[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 116 (Friday, June 14, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50584-50585]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-13175]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


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

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice updates the list of ATB tests approved by the 
Secretary.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Aaron Washington, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 294-12, Washington, DC 20202. 
Telephone: (202) 987-0911. 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: In order for a student who does not have a 
high school diploma or its recognized equivalent to be eligible for 
title IV program assistance, the student must successfully complete one 
of the ATB alternatives (listed below) and be enrolled in an eligible 
career pathway program (ECPP) \1\ pursuant to section 484(d)(1) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA).
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    \1\ A student that enrolled in an eligible program at an 
eligible title IV institution prior to July 1, 2012 does not have to 
enroll in an ECPP. While this will be a very rare occurrence, please 
see DCL GEN 12-09 for more guidance. https://fsapartners.ed.gov/knowledge-center/library/dear-colleague-letters/2012-06-28/gen-12-09-subjecttitle-iv-eligibility-students-without-valid-high-school-diploma.
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    The ATB alternatives are--
     Passing an independently administered ATB test approved by 
the Secretary;
     Completing at least six credit hours, or the equivalent 
coursework (225 clock hours), that are applicable toward a degree or 
certificate offered by the postsecondary institution; or
     Completing a State process approved by the Secretary.
    With respect to the ATB test alternative, there are specific 
requirements for students whose native language is not English, and who 
are not fluent in English. Those students must comply with one of the 
three following options:
    1. A student who is enrolled in a program that is taught in the 
student's native language must take an approved test developed in the 
student's native language pursuant to 34 CFR 668.153(a)(1). Currently 
there are no approved ATB tests in a language other than English. 
Therefore, these students must use one of the remaining two ATB 
alternatives to qualify for title IV aid;
    2. A student who is enrolled in a program that is taught in English 
must take an ATB test designed to measure the English language 
competence of a non-native speaker. Students who are enrolled in such a 
program that has an ``English as a Second Language'' (ESL) component 
and who are enrolled in the ESL component, must take an approved ATB 
test specifically for a student whose native language is not English 
and who is not fluent in English, pursuant to 34 CFR 668.153(a)(2). 
Similarly, students who are enrolled in an ESL only program must take 
an approved ATB test specifically for a student whose native language 
is not English and who is not fluent in English, pursuant to 34 CFR 
668.153(a)(2);
    3. A student who is enrolled in a program that is taught in English 
without an ESL component, or does not enroll in the ESL component of 
the program, must take an ATB test in English that assesses secondary 
school verbal and quantitative skills, pursuant to 34 CFR 
668.153(a)(3).
    List of approved tests and passing scores: The Secretary lists 
below all approved ATB tests and their passing scores. The list is 
updated to reflect revisions to the list of approved ATB tests and 
passing scores that was published in the Federal Register on November 
9, 2020 (85 FR 71326).

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                        Test publisher
            ATB test                Passing scores          contact
                                                          information
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Combined English Language       CELSA Form 1 (97),  Association of
 Skills Assessment (CELSA),        CELSA Form 2 (97).  Classroom Teacher
 Forms 1 and 2 Effective Date:                         Testers (ACCT),
 November 1, 2002.                                     1187 Coast
                                                       Village Road,
                                                       Suite 1, #378,
                                                       Montecito, CA
                                                       93108. Contact:
                                                       Telephone: (805)
                                                       965-5704. Fax:
                                                       (805) 965-5807.
                                                       Email:
                                                       [email protected].
ACCUPLACER Computer-adaptive      Reading Test        The College Board,
 tests and COMPANION ACCUPLACER    (233), Writing      250 Vesey Street,
 Forms J and K: Reading Test,      Test (235),         New York, NY
 Writing Test, and Arithmetic      Arithmetic Test     10281. Contact:
 Test.                             (230).              ACCUPLACER
                                                       Program.
                                                       Telephone: (800)
                                                       607-5223. Email:
                                                       [email protected].

[[Page 50585]]

 
** Texas Success Initiative       Reading Placement
 (TSI) Assessment--Computer-       Test (336),
 adaptive tests and COMPANION      Writing Placement
 TSI Forms T and V: Reading        Test (345),
 Placement Test, Writing           Mathematics
 Placement Test, Mathematics       Placement Test
 Placement Test.                   (326).
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* Note: As provided in 34 CFR 668.153(a)(2), the CELSA test is approved
  as the additional ATB English language proficiency test that must be
  taken by students whose native language is not English and who are not
  fluent in English if the academic program includes an ESL component.
** Note: TSI remains a provisionally approved test and can continue to
  be used to establish title IV aid eligibility. If the Department
  denies full approval, we will provide notice of the denial through
  publication in the Federal Register, pursuant to 34 CFR 668.150(c)(3).

    List of ATB tests that are no longer approved: The following tests 
are no longer included on the approved list of tests that may be used 
for the purpose of determining a student's eligibility for title IV 
program assistance. Please note the effective dates for each test.
    1. Test: The ACT Career Programs Assessment test (CPAt)--Forms B 
and C.
    Effective Dates: November 1, 2002, through June 30, 2015.
    Passing Scores: Language Usage (42), Reading (43), and Numerical 
(41).
    Publisher: ACT, Inc., 500 ACT Drive, P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, IA 
52243-0168.
    Contact: https://global.act.org/content/global/en/global-programs/contact-us.html.
    2. Test: The ACT WorkKeys test--Reading for Information--Forms 
A01AA, A02AA, C01AA, & D10AA; Applied Mathematic--Forms A01BB, A02BB, 
C01BB, & D01BB.
    Effective Dates: May 19, 2006, through June 30, 2015.
    Passing Scores: Reading for Information Forms A01AA (76), A02AA 
(75), C01AA (77), & D10AA (77); Applied Mathematics Forms A01BB (73), 
A02BB (74), C01BB (73), & D01BB (73).
    Publisher: ACT, Inc., 500 ACT Drive, P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, IA 
52243-0168.
    Contact: https://global.act.org/content/global/en/global-programs/contact-us.html.
    3. Test: The College Board DTLS and DTMS Forms M-K-3KDT and M-K-
3LDT tests.
    Effective Dates: November 1, 2002, through April 27, 2007.
    Passing Scores: Reading Comprehension (108), Sentence Structure 
(9), Conventions of Written English (309), and Arithmetic (506).
    Publisher: The College Board, 250 Vesey Street, New York, New York 
10281.
    Contact: ACCUPLACER Program; Telephone: (866) 630-9305. Email: 
https://form.collegeboard.org/f/send-message.
    4. Test: ASSET: Basic Skills Test (Reading, Writing, and 
Numerical)--Forms B2, C2, D2, and E2.
    Effective Dates: November 1, 2002, through October 31, 2015.
    Passing Scores: Reading (35), Writing (35), and Numerical (33).
    Publisher: ACT, Inc., 500 ACT Drive, P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, IA 
52243-0168.
    Contact: https://global.act.org/content/global/en/global-programs/contact-us.html.
    5. Test: COMPASS Subtests--Prealgebra/Numerical Skills.
    Passing Scores: Prealgebra/Numerical (25), Reading (62), and 
Writing (32).
    Effective Dates: November 1, 2002, through October 31, 2015.
    Publisher: ACT, Inc., 500 ACT Drive, P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, IA 
52243-0168.
    Contact: https://global.act.org/content/global/en/global-programs/contact-us.html.
    6. Test: COMPASS ESL.
    Passing Scores: Grammar/Usage (64), Reading (70), and Listening 
(70).
    Effective Dates: May 19, 2006, through October 31, 2015.
    Publisher: ACT, Inc., 500 ACT Drive, P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, IA 
52243-0168.
    Contact: https://global.act.org/content/global/en/global-programs/contact-us.html.
    7. Test: Wonderlic Basic Skills Test (WBST) Verbal Forms VS-1 & VS-
2, Quantitative Forms QS-1 & QS-2 Paper and pencil versions and online 
versions.
    Effective Dates: July 1, 2015, through March 31, 2023.
    Publisher: Wonderlic, Inc., 400 Lakeview Parkway, Suite 200, Vernon 
Hills, IL 60061.
    Contact: https://wonderlic.com/contact-us/
    8. Test: Spanish Wonderlic Basic Skills Test (Spanish WBST) Verbal 
Forms VS-1 & VS-2, Quantitative Forms QS-1 & QS-2 Paper and pencil 
versions and online versions.
    Effective Dates: July 1, 2015 through March 31, 2023.
    Publisher: Wonderlic, Inc., 400 Lakeview Parkway, Suite 200, Vernon 
Hills, IL 60061.
    Contact: https://wonderlic.com/contact-us/.
    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, 
audiotape, or compact disc) on request to the program contact person 
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    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: 20 U.S.C. 1091(d).

Nasser H. Paydar,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2024-13175 Filed 6-13-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P