[Bestplus] New Training Policies

[Carey Reid]

Hello everyone,

The BEST Plus trainings continue to go very well, thanks to you all! 
SABES and DOE/ACLS have been reviewing some of the challenges that have
come up along the way and developed several policies, which we hope will
make the trainings even more effective.  

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR TRAINEES WHO HAVE DIFFICULTIES

1. As in the past, if you notice a trainee is having difficulty with
some aspect of the training, please note your concerns on the
registration list.  We are now asking, additionally, that you also
contact your regional CAC by phone very soon after the training,
preferably the next day and no later than three days after.  This will
allow the CAC to get a fuller idea of what difficulties you observed,
benefit from any suggestions you might have for remediation, and then to
set up any needed technical assistance with the trainee in a timely
manner.  

2.  We have noticed that once a trainee receives the Certificate of
Completion, she/he infers that she is officially certified to administer
tests and is therefore less open to technical assistance, if needed. 
For that reason, Certificates will be mailed out a week or so after the
training.  That will allow time for the CACs to contact anyone whom you
have flagged for needing technical assistance.  To avoid confusion,
please tell trainees only that Certificates of Completion will be mailed
out shortly and to please not administer any official tests until they
have received theirs.

3.  We understand that in many cases many of you have provided
technical assistance to trainees during the course of the training or
immediately afterwards.  We are grateful for that additional help,
though we do not require or expect it of you.  If you DO provide
additional assistance to a given trainee, please make a note of it on
the registration sheet so that your regional CAC will be fully
informed.

4.  We have collected several examples of the kinds of difficulties
that trainees have had thus far as well as strategies that have worked
well to address them.  We will share this information with you next
week.


POST-TRAINING TEST ADMINISTRATIONS

We have learned that some trainees (a) are putting off the completion
of their required ten practice administrations and (b) using only native
speakers as testees.  Therefore, please announce the following at each
of your trainings:

1. Trainees have 30 days to complete their ten practice administrations
and submit their BEST Plus Proficiency Development Forms to their ALCS
Program Specialist.

2. The 30-day time limit is now spelled out in both the Certificate and
the Proficiency Development Form (attached for your information.)  

3. At least five of these practice administrations should be done with
ESOL learners or non-native speakers.  (Please share the usual sources
we've come up with for finding testees: wait-listed persons, REEP-tested
students, non-native speaker staff members, and so forth).

Thank you all,
 


Carey Reid
SABES Staff Develor for Licensure & Assessment
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SABES Central Resource Center
World Education, Inc.
44 Farnsworth Street
Boston, MA  02210
617-482-9485
617-482-0617 (FAX)
<creid at worlded.org>



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