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Lesson Planning with an Eye on Outcomes

By Linda Feldmann, Project Coordinator

This time of year I begin to think about how learners in my groups will fare on their end-of-year assessments. As required by NYS Dept. of Education, educational gains for adult students are measured using BEST Plus or BEST Literacy. While these tests have no right or wrong answers, we can help students to show the improvements they’ve made by keeping in mind the requirements and structures of the assessment tools.

The BEST Plus is a conversation-based tool that measures a learner’s ability to comprehend spoken English; the complexity of the language that the learner can generate; and the tester’s ability to understand the learner’s speech. This underscores the need to incorporate both listening and speaking in each lesson, with comprehension checks and tips for good pronunciation. As for complexity, listen to your learner as she speaks. Is she using connective language? Adverbial clauses? Is she able to expand on an idea and to provide more detail as she speaks?

The BEST Literacy measures writing and reading skills using a number of tasks that appear on the MELT list, which can be found in I Speak English (New Readers Press). Can your students write a simple letter and address the envelope? Do they know how to use the telephone directory? I sometimes find myself assuming that since my students are high functioning adults who negotiate their way in the world every day, they must have mastered what I consider everyday skills. This is a mistake that I try to avoid by giving students the chance to exercise the skills I take for granted.