98-31999. List of Approved ``Ability-to-Benefit'' Tests and Passing Scores

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 230 (Tuesday, December 1, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66402-66403]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-31999]



[[Page 66401]]

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Part VI





Department of Education





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List of Approved ``Ability-to-Benefit'' Tests and Passing Scores; 
Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 230 / Tuesday, December 1, 1998 / 
Notices

[[Page 66402]]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


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

AGENCY: The Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice: Correction.

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SUMMARY: This document corrects the passing scores for the Test of 
Adult Basic Education (TABE)--Forms 5 and 6, Level A for both the 
Survey and Complete Battery Versions; and Test of Adult Basic Education 
(TABE)--Forms 7 and 8, Level A, for both Survey and Complete Battery 
Versions. Only the paper and pencil formats for these tests were 
approved. These tests and their incorrect passing scores were included 
in the Update Notice of the List of Approved ``Ability-to-Benefit'' 
Tests and Passing Scores that was published in the Federal Register on 
October 27, 1998 (63 FR 57540).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lorraine Kennedy, U.S. Department of 
Education, 600 Independence Avenue, SW, Regional Office Building 3, 
Room 3045, Washington, DC 20202-5451. Telephone: [phone]. 
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding 
paragraph.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 27, 1998, the Secretary published 
a notice that provided a list of ``ability-to-benefit'' tests and 
passing scores that the Secretary has approved under section 484(d)) of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), and the regulations 
that the Secretary promulgated to implement that section in 34 CFR Part 
668, Subpart J. The notice also included approved passing scores for 
the approved tests. These passing scores for the listed TABE tests were 
incorrect. This notice corrects those scores. Users are referred to the 
test publisher's technical manual for computing these scores.
    If an institution used the scores for the TABE tests listed in the 
October 27, 1998 notice for an ability-to-benefit determination under 
section 484(d) of the HEA, and received a notice from the test 
publisher or an assessment center that a student achieved at least a 
passing score on that test, the institution may rely on that notice. 
The student does not have to retake that test.
    However, if the institution was notified by the test publisher or 
an assessment center between October 27, 1998 and December 1, 1998, 
that the student failed to qualify for the ATB program, the institution 
may have the student's TABE test rescored by the test publisher or the 
assessment center with the composite scores listed in this notice.
    For the convenience of institutions participating in the title IV, 
HEA programs and other parties, the following is a listing of the nine 
approved ATB tests and their passing scores.

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

    1. American College Testing (ACT): (English and Math) Passing 
Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as follows: 
English (14) and Math (15).
    Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, 
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: American College 
Testing (ACT), Placement Assessment Programs, 2201 North Dodge Street, 
P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, Iowa 52243, Contact: Dr. James Maxey, 
Telephone: [phone], Fax: [phone].
    2. ASSET Program: Basic Skills Tests (Reading, Writing, and 
Numerical)--Forms B2 and C2.
    Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as 
follows: Reading (34), Writing (34), and Numerical (33).
    Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, 
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: American College 
Testing (ACT), Placement Assessment Programs, 2201 North Dodge Street, 
P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, Iowa 52243, Contact: Dr. John D. Roth, 
Telephone: [phone], Fax: [phone].
    3. Career Programs Assessment (CPAT) Basic Skills Subtests Language 
Usage, Reading and Numerical)--Forms A, B, and C.
    Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as 
follows: Language Usage (43), Reading (44), and Numerical (42).
    Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, 
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: American College 
Testing (ACT), Placement Assessment Programs, 2201 North Dodge Street, 
P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, Iowa 52243, Contact: Dr. John D. Roth, 
Telephone: [phone], Fax: [phone].
    4. COMPASS Subtests: Prealgebra/Numerical Skills Placement, Reading 
Placement, and Writing Placement.
    Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as 
follows: Prealgebra/Numerical (21), Reading (60), and Writing (31).
    Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, 
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: American College 
Testing (ACT), Placement Assessment Programs, 2201 North Dodge Street, 
P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, Iowa 52243, Contact: Dr. John D. Roth, 
Telephone: [phone], Fax: [phone].
    5. Computerized Placement Tests (CPTs)/Accuplacer (Reading 
Comprehension, Sentence Skills, and Arithmetic).
    Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as 
follows: Reading Comprehension (52), Sentence Skills (60), and 
Arithmetic (36).
    Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, 
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: The College Board, 
45 Columbus Avenue, New York, New York 10023-6992, Contact: Ms. Loretta 
M. Church, Telephone: [phone], Fax: [phone].
    6. Descriptive Tests: Descriptive Tests of Language Skills (DTLS) 
(Reading Comprehension, Sentence Structure and Conventions of Written 
English)--Forms M-K-3KDT and M-K-3LDT; and Descriptive Tests of 
Mathematical Skills (DTMS) (Arithmetic)--Forms M-K-3KDT and M-K-3LDT.
    Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as 
follows: Reading Comprehension (108), Sentence Structure (9), 
Conventions of Written English (309), and Arithmetic (506).
    Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, 
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: The College Board, 
45 Columbus Avenue, New York, New York 10023-6992, Contact: Ms. Loretta 
M. Church, Telephone: [phone], Fax: [phone].
    7. Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE): (Reading Total, Total 
Mathematics, Total Language)--Forms 5 and 6, Level A, Complete Battery 
and Survey Versions.
    Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as 
follows: Reading Total (768), Total Mathematics (783), Total Language 
(714).
    Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, 
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: CTB/McGraw-Hill, 
20 Ryan Ranch Road, Monterey, California 93940-5703, Contact: Ms. Tina 
Gwaltney, Telephone: [phone], Fax: [phone].
    8. Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE): (Reading, Total 
Mathematics,

[[Page 66403]]

Language)--Forms 7 and 8, Level A, Complete Battery and Survey 
Versions.
    Passing Scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as 
follows: Reading (559), Total Mathematics (562), Language (545).
    Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, 
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: CTB/McGraw-Hill, 
20 Ryan Ranch Road, Monterey, California 93940-5703, Contact: Ms. Tina 
Gwaltney, Telephone: [phone], Fax: [phone].
    9. Wonderlic Basic Skills Test (WBST)--Verbal Forms VS-1 & VS-2, 
Quantitative Forms QS-1 & QS-2.
    Passing scores: The approved passing scores on this test are as 
follows: Verbal (200) and Quantitative (210).
    Publisher: The test publisher and the address, contact person, 
telephone, and fax number of the test publisher are: Wonderlic 
Personnel Test, Inc., 1509 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville, IL 60048-
1380, Contact: Mr. Victor S. Artese, Telephone: [phone], Fax: 
[phone].

Electronic Access to This Document

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    Anyone may also view these documents in text copy only on an 
electronic bulletin board of the Department. Telephone: [phone] 
or, toll free, 1-800-222-4922. The documents are located under Option 
G--Files/Announcements, Bulletins and Press Releases.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register.

    Dated: November 24, 1998.
Diane E. Rogers,
Acting Chief Operating Officer, Student Financial Assistance Programs.
[FR Doc. 98-31999 Filed 11-30-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P