Action
DEED requires all participants to complete assessments prior to approval of training. The service provider must document all assessments on the Individual Employment Plan (IEP), enter them in Workforce One, and place official results in the case file.
All participants in credentialed training must have:
- An official math and reading assessment.
- A skills gap assessment performed by a case manager.
- Skills and interest assessments for all participants to appropriately gauge participant career paths.
- Proof the case manager crosschecked the participant's skills with those listed on the ONET code typical task list for the employment goal, to identify skills gaps or provided other evidence of a typical skillset for the employment goal.
Exceptions: those who have earned an Associate’s Degree or higher do not need to complete a math and reading assessment. Participants must complete the assessments and the service provider must record the score on the IEP prior to the start of any training in order to ensure that a participant has the basic skills needed to succeed in their educational plans.
Definition
Math and Reading Assessments: Standardized academic assessments that meet the guidelines of the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) – Adult Basic Education(ABE) Office, or the Minnesota State College and University (MnSCU) System. MDE– ABE has approved the use of the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System(CASAS) for English Language Learners and ABE students and the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) for ABE students. MDE-ABE will approve the use of the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) on a case-by-case basis. MnSCU has approved the use of the Accuplacer and the ESL Accuplacer for course placement. Other official assessments that translate math and reading scores to a grade level may be used.
Official Assessments: Official assessments are standardized, formal, objective, and measurable. Interviews are not official assessments, and should only be used to supplement other assessments. Case Managers can use an in-depth interview to identify employment barriers and job goals, but it is not considered an official assessment.
Note: Any approved assessment can be used to determine the Basic Skills requirement/eligibility enrollment. However, for Measurable Skills Gain, only National Reporting System (NRS) approved assessments and scoring mechanisms are authorized for use.
Procedure
Service providers must include the official assessment results in the participant's file. Service providers must record the grade level equivalency, not overall total score, for math and reading assessments. Service providers may select one assessment to use for all participants or use a variety of different assessments available to the participant based on sensibility with career/training goals, or based on participant preference.
***IMPORTANT: During the COVID-19 State of Emergency, assessment flexibility is allowed for the math and reading assessment requirements. DEED is allowing providers to waive the math and reading assessments in cases where it is difficult or impossible to test a participant virtually. This waiver is effective March 16, 2020 until the COVID-19 emergency is declared over. The rationale for waiving the assessments must be case noted.***