(3) Assessment and Instructional Hour Data Entry Requirements

Is a grantee required to enter all assessment scores a learner takes into LACES?

All assessments approved in the assessment policy that are administered to a learner must be entered into LACES. This helps programs see a more complete snapshot of learners’ progress in assessment and is essential for AEI and grantees in monitoring the quality of assessment administration. 

Grantees must enter out-of-range assessment scores into LACES as it is a component of grantee monitoring. When entering out-of-range score assessments, grantees must add a comment in the learner record indicating that the assessment administration resulted in an out-of-range score and has been addressed through a re-test. When adding the comment, grantees must choose the comment type called, “Out of Range Score Detail.” The comment should clearly identify which assessment resulted in an out-of-range score and which was the re-test. 

When a learner is re-tested because a test is invalid (ie: same form as the previous test accidentally administered, cheating, fire drill, didn’t complete test), the prior, invalid test does not need to be entered into LACES. However, the program is required to keep all tests on file at the local level in the learner’s file. Records must be kept for five years plus the current year. 

How can I push forward assessments into new years or Periods of Participation?

Instructions for how to push forward tests into new years or Periods of Participation can be located in the LACES Data Dictionary here.

Only tests with an administration date within the 90 days before the date of the push forward in LACES will be eligible to be pushed forward. All other tests will result in an error message in LACES indicating the test cannot be pushed forward. If there are extenuating circumstances, grantees may request that AEI manually override this rule and push forward an older assessment. These circumstances include:

• Learner health & safety concerns
• Classroom/site closures and lack of technology access for a learner
• Assessment is within 1 month of 90-day cut off

To make an assessment push forward override request, email your AEI Program Coordinator with the following information:

• LACES Student ID Number
• Assessed date, assessment form/series/level/subject, and scale score of the test requested to be manually pushed forward
• Description of the extenuating circumstance
• Learner’s expected class enrollment date/start date

Can I enter non-NRS assessments into LACES?

This is allowable. Reference the LACES Data Dictionary for more information about how to do this. AEI encourages the use of other bodies of evidence, in addition to NRS approved assessments, to determine class placement and services. 

How do I track instructional hours by content area in LACES?

The “Pre- and Post-Test Requirements” section of the assessment policy states that a learner must complete an appropriate number of instructional hours per content area prior to being post-tested. This ensures that learners are receiving an adequate amount of instruction in a content area before being tested in it to measure gains. For ABE learners, reading/language/writing instruction falls under one content area of “Language Arts” and math instruction falls under “Math.” The content area for ESL instruction is “ESL.” The LACES Data Dictionary further clarifies that programs must choose one of these three options when reporting instructional hours in LACES. If the instructional hours were via distance learning, that option must be selected in the database.

The LACES Data Dictionary addresses how grantees pull information on learners from LACES to determine if they are ready to test based on the instructional hours they’ve received in a particular content area. 

Can I post-test a learner early? 

This is allowable under certain circumstances. Reference the state Assessment Policy for specific circumstances and the procedure by which a learner may be post-tested early.