Information for this section was adapted from Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) User’s Handbook.

The TABE instruments provide assessment, placement, growth, literacy level, prediction, and prescription information. The TABE provides tests to assess literacy level work-skills and English as a second language skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. For students who are Spanish speaking and have little or no fluency in English TABE Español is available.

Assessment

TABE 7 & 8 assessments are based on curriculum philosophies from adult education programs. The work-related assessments are based on the Carl Perkins Vocational Education Act, the Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS), and the American Society for Training and Development.

Placement

TABE 7 or 8 in the Survey edition, in addition to the Locator Test, can provide information for placement of students whose primary language is English. TABE Español with the locator and practice test can be used for placement with students whose primary language is Spanish.

Growth

To measure growth all the 7 & 8 forms of the same level test are equated so that pre- and post-tests will accurately measure gains of students.

Literacy Level

TABE 7 & 8 provides an assessment of the reading levels of students.

Prediction

TABE 7 & 8 scores provide a GED prediction score for each content area.

Prescription

The TABE group of assessment instruments provides lessons needed based on TABE scores. The TABE is keyed to all the major ABE and vocational education publishers’ materials. TestMate TABE Advanced Module Prescriptive Assignments can give automatic reports of specific lessons the student needs, based on the TABE scores. With the computer scoring, group results for skills and content area are available to provide information for teachers for group instructions.

EMPLOYMENT SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

When adult learners have reached a proficiency level of grade 6 or 7, the TABE Work Related Foundation Skills test can be used to measure progress with pre/post testing. The Work-Related Foundation Skills is on the same scale as the TABE 7 & 8 and can be used as a post-test to measure improvement.

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

To determine the level of English fluency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing the Adult Language Assessment Scales can be used. To assess Reading and Applied Math skills of Spanish-speaking students, the TABE Español can be used.

TABE ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS

Practice and Locator Test

The practice portion of the test helps students become familiar with the types of items on the test. The locator portion of the test helps to determine the appropriate test level of TABE 7 & 8 for students. The Practice and Locator Test takes approximately 20 minutes to administer. Beginning readers who cannot take the Practice and Locator Test can take the TABE Level L Test Form 7 or 8.

TABE 7 & 8 Complete Battery

The Complete Battery is a series of five tests at five levels that give both normed scores and skill- and outcome-performance scores for adults. The Complete Battery includes Reading, Mathematics Computation, Applied Mathematics, Language, and Spelling. The Complete Battery takes approximately 3 hours to administer.

TABE 7 & 8 Survey

The Survey version includes Reading, Mathematics Computation, Applied Mathematics, Language, and Spelling. The Survey takes approximately 1.5 hours to administer, and also provides normed scores.

TABE Work-Related Foundation Skills

Four editions of this test assess Reading, Mathematics, Language skills, and competencies in workplace contexts for health, business/office, trade/technical, and general occupational groups.

TABE Work-Related Problem Solving

A sixth-grade or higher reading level is required for this test, which yields both normative and qualitative scores. Two forms measure a wide range of problem-solving competencies. Life and work-related tasks are used to assess problem-solving skills. This test takes approximately one hour to administer.

TABE Español

This is a survey test with normed scores for Reading, Mathematics Computation, Applied Mathematics, and Language in Spanish. A Locator Test is available to determine the level of the test to administer. It covers skills for grade levels 1.6 through 6.9.

TABE-PC

The computer-administered version of the TABE includes TABE 7 & 8 Complete Battery and Survey forms; Work-Related Foundation Skills; and TABE Español. Individual and group scoring and reporting is also included in the TABE-PC.

LARGE PRINT EDITION

Form 7 Complete Battery and Survey editions are available in large print for students who are visually impaired.

TEST LEVELS AND CONTENT, TABE 7 & 8

Test Level Grade Range

• L (Literacy) 0-1.9
• E (Easy) 1.6-3.9
• M (Medium) 3.6-6.9
• D (Difficult) 6.6-8.9
• A (Advanced) 8.6-12.9

Level L

Level L tests for Pre-Reading and Reading Skills. It has 50 items, and takes 48 minutes to complete. Level L screens for the following: visual/reversal problems, recognition of letters, auditory skills/sound discrimination, and beginning comprehension skills (listening, retention, word understanding, and interpretation).

Level E

Level E tests Reading, Mathematics Computation, Applied Mathematics, Language, and Spelling. It has 200 items, and 164 minutes is allocated for students to complete all sections.

Level M

Level M tests Reading, Mathematics Computation, Applied Mathematics, Language, and Spelling. It has 200 items, and 164 minutes is allocated for students to complete all sections.

Level D

Level D tests Reading, Mathematics Computation, Applied Mathematics, Language, and Spelling. It has 200 items, and 164 minutes is allocated for students to complete all sections.

Level A

Level A tests Reading, Mathematics Computation, Applied Mathematics, Language, and Spelling. It has 200 items, and 164 minutes is allocated for students to complete all sections.

TEST CONTENT

Level L

Pre-Reading Skills

• Matching letters
• Recognizing letters
• Beginning sounds
• Ending sounds
• Middle Sounds

Reading Skills

• Interpret Graphic Information
• Words in Context
• Recall Information
• Construction Meaning

Level E

Reading

• Interpret Graphic Information
• Words in Context
• Recall Information
• Construction Meaning
• Evaluate/Extend Meaning

Mathematics Computation

• Addition of Whole Numbers
• Subtraction of Whole Numbers
• Multiplication of Whole Numbers
• Division of Whole Numbers

Applied Mathematics

• Numeration
• Number theory
• Data Interpretation
• Pre-Algebra & Algebra
• Measurement
• Geometry
• Computation in Context
• Estimation

Language

• Usage
• Sentence Formation
• Paragraph Development
• Capitalization
• Punctuation
• Writing Conventions

Spelling

• Vowels
• Consonants
• Structural Unit

Level M

Reading

• Interpret Graphic Information
• Words in Context
• Recall Information
• Construction Meaning
• Evaluate/Extend Meaning

Mathematics Computation

• Addition of Whole Numbers
• Subtraction of Whole Numbers
• Multiplication of Whole Numbers
• Division of Whole Numbers
• Decimals
• Fractions

Applied Mathematics

• Numeration
• Number theory
• Data Interpretation
• Pre-Algebra & Algebra
• Measurement
• Geometry
• Computation in Context
• Estimation

Language

• Usage
• Sentence Formation
• Paragraph Development
• Capitalization
• Punctuation
• Writing Conventions

Spelling

• Vowels
• Consonants
• Structural Unit

Level D

Reading

• Interpret Graphic Information
• Words in Context
• Recall Information
• Construction Meaning
• Evaluate/Extend Meaning

Mathematics Computation

• Addition of Whole Numbers
• Subtraction of Whole Numbers
• Multiplication of Whole Numbers
• Division of Whole Numbers
• Decimals
• Fractions
• Integers
• Percents

Applied Mathematics

• Numeration
• Number theory
• Data Interpretation
• Pre-Algebra & Algebra
• Measurement
• Geometry
• Computation in Context
• Estimation

Language

• Usage
• Sentence Formation
• Paragraph Development
• Capitalization
• Punctuation
• Writing Conventions

Spelling

• Vowels
• Consonants
• Structural Unit

Level A

Reading

• Interpret Graphic Information
• Words in Context
• Recall Information
• Construction Meaning
• Evaluate/Extend Meaning

Mathematics Computation

• Addition of Whole Numbers
• Subtraction of Whole Numbers
• Multiplication of Whole Numbers
• Division of Whole Numbers
• Decimals
• Fractions
• Integers
• Percents
• Algebraic Operations

Applied Mathematics

• Numeration
• Number theory
• Data Interpretation
• Pre-Algebra & Algebra
• Measurement
• Geometry
• Computation in Context
• Estimation

Language

• Usage
• Sentence Formation
• Paragraph Development
• Capitalization
• Punctuation
• Writing Conventions

Spelling

• Vowels
• Consonants
• Structural Unit

 

PRACTICE AND LOCATOR TEST

The practice and locator tests are combined in one book. The practice test contains 10 items and provides practice in following directions and marking answers on a separate answer sheet.

INDIVIDUAL DIAGNOSTIC PROFILES (IDPs)

The Individual Diagnostic Profile lists objectives and skills measured by the tests, and provides spaces for indicating mastery or non-mastery. The IDP presents information on levels of test performance based on the number correct and mastery summaries.

SCORING THE TABE

The TABE can be hand scored or computer scored.

NORMS BOOK

A Norms Books is needed when hand scoring TABE 7 & 8 to determine scale scores, grade equivalents, percentile ranks, and stanines.

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATGIES UTILIZING TABE SCORES

TABE Prescriptive Assignments

Software provides prescriptive assignments based on TABE 7 & 8 Complete Battery scores. It provides prescriptions for materials from the following publishers: BLS/STAT Tutor Programs, Contemporary Books, EDL, McGraw-Hill’s Open Integrated Learning System, PACE, Skills Bank II, and Steck-Vaughn.

Instructional Strategies

The TABE User’s Handbook provides samples of instructional strategies for adults.

TABE WORK-RELATED FOUNDATION SKILLS

The TABE Work-Related Foundation Skills are norm-referenced tests that measure achievement of basic skills in reading, mathematics, and language. These tests assess the skills needed to function in the workplace. There are four forms of the TABE Work-Related Foundation Skills: Health, Trade/Technical, Business/Office, and General.

The assessment content does not require the student to have knowledge or experience in any particular occupational area. All of the forms of the TABE Work-Related Foundation Skills measure comparable skills. The General form presents a blend of various occupational settings for its context and can be used as an alternate for each of the other forms. The Health, Trade/Technical, and Business/Office forms are set in specific job-related contexts, with each one emphasizing skills that are appropriate to its particular occupational cluster.

CONTENT OF TEST

Each of the forms of the TABE Work-Related Foundation Skills tests contains the following tests: Reading, Mathematics Computation, Applied Mathematics, and Language. Total time for taking the test is 2 hours.

Reading

• Recognize Words in Context
• Recall Information
• Construction Meaning

• Evaluate/Extend Meaning

• Interpret Graphics/Reference Sources

Applied Mathematics

• Numeration
• Computation in Context
• Number Theory
• Measurement
• Data Interpretation
• Geometry
• Pre-Algebra & Algebra

Mathematics Computation

• Addition & Subtraction
• Multiplication & Division
• Percents

Language

• Usage
• Sentence Formation
• Paragraph Development
• Writing Conventions

SCORING THE TABE WORK-RELATED FOUNDATION SKILLS

The TABE Work-Related Foundation Skills tests can be hand-scored, TestMate scored, or taken and scored on a PC with TABE-PC. The TABE Work-Related Foundation Skills provides norm-referenced scores in the form of scale scores, grade equivalents, and percentile ranks

DIAGNOSTIC PROFILE

An interest questionnaire/interview is included in the Individual Diagnostic Profile of the TABE Work-Related Foundation Skills test.

GED PREDICTION

GED prediction scores are also available with the scores of the TABE Work-Related Foundation Skills tests.