Adult and Community Learning Services (ACLS)

FY2019 CLAS E Writing Scoring Recertification Letter

January 28, 2019

Dear Program Director,

If your program uses the CLAS-E Writing for pre- and post-testing, please review the recertification instructions below.

All practitioners eligible for recertification whose information was provided through the online Recertification Form also received a copy of the instructions from the UMass Amherst Center for Educational Assessment (CEA). In addition, by January 31, 2019 the CEA will send you an email with the recertification eligibility status of all practitioners listed on the Recertification Form. Once the recertification period ends, you will receive an updated email with the PASS/FAIL status of all practitioners in your program who were eligible for recertification.

As a reminder, CLAS-E Writing Scorers must recertify every fiscal year following the one when they became initially certified. The only group that is exempt this year are practitioners who became initially certified in FY2019 (July 1, 2018–June 30, 2019).

The materials needed for recertification are listed below. If your program is missing any of those materials, they must be purchased as soon as possible using a DRC order form at https://tabetest.com/E-Docs/2019_TABE_CLAS-E_OF.xlsx.

Please remember that practitioners must complete the CLAS-E Writing Scoring Recertification Test individually.

CLAS-E Writing Scoring Recertification Instructions

CLAS-E Writing Scoring recertification involves conducting a Scoring Refresher, completing the FY2019 CLAS-E Writing Scoring Recertification Test, and submitting your recertification test score sheet online.

If you are receiving this email, you must recertify to continue scoring CLAS-E Writing expository writing folios in Fiscal Year 2020. The only group that is exempt from recertification this year are practitioners who became initially certified in FY2019 (July 1, 2018-June 30, 2019).

Scoring Refresher

In order to prepare for the Spring 2019 CLAS-E Writing Scoring Recertification Test, ACLS highly recommends completing the attached Refresher Packet. The packet includes 20 writing samples from last year's recertification test to practice scoring with, a blank score sheet, and the scoring key for the 20 writing samples.

CLAS-E Writing scorers may use the packet as part of a Scoring Refresher session. They may score the writing samples individually or as a group and check their answers using the scoring key. To score the 20 student writing samples, practitioners must use the following materials:

1. The CLAS-E Expository Writing Rubrics with the embedded Notes to the Scorer
2. The Supplementary Scoring Guide for the CLAS-E Expository Writing Assessment
3. The TABE's CLAS-E Writing Scoring Guide, which includes the Summary Chart (page 3), Glossary (pages 69–70), and Sample Responses (pages 13–61)

When determining the score for a writing sample, the Rubrics are the most important item to use. The Supplementary Scoring Guide is meant to support scorers' understanding of the Rubrics and should also be considered.

Please note that a CLAS-E Writing Scoring Refresher webinar took place on January 15, 2019 and a recording of the webinar is now available online. In the webinar, CLAS-E Writing trainers reviewed the answers for half of the items in the Refresher Packet and answered questions about scoring. In addition, the trainers prepared an extensive Q&A document. ACLS strongly recommends using the webinar recording and Q&A document as part of your Scoring Refresher.

The recording, Q&A document, and all scoring materials with the exception of TABE's CLAS-E Writing Scoring Guide are available on the ACLS Test Help blog. To find them, click on "Protected: CLAS-E Writing Scoring Materials" under Recent Posts and enter the password binder.

CLAS-E Writing Scoring Recertification Test

You will have two months to individually score 20 writing samples and submit your scores online. The deadline for submitting your Recertification Test score sheet is Friday, March 29, 2019.

Practitioners not meeting this deadline will not be certified to score the TABE CLAS-E Writing in FY2020 unless they re-take the CLAS-E Writing Scoring training.

The FY2019 CLAS-E Writing Scoring Recertification Test Packet is attached. Use the score sheet on pages 2 and 3 to list your scores and provide clear rationales in the space provided based on the same scoring materials as listed above (Rubrics, Supplementary Scoring Guide, and TABE's CLAS-E Writing Scoring Guide). When you are ready, enter your score sheet online at TABE CLAS-E Writing Scoring Recertification.

The scores provided will be scored based on exact matches to the answer key. A minimum score of 70% (with six or fewer items incorrect) is required to pass. Scores between 60%–65% (with seven to eight items incorrect) require a phone remediation. Scores lower than 60% (with nine or more items incorrect) require taking another CLAS-E Writing Scoring training to be able to score in the new fiscal year. You will be notified of your recertification status, along with your Program Director, within 5–10 business days of submitting your score sheet.

Contact Information

For technical assistance and questions about recertification requirements, please contact the UMass Amherst Center for Educational Assessment. For policy matters, please contact Dana Varzan-Parker, ACLS Assessment Specialist.

Sincerely,

Wyvonne Stevens-Carter
Acting State Adult Education Director