[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 207 (Tuesday, October 27, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57540-57541]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-28659]



[[Page 57539]]

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Part III





Department of Education





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List of Approved ``Ability-to-Benefit'' Tests and Passing Scores; 
Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 207 / Tuesday, October 27, 1998 / 
Notices  

[[Page 57540]]



DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


List of Approved ``Ability-to-Benefit'' Tests and Passing Scores

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Update Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary gives notice that he has approved the American 
College Testing Service (ACT) test as an ``ability-to-benefit'' (ATB) 
test. The ACT test consists of a test in English and a test in Math. 
The Secretary has approved the score of 14 as the passing score for the 
English test and the score of 15 as the passing score for the Math 
test.
    The Secretary has approved this test and passing score under the 
authority of section 484(d) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as 
amended (HEA) and the regulations the Secretary promulgated to 
implement that section in 34 CFR Part 668, Subpart J. An institution 
must use this test, or one of the other previously approved ATB tests 
listed in this notice to determine if a student, who does not have a 
high school diploma or its recognized equivalent, is eligible to 
receive funds under any title IV, HEA program. The title IV, HEA 
programs include the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Family Education Loan, 
William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal 
Work-Study, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, and 
State Student Incentive Grant programs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lorraine Kennedy, U.S. Department of 
Education, 600 Independence Avenue, SW, Regional Office Building 3, 
Room 3045, Washington, DC 20202-5451, Telephone: (202) 708-8242. 
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding 
paragraph.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Secretary is publishing this notice 
because, under 34 CFR 668.145(c)(1), when the Secretary approves an ATB 
test, the Secretary publishes the name of the test and the passing 
scores on the test in the Federal Register.
    The ACT test is approved for five-years, unless the Secretary 
withdraws this approval or the publisher requests that approval of the 
test be withdrawn. In either case, the Secretary will publish a notice 
in the Federal Register indicating this change. For the convenience of 
institutions participating in the title IV, HEA Programs and other 
parties, the following is a listing of the nine approved ATB tests and 
passing scores.
    1. American College Testing (ACT): (English and Math)
    Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as 
follows: English (14) and Math (15).
    Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, 
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: American College 
Testing (ACT), Placement Assessment Programs, 2201 North Dodge Street, 
P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, Iowa 52243, Contact: James Maxey, Telephone: 
(319) 337-1100, Fax: (319) 337-1790.
    2. ASSET Program: Basic Skills Tests (Reading, Writing, and 
Numerical)--Forms B2 and C2.
    Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as 
follows: Reading (34), Writing (34), and Numerical (33).
    Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, 
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: American College 
Testing (ACT), Placement Assessment Programs, 2201 North Dodge Street, 
P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, Iowa 52243, Contact: John D. Roth, Telephone: 
(319) 337-1030, Fax: (319) 337-1790.
    3. Career Programs Assessment (CPAT) Basic Skills Subtests 
(Language Usage, Reading and Numerical)--Forms A, B, and C.
    Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as 
follows: Language Usage (43), Reading (44), and Numerical (42).
    Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, 
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: American College 
Testing (ACT), Placement Assessment Programs, 2201 North Dodge Street, 
P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, Iowa 52243, Contact: John D. Roth, Telephone: 
(319) 337-1030, Fax: (319) 337-1790.
    4. COMPASS Subtests: Prealgebra/Numerical Skills Placement, Reading 
Placement, and Writing Placement.
    Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as 
follows: Prealgebra/Numerical (21), Reading (60), and Writing (31).
    Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, 
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: American College 
Testing (ACT), Placement Assessment Programs, 2201 North Dodge Street, 
P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, Iowa 52243, Contact: John D. Roth, Telephone: 
(319) 337-1030, Fax: (319) 337-1790.
    5. Computerized Placement Tests (CPTs)/Accuplacer (Reading 
Comprehension, Sentence Skills, and Arithmetic).
    Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as 
follows: Reading Comprehension (52), Sentence Skills (60), and 
Arithmetic (36).
    Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, 
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: The College Board, 
45 Columbus Avenue, New York, New York 10023-6992, Contact: Ms. Loretta 
M. Church, Telephone: (212) 713-8000, Fax: (212) 713-8063.
    6. Descriptive Tests: Descriptive Tests of Language Skills (DTLS) 
(Reading Comprehension, Sentence Structure and Conventions of Written 
English)--Forms M-K-3KDT and M-K-3LDT; and Descriptive Tests of 
Mathematical Skills (DTMS) (Arithmetic)--Forms M-K-3KDT and M-K-3LDT.
    Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as 
follows: Reading Comprehension (108), Sentence Structure (9), 
Conventions of Written English (309), and Arithmetic (506).
    Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, 
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: The College Board, 
45 Columbus Avenue, New York, New York 10023-6992, Contact: Ms. Loretta 
M. Church, Telephone: (212) 713-8000, Fax: (212) 713-8063.
    7. Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE): (Reading, Mathematics 
Computation, Applied Mathematics Language, and Spelling)--Forms 5 and 
6, Level A.
    Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as 
follows: Reading (768), Mathematics Computation (804), Applied 
Mathematics Concepts and Applications (759), Language (714), and 
Spelling (749).
    Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, 
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: CTB/McGraw-Hill, 
11301 Jollyville Road, Townhouse I-4, Austin, TX 78759, Contact: Ms. 
Lorna Harrison, Telephone: (512) 349-7578, Fax: (512) 349-7580.
    8. Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE): (Reading, Mathematics 
Computation, Applied Mathematics Language, and Spelling--Forms 7 and 8, 
Level A.
    Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as 
follows: Reading (559), Mathematics Computation (558), Applied

[[Page 57541]]

Mathematics (559), Language (545), and Spelling (540).
    Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, 
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: CTB/McGraw-Hill, 
11301 Jollyville Road, Townhouse I-4, Austin, TX 78759, Contact: Ms. 
Lorna Harrison, Telephone: (512) 349-7578, Fax: (512) 349-7580.
    9. Wonderlic Basic Skills Test (WBST)--Verbal Forms VS-1 & VS-2, 
Quantitative Forms QS-1 & QS-2.
    Passing scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as 
follows: Verbal (200) and Quantitative (210).
    Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, 
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: Wonderlic 
Personnel Test, Inc., 1509 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville, IL 60048-
1380, Contact: Mr. Victor S. Artese, Telephone: (800) 323-374, Fax: 
(847) 680-9492.
    Exception: Section 668.153 sets forth special provisions for 
testing students whose native language is not English and who are not 
fluent in English, and for students who have disabilities. None of 
these tests have been approved for those purposes. Accordingly, 
institutions may continue to make ATB eligibility determinations for 
those types of students under the tests approved as of June 30, 1996. 
Moreover, the administration of those tests will not be governed by the 
provisions of 34 CFR Part 668, Subpart J.

Electronic Access to This Document

    Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or 
portable document format (pdf) on the World Wide Web at either of the 
following sites:

http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html

    To use the pdf you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with 
Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you 
have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government Printing 
Office at (202) 512-1530, or, toll free, at 1-888-293-6498.
    Anyone may also view these documents in text copy only on an 
electronic bulletin board of the Department. Telephone: (202) 219-1511 
or, toll free, 1-800-222-4922. The documents are located under Option 
G--Files/Announcements, Bulletins and Press Releases.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register.

    Dated: October 21, 1998.
David A. Longanecker,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 98-28659 Filed 10-26-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P