Assessment, Evaluation, and Testing

• MDC administers the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS) - STEPS (Student Test of English Progress and Success) Reading and Listening Series forms for ESOL, and Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE).
• Prior to administration of the CASAS STEPS, new students are required to take the CASAS STEPS Locator to determine the appropriate pretest for placement into the appropriate ESOL level.
  

  CASAS STEPS Locator

  Subject	Form	Number of Questions	Approximate Time
  Reading	620R	14	15 minutes
  Listening	620L	14	15 minutes

• The CASAS Scale Scores, and NRS Educational Functioning Levels (EFLs) provide guidelines for determining program placement and pretest levels based on the Reading and Listening results from the initial CASAS pre-test screening process.
• Students must have a valid score (160 or above for Reading and 158 or above for Listening) on the pretest to be placed into the program. The lower test score of the two determines placement.
• Students sign a departmental form which indicates that they have read and understood the procedures outlined below and receive a referral to take the CASAS entrance exam. 
• In order for students to be eligible to register for an ESOL class, they must correctly answer a minimum of five (5) questions in Reading and five (5) questions in Listening.
• Students who do not answer five (5) questions correctly in a section will be required to repeat that section. 
• Students without valid scores need to retest no sooner than the next day and prior to enrollment or by the 100% refund date for the adult education term.  These students may retest once on initial placement without being assessed a retesting fee.
• Students who are required to retest must be referred to testing by an authorized employee in Adult Education.
• Initial placement and advancement are based on the lower of the two (reading and listening) valid scores. The Adult Education CASAS Post-Testing Chart is used for ESOL promotion assessment purposes in Placement Criteria Appendix G.
  • Continuing students who stop out for a period of more than four (4) months must retake the CASAS pretest. A retesting fee will be assessed. 
  • New students who did not previously register with test scores of more than four months must retake the CASAS pretest. A retesting fee will be assessed.
• Post-test after 70-100 hours of instruction; minimum of 40 hours of instruction. Post-testing at less than 70 hours of instruction must be approved by a college-wide Adult Education administrator or designee.
• Eligible students who do not meet the minimum placement criteria in the ESOL Course Placement Guide will be referred to other programs offered by the College [Refugee/Entrant Vocational Education Services Training (REVEST)],non-credit Intensive English, et c., or to programs offered by Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

The ESOL Course Placement Guide is used for placement in the ESOL Courses.

Notes:

• Level 1 students must be literate in their native language.
• EDU 061, EDU 062 and EDU 058 are used for Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) and outreach classes.
• Placement will be based on the LOWER of the two scores.
• As of March 18, 2024, new students starting in Summer 2024 and beyond must pretest with CASAS STEPS to place into the ESOL program. 2024 Spring students continuing to Summer 2024 will have the CASAS STEPS available April 1, 2024.  Continuing students must still posttest with CASAS Life and Work, but will be required to have a CASAS STEPS pretest without the locator prior to enrolling in Summer 2024

When a test administration results in a score that is lower than the allowable range for the Test level and form, the score is reported with a “1” followed by the lowest score value for the CASAS Level and Form. OOR low scores cannot be used for establishing a student’s initial EFL. There is no limit on retesting when establishing a student’s first EFL.  There is no fee for retesting. The only exception to this rule is for students who test OOR low on a level A CASAS assessment. If a student obtains a pre-test score OOR low on the lowest level test available, “in this situation only” the student does not need to be reassessed on an alternate form and should be placed in the lowest NRS level. Post-test scores below the scale score range: If a student scores too low to receive a scale score on a Level B, C or D post-test, CASAS recommends retesting immediately on the next lower-level test. Any additional attempts to post-test a student after one retest must occur within the test publisher’s recommended hours of instruction between post-tests. To assist with determining the correct out of range scores to report, refer to the CASAS OOR table in Placement Criteria Appendix G.  As of Summer 2023, there is no longer a difference between paper and online OOR scores. New and continuing students with an out-of-range low or no score must be retested one time with a lower CASAS Level no sooner than the next day and prior to enrollment or by the 100% refund date for the adult education term without being assessed a retesting fee.

When a test administration results in a score that is higher than the allowable range for the Test Level and Form the score is reported with a “9” followed by the highest score value for the CASAS Level and Form. OOR high scores cannot be used for establishing a student’s initial EFL. There is no limit on retesting when establishing a student’s first EFL. There is no fee for retesting. Post-test diamond scores below the exit score for the program: In these cases, the agency may retest the student immediately on a test form at the next higher level. If the student re-enrolls in the next period of instruction, agencies may use the conservative estimate score as a basis for placement of the student in an EFL. Post-test diamond scores above the exit score for the program: This indicates the student has completed the program. To assist with determining the correct out of range scores to report, refer to the CASAS OOR table in Placement Criteria Appendix G. As of Summer 2023, there is no longer a difference between paper and online OOR scores. New students with an out-of-range high or no score must be retested one time with a higher CASAS Level no sooner than the next day and prior to enrollment or by the 100% refund date for the adult education term without being assessed a retesting fee. 

To see the appropriate forms, OOR scores, and NRS levels, please refer to the NRS links in Placement Criteria Appendix H.