CTB/McGraw-Hill's English Language Assessment for Adult Learners Receives Florida...

CTB/McGraw-Hill's English Language Assessment for Adult Learners Receives
Florida Department of Education Approval
TABE CLAS-E Now Approved Statewide for Florida Adult Basic Education Programs

MONTEREY, Calif., Aug. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- CTB/McGraw-Hill today announced that
TABE CLAS-E(TM), the Company's English language proficiency assessment for
adult learners, has been approved by the Florida Department of Education. This
approval is the latest in CTB/McGraw-Hill's continued partnership with Florida
Adult Educators through the TABE(R) (Tests of Adult Basic Education) family,
now meeting the needs of adult ESL students with TABE CLAS-E (TABE Complete
Language Assessment System - English(TM)).

Agency approval of TABE CLAS-E demonstrates that the assessment system has
passed Florida standards for Adult Basic Education Programs, meets all
statewide regulatory requirements for adult education programs, and is
applicable to school districts, community colleges, and workforce centers.
With this approval, TABE CLAS-E can be used in Adult English for Speakers of
Other Languages (ESOL) or English Literacy for Career and Technical Education
(ELCATE) programs for students whose first language is not English. The
approval applies to placement assessments in the adult ESOL program. TABE
CLAS-E provides a streamlined transition for those using the current TABE
assessment that also need to transition into or out of an adult ESOL program.
Additionally, TABE CLAS-E meets the federal requirements of Title II of the
Workforce Investment Act of 1998, which states that federal funding for adult
education requires documented evidence of educational gains.

"CTB/McGraw-Hill has a longstanding partnership with Florida Department of
Education, and we are excited to be able to contribute to Florida's Adult ESOL
programs," said Sandor Nagy, chief operating officer, CTB/McGraw-Hill. "TABE
CLAS-E now offers Florida educators a superior system for measuring progress
and improving English skills among adult English language learners."

TABE CLAS-E provides teachers with a reliable, easy-to-use system that
accurately identifies the instructional needs of adult English language
learners. TABE CLAS-E assesses English proficiency levels to accurately
measure students' reading, listening, writing, and speaking skills. An
optional speaking test gives teachers maximum flexibility in how they assess
their students. Key features of TABE CLAS-E include:

-- Assessment - TABE CLAS-E accommodates all English proficiency levels
to
accurately measure students' reading, listening, writing, and
speaking skills.
-- Reporting - TABE CLAS-E delivers number-correct and scale scores for
each individual skill area, and for two composite skill areas -
reading/writing and listening/speaking - and for the total battery of
assessments. Additional scores include National Reporting System (NRS)
proficiency levels, objective mastery scores, and Student Performance
Levels (SPLs). TABE CLAS-E makes it quick and easy to pinpoint student
strengths and weaknesses, and to demonstrate student gains for NRS
reporting.

-- Professional Development - TABE CLAS-E goes beyond proficiency
measurement to help teachers develop targeted instruction. Following
student assessment, teachers can tailor instructional programs with
the
help of TABE CLAS-E's Instructional Guidance materials, including
Teachers' Resource Guides, lesson plans, and more. Additionally,
video training materials allow efficient group or individual educator
training sessions.

TABE CLAS-E is based on the latest research by CTB/McGraw-Hill experts,
including thorough analysis of and alignment with state English as a Second
Language standards, the Common European Framework, and the Canadian Language
Benchmarks 2000 (English as a Second Language-For Adults). The system also
provides NRS levels for measuring educational gains. TABE CLAS-E has been
validated by a comprehensive field standardization study, encompassing more
than 19,500 individuals, both in the United States and internationally.

CTB/McGraw-Hill is an official Sponsor of Adult and Community Educators of
Florida (ACE) and will be attending the Daytona Beach, Florida ACE Conference
September 21-23. For more information, visit www.aceofflorida.org.

About the TABE Family of Assessments
TABE CLAS-E is the latest addition to the TABE(R) family of products, the
nation's leading adult basic education program comprising a complete and
flexible system of diagnostic assessments and instructional support materials
to meet the diverse needs of adult students. TABE measures basic reading,
mathematics, and language skills, as well as optional spelling, vocabulary,
and language mechanics tests. TABE has been successfully used by millions of
adult students, and has been proven to provide the information educators need
to ensure that their adult students will be successful in today's society.
TABE is a registered trademark, and TABE CLAS-E and TABE Complete Language
Assessment System - English are trademarks of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
For more information please visit www.CTB.com.

About CTB/McGraw-Hill
As the nation's leading publisher of standardized and standards-based
achievement tests for pre-school, elementary, middle, high school, and adult
education, CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC offers a broad range of assessments, software
and services. CTB/McGraw-Hill LLC is part of McGraw-Hill Education, a division
of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP). McGraw-Hill Education is a leading
global provider of instructional, assessment and reference solutions that
empower professionals and students of all ages. Additional information is
available at www.CTB.com.

SOURCE CTB/McGraw-Hill

Brandon Engle, Manager, Communications, +1-916-933-1291,
Brandon_Engle@ctb.com