Even Start success is measured to a large extent by student performance. Assessment of parents’ progress and performance in the adult education program is measured by the BEST PLUS (Basic English Skills Test - Plus), the BEST Literacy Skills, or the TABE ( Tests of Adult Basic Education) in accordance with state law. Both of these assessments are well regarded among adult education researchers.

BEST  Plus                     

Texas adopted the BEST in 1998 for adult education and family literacy programs serving English language learners. According to the publisher, the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL), the BEST is a unique measurement tool designed for adult ESL learners at the survival and pre-employment skills level.

The original BEST consisted of an Oral Interview section and a Literacy Skills section that are scored separately. However, in 2004, Texas adopted the BEST Plus as an alternative to the BEST Oral Interview section. Beginning July 1, 2007 , the BEST Plus will be used exclusively for oral language assessment.

The Best Plus comes in two versions - a computer-adaptive assessment or a print version. Both versions are administered as a face-to-face oral interview. In the computer-adaptive version, the test items are generated via computer. Read more about the BEST Plus.

The BEST Literacy is still available and used for assessment purposes in Texas Adult Education programs. It tests reading and writing skills in authentic situations specifically geared for adult English language learners in the United States. Read more about the BEST Literacy Skills .

The TABE

Texas adopted TABE forms forms 9 & 10 in 2004/2005 for adult education and family literacy programs serving adult basic and adult secondary education learners, including those learners transitioning from English as a second language programs.

The TABE measures adult student performance in Reading, Language and Mathematics and yields the scale scores that programs enter into the automated Adult and Community Education System (ACES). There are five levels of the TABE (L, E, M, D and A) and two forms of each level. However, there are also two versions of TABE. The Survey is a shorter assessment; the Battery is a longer, more diagnostic assessment. Both, however, yield comparable scale scores and are adopted for the Texas Adult Education Assessment System.

Because there are various levels of the TABE and because it is important to find the correct level for assessment, CTB/McGraw-Hill has developed the TABE Locator, a short assessment instrument useful for initial screening. The locator yields the correct level for each TABE assessment and should be used each time a student is assessed. Read more about the TABE.