson planning.
• For your posttests: The programs automatically assign the correct posttest when a student logs in using their student ID.

When will my program get their online tests?

We are following a process that will ensure that all programs that want online tests will be fully prepared to implement the use of those tests.

• August 2020 – Programs should decide if they have an interest in implementing online testing. They will also need to decide if they want their allocations to be for only CASAS, only TABE, or split between both series.
• August/September 2020 – Once the test series choice is made, the program manager and intake/testing staff should follow the instructions below to prepare for online testing.
• August 28, 2020 – We will offer Implementation Trainings via ZOOM for both CASAS and TABE, including an overview of online testing. These trainings are a supplement to the protocol below. No need to sign up for the trainings – just click on the link below to join at the proper time.
  • CASAS Implementation Training via ZOOM – 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – https://minnstate.zoom.us/j/95665774461
  • TABE Implementation Training via ZOOM – 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. – https://minnstate.zoom.us/j/99494714109
• Fall 2020 – Computer-Based Testing Survey/Sign-up will be sent to consortium managers.
• Fall 2020 – First round of tests will be allocated to consortia.

My program has chosen to implement CASAS online tests. What do we do next?

CASAS has a very well-defined process for programs to follow as they prepare to implement online testing.

• Go to http://training.casas.org/ and complete Modules 1 and 2. (You will need to create a login and password.)
• Complete Steps 1 and 2 in the Going Live! Checklist.
• You do not need to purchase test administrations at this point. Those will be assigned to you in the fall.

My program has chosen to implement TABE online tests. What do we do next?

DRC has many tools to help new online test administrators learn more about the process of administering TABE online tests.

• Complete TABE Certification Training, Parts 1 and 2. If you have done an Implementation Training in the past three years, you don’t need to do this.
• Watch this webinar on TABE Online Testing.
• You do not need to purchase test administrations at this point. Those will be assigned to you in the fall.

More information will be provided at the Implementation Trainings on August 28, and through the survey in the fall. It is important for programs to follow the instructions detailed above. The number of test administrations that your consortium receives will be based on previous testing history. If you have specific questions, please email them to Marty Olsen, [email protected].