MA Measurable Skills Gain (MSG)

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) ensures access to education and workforce services for individuals with barriers to employment and demands increased performance accountability for states that receive federal adult education funding.

Massachusetts documents grantee performance using a standard called Measurable Skills Gain (MSG). MSG includes four outcomes which must be achieved during the fiscal year: Educational Functioning Level (EFL) completion, High School Equivalency (HSE) credential attainment, passing an HSE subtest(s)ⁱ, and Postsecondary Education or Training (PSE/T) enrollment.

Annually, programs are assigned separate ABE and ESOL targets using a formula that incorporates (i.e., is weighted on):

1. The number of students who pre-test into each of the National Reporting System (NRS) levels that the program serves, and

2. ACLS performance goals for each NRS level are based on Massachusetts' most recent federal performance report and adjusted to account for our state's system which awards partial credit (explained below) and the likelihood, based on past data, of meeting the federal target.

Individual program performance is each program's actual MSG relative to its target. For example, an ESOL program with a target of 45% and an actual MSG of 50% has exceeded its target by 11%; its performance is 111% relative to target. The performance of another program with a target of 55% and an actual MSG of 50% is 91% relative to target.

Programs get an initial credit (i.e., 1.0) for the first MSG outcome earned and partial credit (i.e., 0.1) for each additional outcome earned beyond the initial. If a student in a program achieves an initial outcome and two additional outcomes, then the program's credit for that student is 1.2. Only outcomes achieved during the fiscal year are included in MSG.

MSG outcomes, both initial and additional (i.e., partial), can be any of the following:

• Educational Functioning Level (EFL) completion
• High School Equivalency (HSE) credential attainment
• Passing a High School Equivalency subtest (see footnote)
• Postsecondary Education or Training (PSE/T) co-enrollment (excluding MassSTEP enrollment) or enrollment after exit

These examples show how programs earn initial and partial credit for student outcomes:

• Two EFL completions (i.e., advancement in two NRS levels) = 1.1
• EFL completion in two subject areas (e.g., reading, math) = 1.1
• High School Equivalency (HSE) credential attainment and two EFL completions = 1.2
• Two EFL completions in two subject areas plus enrollment in Postsecondary Education or Training (PSE/T) after exit = 1.4

MSG Targets Assigned by ACLS

ACLS posts preliminary ABE and ESOL program targets after summer and fall pre-tests have been entered into LACES. Targets may change slightly over the course of the year since one of two factors in an MSG target is the number of students who pre-test into each of the program's NRS levels and pre-testing continues throughout the year.

Programs may calculate their MSG targets by entering the number of participants who pretest at each NRS level in the FY25 MSG Target Calculator below

• FY25 MSG Target Calculator

MSG target percentages are based on prior statewide past performance and may be adjusted upward for three reasons. The first is the opportunity for individual students to achieve multiple outcomes. The second reason for higher targets is that OCTAE has raised Massachusetts' performance targets each year. Third, the FY25 targets incorporate recent changes to the National Reporting System for measuring educational functioning level gains ."

The preliminary targets below are based on LACES data as of January 23, 2025.

• FY25 Preliminary MSG Targets

FY 2024 MSG Program Performance

The FY2024 MSG Performance Report is an Excel document with 21 sortable columns:

1. Program Name
2. Number of ABE students
3. Number of ABE excluded
4. Number of ABE students who completed at least one EFL
5. Number of HSEs obtained by ABE students
6. Number of ABE students who enrolled in Postsecondary Education or Training
7. Number of MassSTEP ABE credentials
8. Percent of ABE students post tested (excludes ABE L6)
9. Program MSG ABE target
10. Program actual ABE MSG
11. Percent of ABE target met (actual MSG/target)
12. Number of ESOL students
13. Number of ESOL students excluded
14. Number of ESOL students who completed at least one EFL
15. Number of HSEs obtained by ESOL students
16. Number of ESOL students enrolled in Postsecondary Education or Training
17. Number of MassSTEP ESOL credentials
18. Percent of ESOL students who were post tested
19. Program MSG ESOL target
20. Program actual ESOL MSG
21. Percent of ESOL target met (actual MSG/target)

Assigned targets (i.e., columns I and S) and the percentage of targets met (i.e., columns K and T) are rounded to the whole number. Actual MSG (i.e., columns I and R) are rounded to the tenth percentage.

Since FY2021, the MSG Performance reportsⁱⁱ have been based on the number of student participants in the program year. The FY2019 and FY2020 reports were based on the number of PoPs (Periods of Participationⁱⁱⁱ). ACLS changed to participants to simplify the methodology. However, year-to-year results remain comparable.

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ⁱ Subtest MSG awarded for the first subtest passed if HSE credential was not earned by the end of the fiscal year.

ⁱⁱ FY23 , FY22 , FY21 , FY20 , and FY19 MSG Performance Reports

ⁱⁱⁱ A period of participation (PoP) refers to the period of time beginning when a student starts attendance and ending on their date of exit from the program. Each student's exit during the same program year is counted as a separate period of participation for purposes of calculating levels of performance. A new period of participation is counted each time the student enrolls-even if both enrollments occur within the same program year.

Last Updated: January 29, 2025