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MAPT-CCR Technical Manual

Over the 13-year history of the operational MAPT testing program, the test has undergone several critical iterations, presently culminating in the MAPT-CCR.  The MAPT-CCR for Mathematics and for Reading are assessments that are directly targeted to the instruction that adult learners in Massachusetts receive, and learners' proficiency is evaluated against national proficiency standards developed by the U.S. Department of Education (DAEL, 2016).  

In this Technical Manual, we have compiled psychometric evidence - drawn from a wide variety of sources and data analysis methods including surveys, studies involving expert judgment, simulations, and other qualitative and quantitative analyses - to make a convincing argument for the high technical quality of the MAPT-CCR as a measure of AE learners' knowledge and skills in mathematics and reading, relative to their progress in meeting educational goals. The data and processes presented here illustrate the ways in which the content of the MAPT-CCR is aligned to the College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education (CCRSAE; Pimentel, 2013) and the NRS EFLs, and that the utmost care is taken in test construction and maintenance procedures, from item development and review, through calibration and scaling, to standard setting and operational procedures and score interpretation.  The MAPT-CCR adheres to the very best practices in testing as defined by the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (AERA et al., 2014) 

At the same time, educational test development and test evaluation are dynamic processes.  As more adult learners take these assessments and we continue to evaluate the MAPT-CCR, we will continue to study the data and learn more about the MAPT-CCR's utility for instructional and accountability purposes. Our goal, as it has always been, is to continuously improve the MAPT-CCR to help serve the assessment needs of adult learners and educators in Massachusetts. 

The MAPT-CCR assessments are important components of the curriculum, instruction, assessment, and accountability activities in Massachusetts that are key to learners' success in reaching their educational goals.  By keeping the assessment process collaborative among the field of AE educators, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the test developers, and the learners themselves, it is our belief that these exams will continue to meet the assessment needs of adult educators throughout the commonwealth.

Citation: Zenisky, A. L., Sireci, S. G., Lewis, J., Lim, H., O'Donnell, F., Wells, C. S., Padellaro, F., Jung, H. J., Banda, E., Pham, D., Hong, S. E., Park, Y., Botha, S., Lee, M., & Garcia, A. (2018). Massachusetts Adult Proficiency Tests for College and Career Readiness: Technical Manual. Center for Educational Assessment research report No. 974. Amherst, MA: Center for Educational Assessment.

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