[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 231 (Monday, December 6, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69021-69023]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-26360]


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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; restated tests determined to be suitable for use in the 
National Reporting System for Adult Education.

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SUMMARY: On October 21, 2021, the Department of Education (Department) 
published in the Federal Register a notice announcing tests, test 
forms, and delivery formats that the Secretary determines to be 
suitable for use in the National Reporting System for Adult Education 
(NRS notice). To address formatting issues arising in the publication 
of the NRS notice, the Office of the Federal Register published a 
correction on November 15, 2021. To ensure that the NRS notice is 
available to stakeholders in an easy-to-understand format, in this 
notice we restate the text of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of 
the NRS notice with the corrected formatting. Other than to correct the 
formatting, we have not made any changes to the content of the NRS 
notice. This notice relates to the approved information collections 
under OMB control numbers 1830-0027 and 1830-0567.

[[Page 69022]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John LeMaster, Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 10-223, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-7240. Telephone: (202) 245-6218. Email: 
[email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll-free, at 1-
800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Background: On October 21, 2021, the Department published the NRS 
notice in the Federal Register (86 FR 58258). To address formatting 
issues arising in the publication of the NRS notice, the Office of the 
Federal Register published a correction in the Federal Register on 
November 15, 2021 (86 FR 63007). To ensure that the NRS notice is 
available to stakeholders in an easy-to-understand format, in this 
notice we restate the text of the NRS notice with the corrected 
formatting. Other than to correct the formatting, we have not made any 
changes to the content of the NRS notice.
    For clarity, when we reference the 2021 NRS notice in the future, 
we will refer to this notice in lieu of the Federal Register notices 
published on October 21, 2021 (86 FR 58258) and November 15, 2021 (86 
FR 63007). The restated SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of the NRS 
notice is below.
    Restated Text of the NRS Notice:
    On January 14, 2008, and as amended on August 19, 2016, we 
published in the Federal Register final regulations for 34 CFR part 
462, Measuring Educational Gain in the National Reporting System for 
Adult Education (NRS regulations) (73 FR 2305, January 14, 2008, as 
amended at 81 FR 55552, August 19, 2016). 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 notice). Also, in the 
August 2020 notice, the Secretary announced that 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.
    The Secretary took this action with respect to the previously 
approved tests and test forms, due to the Department's desire to 
minimize potential disruption in access to new tests for its grantees 
caused by the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).
    In this notice, the Secretary publishes the same list of approved 
tests and test forms as was published in the August 2020 notice.
    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 for use in the NRS.
    TESTS DETERMINED TO BE SUITABLE FOR USE IN THE NRS FOR A SEVEN-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 Literacy/English Language Arts and Mathematics at all ABE 
levels of the NRS until September 7, 2024:
    (1) 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.ctb.com/.
    The Secretary has determined that the following test is suitable 
for use in Literacy/English Language Arts at all ABE levels of the NRS 
until February 5, 2025:
    (1) Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS) Reading 
GOALS Series. Forms 901, 902, 903, 904, 905, 906, 907, and 908 are 
approved for use on paper and through a computer-based delivery format. 
Publisher: CASAS, 5151 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 220, San Diego, CA 
92123-4339. Telephone: (800) 255-1036. Internet: www.casas.org/.
    The Secretary has determined that the following tests are suitable 
for use at ABE levels 2 through 6 of the NRS until May 2, 2026:
    (1) Massachusetts Adult Proficiency Test--College and Career 
Readiness (MAPT-CCR) for Reading. This test is approved for use through 
a computer-adaptive delivery format. Publisher: Massachusetts 
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and University of 
Massachusetts Amherst, College of Education, N110, Furcolo Hall, 813 
North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003. Telephone: (413) 545-0564. 
Internet: www.doe.mass.edu/acls/assessment/.
    (2) Massachusetts Adult Proficiency Test--College and Career 
Readiness (MAPT-CCR) for Mathematics. This test is approved for use 
through a computer-adaptive delivery format. Publisher: Massachusetts 
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and University of 
Massachusetts Amherst, College of Education, N110, Furcolo Hall, 813 
North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003. Telephone: (413) 545-0564. 
Internet: www.doe.mass.edu/acls/assessment/.
    TEST DETERMINED TO BE SUITABLE FOR USE IN THE NRS FOR A THREE-YEAR 
PERIOD FROM THE PUBLICATION DATE OF THE ORIGINAL NOTICE IN WHICH IT WAS 
ANNOUNCED AND APPROVED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD THROUGH MARCH 7, 2023
    The Secretary has determined that the following test is suitable 
for use in Mathematics at all ABE levels of the NRS until March 7, 2023
    (1) Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System (CASAS) Math 
GOALS Series. Forms 900, 913, 914, 917, and 918 are approved for use on 
paper and through a computer-based delivery format. Publisher: CASAS, 
5151 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite 220, San Diego, CA 92123-4339. 
Telephone: (800) 255-1036. Internet: www.casas.org/.
    ESL TESTS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD THROUGH 
FEBRUARY 2, 2021, AND APPROVED FOR AN ADDITIONAL EXTENDED PERIOD 
THROUGH FEBRUARY 2, 2023:
    The Secretary has determined that the following tests are suitable 
for use at all ESL levels of the NRS until February 2, 2023:
    (1) Basic English Skills Test (BEST) Literacy. Forms B, C, and D 
are approved for use on paper. Publisher: Center for Applied 
Linguistics, 4646 40th Street NW, Washington, DC 20016-1859. Telephone: 
(202) 362-0700. Internet: www.cal.org.
    (2) Basic English Skills Test (BEST) Plus 2.0. Forms D, E, and F 
are approved for use on paper and through the computer-adaptive 
delivery format. Publisher: Center for Applied Linguistics, 4646 40th 
Street NW, Washington, DC 20016-1859. Telephone: (202) 362-0700. 
Internet: www.cal.org.

[[Page 69023]]

    (3) Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems (CASAS) Life and 
Work Listening Assessments (LW Listening). Forms 981L, 982L, 983L, 
984L, 985L, and 986L are approved for use on paper and through the 
computer-based delivery format. Publisher: CASAS, 5151 Murphy Canyon 
Road, Suite 220, San Diego, CA 92123-4339. Telephone: (800) 255-1036. 
Internet: www.casas.org.
    (4) Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems (CASAS) Reading 
Assessments (Life and Work, Life Skills, Reading for Citizenship, 
Reading for Language Arts--Secondary Level). Forms 27, 28, 81, 82, 81X, 
82X, 83, 84, 85, 86, 185, 186, 187, 188, 310, 311, 513, 514, 951, 952, 
951X, and 952X of this test are approved for use on paper and through 
the computer-based delivery format. Publisher: CASAS, 5151 Murphy 
Canyon Road, Suite 220, San Diego, CA 92123-4339. Telephone: (800) 255-
1036. Internet: www.casas.org.
    (5) Tests of Adult Basic Education Complete Language Assessment 
System-English (TABE/CLAS-E). Forms A and B 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, the Secretary may revoke the 
determination that a test is suitable (see 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, or 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 documents of this Department 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 documents of the Department 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.

Jennifer Mishory,
Chief of Staff, delegated the authority to perform the functions and 
duties of the Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult 
Education.
[FR Doc. 2021-26360 Filed 12-3-21; 8:45 am]
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