[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 53 (Monday, March 18, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19307-19308]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-05679]


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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 an extension of the sunset period for 
English as a Second Language (ESL) tests with National Reporting System 
for Adult Education (NRS) approvals that expired on February 2, 2024. 
The sunset period for these tests is extended to June 30, 2025. 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 July 13, 2023, the Secretary published in 
the Federal Register (88 FR 44784) an annual notice announcing tests 
determined to be suitable for use in the NRS, in accordance with 34 CFR 
462.13 (July 2023 notice). The July 2023 notice identified three new 
tests that measure the NRS educational functioning levels

[[Page 19308]]

for Adult Basic Education (ABE) and four new tests that measure the new 
NRS educational functioning levels for ESL. With the Secretary's 
approval of the new ESL tests in the July 2023 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.
    Under the transition rules in Sec.  462.4, the Secretary also 
announced in the July 2023 notice a list of tests with NRS approvals 
expiring on February 2, 2024, and March 7, 2024, that States and local 
eligible providers may continue to use during a sunset period ending on 
June 30, 2024.
    In this notice, under the transition rules in Sec.  462.4, the 
Secretary announces 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 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.
    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 With NRS Approvals That Expired on February 2, 2024, Previously 
Allowed for Use in the NRS During a Sunset Period Ending on June 30, 
2024, and Now Allowed for Use During an Extended Sunset Period Ending 
on June 30, 2025

    The Secretary has determined that the following tests may be used 
at all ESL levels of the NRS during an extended sunset period ending on 
June 30, 2025:
    (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.
    (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--that is, 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, 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.

Amy Loyd,
Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education.
[FR Doc. 2024-05679 Filed 3-15-24; 8:45 am]
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