New assessment for Adult Education ESL learners in the US: How Cambridge English can help you navigate the CASAS STEPS transition?

We recently attended the CATESOL annual conference in California, where we had the opportunity to meet and hear from many ESL educators from across the state.??

A key topic in Adult Ed in recent months is the new assessment, CASAS STEPS (Student Test of English Progress and Success) Reading and Listening tests for Adult Ed ESL students which was approved by the NRS (National Reporting System for Adult Education). The current CASAS Life & Work tests will be phased out next summer.??

?We hosted a session titled “Practical Classroom Activities that Support ELPS and New Standardized Tests,” presented by Ventures co-authors, Gretchen Bitterlin and Donna Price, along with Betsy Parrish, Hamline University professor and author of Teaching Adult English Language Learners.?

Unlike its predecessor, CASAS Life & Work, STEPS isn’t a “lifeskills test” but a way to assess literacy and academic skills in the context of common adult situations.??

There are three main areas that students will be tested on for CASAS STEPS:?

1. Reading or Listening comprehension based on the ELPS?

The English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) spell out the English-language skills that Adult ESL students will need to achieve the more rigorous academic content standards required for college and career readiness.??

There are ten ELP Standards in all, covering reading, listening, speaking, writing, and language. However, the STEPS Listening and STEPS Reading tests only assess students on those ELPS competencies that pertain to Listening and Reading.?

?2. CASAS Content Areas?The CASAS Content Areas refer to the kinds of activities that STEPS uses to assess students’ listening or reading ability on the tests.?These content areas covered in STEPS are Dialogue, High-frequency Vocabulary (Pictures), High-frequency Vocabulary (Texts), Numbers, Vocabulary, Details, Main Idea, Summary, Inference, and Point of View and Supporting Evidence?

?3. CASAS Competencies?The CASAS Competencies identify more than 360 essential life skills that Adult ESL students will need to be functionally competent members of their community, their family, and the workforce.??The competencies covered in STEPS are: Basic Communication; Consumer Economics; Community Resources, Health, Employment; and Government and Law.?

How Cambridge English can support your Adult Ed ESL program in implementing CASAS STEPS:??

Not only did our authors present examples of the different question types from CASAS STEPS Reading and STEPS Listening tests, but they also demonstrated how our Adult Ed coursebook, Ventures , is aligned to those tests. This allows students to learn the skills they need to improve their language proficiency and demonstrate learning gains.?

• Our comprehensive STEPS correlation shows how Ventures is aligned to the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS), CASAS Content Areas, and CASAS Competencies. Click here to find out more.

• Providing an interactive walkthrough showing how our Adult Ed coursebook supports you and your students in preparing for success on CASAS STEPS. Read about how Ventures Third Edition is the best way to prepare your students for success on CASAS STEPS and look at our many examples showing how it is aligned- here. ?

?Stay ahead of the curve with Ventures and ensure that you are well-prepared for the forthcoming changes in the easiest way for you and the most effective way for your students. To find out more about Ventures - visit our website .?

?It was great to hear from so many ESL educators across the state and we look forward to seeing you at conferences across the country in 2024 and finding out about your teaching needs.?

#CATESOL #CATESOL2023 #CASAS #CASASSTEPS #ELPS #AdultEdESL? #Ventures?

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