"BEST Plus 2.0 is an individually administered, face-to-face oral interview designed to assess the English language listening and speaking proficiency of adult English learners in the United States.” (Adapted from https://cal.org/aea/bp/) This training is for practitioners looking to become a new BEST Plus 2.0 test administrator and scorer.
The BEST Plus 2.0 administration and scoring training is delivered across two days (seven hours total) as an online facilitated training. There are four requirements that must be completed by the deadline established by the Center for Educational Assessment at UMass (CEA) to become certified to administer the BEST Plus 2.0 test. The deadline for this training is Friday, March 4th, 2022.
The requirements are as follows:
- Attend the two 3.5 hour online facilitated training sessions via Zoom.
- Commit to a 60-minute small group meeting after the training sessions to review and practice using the software. (You will receive a Doodle Link to indicate your availability prior to the training.)
- Complete 10 practice test administrations.
- Obtain a passing score on the assigned Scoring Activity.
Two weeks prior to the training, participants will receive an email from the CEA to confirm a mailing address, via a link to an online form. You will be asked for a mailing address, home or work, where the CEA can ship training materials to you in the days leading up to the training.
Given the timing of this training, you must register by Friday, January 21st at 5:00 pm to receive paper copies of the materials via UPS. All registrations received after that date will receive a link to digital materials to use during the training and the paper copies will arrive after the training.
Please note: Participants are asked to arrive 5-10 minutes early in case of technology issues, but at a minimum must arrive on time for both sessions and must attend both sessions in their entirety to complete the first requirement of the certification. In addition, participants are expected to complete one hour of self-study between Day 1 and Day 2 of the training.
There is an online prerequisite for this training. See below for more information.
- ACLS-funded practitioners who need to be trained as BEST Plus 2.0 test administrators
This professional development activity/course is designed for:
The BEST Plus 2.0 administration and scoring training is delivered across two days (seven hours total) as an online facilitated training. This training is for practitioners looking to become a new BEST Plus 2.0 test administrator. After completing the seven-hour online training, each participant must successfully complete each of the following:
- Participate in a 60-minute small group meeting after the training sessions to review and practice using the software. (You will receive a Doodle Link to indicate your availability prior to the training.)
- Practice administering the test with a minimum of five non-native speakers plus five other individuals that may include non-native speakers. These practice tests may not be administered as pre- or post-assessments. To access these tests, trainees must use the BEST Plus 2.0 software.
- Obtain a passing score on the assigned scoring activity. (Access to the scoring activity will be made available using a link provided at the end of the training.)
You are encouraged to speak with your program director or ESOL coordinator prior to registering.
- Recognize the importance of assessing students' language abilities
- Administer and score the BEST Plus 2.0 computer-adaptive oral interview
- Run the BEST Plus 2.0 Test Administration Program
- Interpret BEST Plus 2.0 scores
Upon completion of this professional development activity/course, you will be able to:
- English fluency level of SPL 9 or above
- Experience and comfort interacting with non-native English speakers
- Basic comfort level with computers
- Completion of the Assessment Basics webinar*
- Practitioners must complete the online Assessment Basics webinar prior to attending the BEST Plus 2.0 training.
- This online webinar-based training takes 30-40 minutes and consists of two videos followed by questions.
- The first video describes what assessment is, how assessment fits into curriculum and instruction, and how to interpret different types of test scores.
- The second video explains what assessments are required in Massachusetts for NRS reporting purposes and provides an overview of the ACLS assessment policies.
- Access to a PC running Windows XP or later with BEST Plus 2.0 software installed.
- The BEST Plus 2.0 software is not compatible with Apple devices.
- Practitioners who do not have access to a PC should consult with their program director before signing up for this training.
- Registrants must include an appropriate mailing address upon registration
- UMass is also managing registration for this training to ensure that as many programs as possible have access to this training.
- This training is capped at 24 participants, and only 2 people per program will be permitted in this training.
- If more than 2 participants from a single program sign up, the 3rd participant (and any subsequent individual who signs up from that program) will be placed on a waitlist and contacted for interest and availability for a training at a later date.
ONLINE
MA
United States
