Tests Determined To Be Suitable for Use in the National Reporting System for Adult Education, 51877-51878 [2024-13426]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 119 (Thursday, June 20, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51877-51878]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-13426]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Tests Determined To Be Suitable for Use in the National Reporting 
System for Adult Education

AGENCY: Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, Department of 
Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces tests, test forms, and delivery 
formats that the Secretary determines to be suitable for use in the 
National Reporting System for Adult Education (NRS). This notice 
relates to the approved information collections under OMB control 
numbers 1830-0027 and 1830-0567.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John LeMaster, Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: 
202-987-0903. Email: [email protected].
    If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and 
wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 14, 2008, we published in the 
Federal Register final regulations for 34 CFR part 462, Measuring 
Educational Gain in the National Reporting System for Adult Education 
(73 FR 2305, January 14, 2008, as amended at 81 FR 55552, August 19, 
2016) (NRS regulations). The NRS regulations established the process 
the Secretary uses to determine the suitability of tests for use in the 
NRS by States and local eligible providers. We annually publish in the 
Federal Register, and post on the internet at www.nrsweb.org, a list of 
the names of tests and the educational functioning levels the tests are 
suitable to measure in the NRS as required by Sec.  462.12(c)(2).
    On August 7, 2020, the Secretary published in the Federal Register 
(85 FR 47952) an annual notice consolidating information from previous 
notices that announced tests determined to be suitable for use in the 
NRS, in accordance with Sec.  462.13 (August 2020 annual notice). Also, 
in the August 2020 annual notice, the Secretary announced that English 
as a Second Language (ESL) tests and test forms approved for an 
extended period through February 2, 2021, are approved for an 
additional extended period through February 2, 2023, and that an Adult 
Basic Education (ABE) test and test forms previously approved for a 
three-year period through March 7, 2021, are approved for an extended 
period through March 7, 2023.
    On December 6, 2021, the Secretary published in the Federal 
Register (86 FR 69021), an annual notice with the same list of approved 
tests and test forms as was published in the August 2020 annual notice.
    On September 23, 2022, the Secretary published in the Federal 
Register (87 FR 58078) an annual notice announcing that ESL tests and 
test forms previously approved for an extended period through February 
2, 2023, were approved for an additional extended period through 
February 2, 2024, and that an ABE test and test forms previously 
approved for an extended period through March 7, 2023, were approved 
for an additional extended period through March 7, 2024.
    On July 13, 2023, the Secretary published in the Federal Register 
(88 FR 44784) an annual notice announcing new tests that were 
determined to be suitable for use in the NRS, in accordance with Sec.  
462.13 (July 2023 annual notice). Three tests measured the NRS 
educational functioning levels for ABE at the ABE levels specified in 
the July 2023 annual notice, and four tests measured the new NRS 
educational functioning levels for ESL at the ESL levels specified in 
the July 2023 annual notice. With the Secretary's approval of the new 
ESL tests in the July 2023 annual notice, the new educational 
functioning levels for ESL described in Appendix A of Measures and 
Methods for the National Reporting System for Adult Education (OMB 
Control Number: 1830-0027) were implemented. In the July 2023 annual 
notice, the Secretary announced that ESL tests with NRS approvals 
expiring on February 2, 2024, may be used in the NRS during a sunset 
period ending on June 30, 2024.
    On August 24, 2023, the Secretary published a notice in the Federal 
Register (88 FR 57949) correcting the name of one test listed in the 
July 2023 annual notice. All other information in the July 2023 annual 
notice remained the same.
    On March 18, 2024, the Secretary published in the Federal Register 
(89 FR 19307) a notice announcing that the sunset period for ESL tests 
scheduled to sunset on June 30, 2024, is extended through June 30, 
2025. This extension of the sunset period will allow States sufficient 
time for the operational activities required for the transition to the 
new ESL assessments identified in the July 2023 annual notice.
    The ESL educational functioning level descriptors to which the ESL 
tests with expiring NRS approvals are aligned and that were scheduled 
to be retired on June 30, 2024, are extended through June 30, 2025. 
Until that time, both the current ESL educational functioning level 
descriptors and the new ESL educational functioning level descriptors 
will be in effect. States must use an ESL assessment that is aligned to 
the appropriate ESL educational functioning level descriptors.
    In this notice, the Secretary announces two new tests and test 
forms that have been determined to be suitable for use in the NRS, in 
accordance with Sec.  462.13. The tests measure the NRS educational 
functioning levels at all ABE and ESL levels, as described in Appendix 
A of Measures and Methods for the National Reporting System for Adult 
Education (OMB Control Number

[[Page 51878]]

1830-0027). These tests and their test forms are approved for a period 
of three years from the publication date of this notice. A three-year 
approval is issued with a set of conditions that must be met by the 
completion of the three-year time period. If these conditions are met, 
the test would be approved for continued use in the NRS.
    This notice also updates the delivery formats available for two 
tests with a three-year approval announced in the July 2023 annual 
notice and approved for use until July 13, 2026.
    Under the transition rules in Sec.  462.4, the Secretary also 
announces in this notice a test with NRS approval expiring on September 
7, 2024, which States and local eligible providers may continue to use 
during a sunset period ending on June 30, 2025.
    Adult education programs must use only the forms and computer-based 
delivery formats for the tests approved in this notice. If a particular 
test form or computer delivery format is not explicitly specified for a 
test in this notice, it is not approved to measure educational gain in 
the NRS.

Tests Determined To Be Suitable for Use in the NRS for a Three-Year 
Period From the Publication Date of This Notice

    The Secretary has determined that the following test is suitable 
for use in Literacy/English Language Arts and Mathematics at all ABE 
levels of the NRS for a period of three years from the publication date 
of this notice:
    Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE 13/14). Forms 13 and 14 are 
approved for use on paper and through a computer-based delivery format. 
Publisher: Data Recognition Corporation--CTB, 13490 Bass Lake Road, 
Maple Grove, MN 55311. Telephone: 800-538-9547. Internet: 
www.tabetest.com.
    The Secretary has determined that the following tests are suitable 
for use at all ESL levels of the NRS for a period of three years from 
the publication date of this notice:
    Tests of Adult Basic Education Complete Language Assessment System-
English (TABE/CLAS-E). Forms C and D are approved for use on paper and 
through a computer-based delivery format. Publisher: Data Recognition 
Corporation--CTB, 13490 Bass Lake Road, Maple Grove, MN 55311. 
Telephone: (800) 538-9547. Internet: www.tabetest.com.

Tests Determined To Be Suitable for Use in the NRS for a Three-Year 
Period From the Publication Date of the Original Notice in Which They 
Were Announced

    The Secretary has determined that the following test is suitable 
for use in Mathematics at all ABE levels of the NRS until July 13, 
2026:
    ACT WorkKeys Applied Math. Forms 014, 015, 016, and 017 are 
approved for use through a computer-based delivery format. Publisher: 
ACT, 500 ACT Drive, Iowa City, Iowa 52243-0168. Telephone: (319) 337-
1270. Internet: www.act.org.
    The Secretary has determined that the following test is suitable 
for use in Literacy/English Language Arts at ABE levels 2 through 6 of 
the NRS until July 13, 2026:
    ACT WorkKeys Workplace Documents. Forms 018, 019, 020, and 021 are 
approved for use through a computer-based delivery format. Publisher: 
ACT, 500 ACT Drive, Iowa City, Iowa 52243-0168. Telephone: (319) 337-
1270. Internet: www.act.org.

Test With NRS Approval Expiring on September 7, 2024, That May Be Used 
in the NRS During a Sunset Period Ending on June 30, 2025

    The Secretary has determined that the following test is suitable 
for use in Literacy/English Language Arts and Mathematics at all ABE 
levels of the NRS during a sunset period ending on June 30, 2025:
    Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE 11/12). Forms 11 and 12 are 
approved for use on paper and through a computer-based delivery format. 
Publisher: Data Recognition Corporation--CTB, 13490 Bass Lake Road, 
Maple Grove, MN 55311. Telephone: 800-538-9547. Internet: 
www.tabetest.com.

Revocation of Tests

    Under certain circumstances--i.e., a determination by the Secretary 
either that the information the publisher submitted as a basis for the 
Secretary's review of the test was inaccurate or that a test has been 
substantially revised--the Secretary may revoke the determination that 
a test is suitable after following the procedures in Sec.  462.12(e). 
If the Secretary revokes the determination of suitability, the 
Secretary announces the revocation, as well as the date by which States 
and local eligible providers must stop using the revoked test, through 
a notice published in the Federal Register and posted on the internet 
at www.nrsweb.org.
    Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities 
can obtain this document in an accessible format. The Department will 
provide the requestor with an accessible format that may include Rich 
Text Format (RTF) or text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, 
braille, large print, audiotape, compact disc, or other accessible 
format.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may 
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of 
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can view this 
document, as well as all other Department documents published in the 
Federal Register, in text or Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF 
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the 
site.
    You may also access Department documents published in the Federal 
Register by using the article search feature at 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.
    Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 3292.

Amy Loyd,
Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education.
[FR Doc. 2024-13426 Filed 6-18-24; 8:45 am]
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