1. Office of Adult Education Instructional Services Team
FY19 NRS Training: Reporting Student Performance on Table 4 - ESL Scenarios
Office of Adult Education
Instructional Services Team

2. Training Objectives
Emphasize what makes a Period of Participation (PoP)
Review the different ways that students can earn Measurable Skill Gains (MSG)
Explain each column on NRS Table 4
Complete a hands-on activity plotting students on Table 4

3. Period of Participation (Key Points)
A Period of Participation (PoP)
begins with a student’s first day of recorded attendance.
ends the last date the participant has recorded attendance (before exiting the program for at least 90 days).
must be at least 12 hours.
must have a valid assessment.
can continue across fiscal years.
Program Entry
GALIS determines a student’s entry and exit dates behind the scenes based upon entered attendance data.
Students can have more than one PoP in a fiscal year. However, in FY18, fewer than 3% of students had more than one PoP.

4. NRS Table 4: MSG by EFL First Period of Participation
All Periods of Participation
NRS Table 4: MSG by EFL
When it comes to reporting students on our federal reports, NRS Table 4 specifically, a student’s first period of participation is reported on the left side of the report. All PoPs that a student attends are reported on the right side of the report (including the first one).

5. Measurable Skill Gains (MSG)
Educational Functioning Level Gain
(1)
Pre- and Post-Test
(2)
Program exit and entry into postsecondary education or training by June 30
(3)
Secondary Diploma (GED) by June 30
Under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) (old legislation), student completions were only reported via pre and post-testing and it was called EFL gain.
Now, under our new legislation, WIOA, we have Measurable Skill Gains, which expands the opportunities for student completions/gains to be reported. Essentially, we have 2 types of gain opportunities
EFL Gain – EFL gain is still pre and post-testing, but it has been expanded to include Postsecondary Enrollment.
Please note that for Postsecondary to be counted as a completion, a student must exit the program (90 days) and enroll in Postsecondary education or training by the end of the FY, June 30th.
Secondary Diploma achievement by June 30 – In Georgia that would be completion of the GED by June 30, regardless of program exit date.
So, we have two types of MSG, but 3 ways to get MSG; let’s look at those 3 ways again (next slide)

6. Three ways to get MSG in Adult Education
Comparing the participant’s pretest with the participant’s posttest, using an NRS approved test
Enrollment in postsecondary education or training after exit (no service for 90 days), but by June 30th of the fiscal year from any level
Earning a secondary diploma (GED) by June 30th of the fiscal year from any level

7. Recording Student Data on NRS Table 4
NRS Table 4 is divided into rows and columns.
Rows: Students are placed in an Educational Functioning Level (EFL) based upon their lowest pre-test score. Their outcomes are reported on this row, even if their EFL goes up.
Columns: MSG is reported on Table 4 in columns D, E, & J
Column D – EFL Gain (Pre/Post-testing and Postsecondary Entry)
Column E – GED® Credential Attainment by 6/30
Column J – All Measurable Skill Gains for all PoPs

8. How MSG is Reported on Table 4
Some post-testing achievements made in a second PoP can be counted back to the first PoP. GALIS makes this determination behind the scenes. MSGs are always counted to give the most benefit to the local program.
Multiple Measurable Skill Gains (MSG) via pre/post-testing can happen during a PoP, but only the last one achieved (by date) is reported on the NRS Table 4.

9. GED and Postsecondary Entry Reporting
While pre/post-testing gains are still recorded in GALIS, for NRS Table 4 reporting, GED and Postsecondary Entry achievements:
supersede the reporting of pre/post-testing achievements.
are reported no matter when they were achieved during the fiscal year, as long as it was by June 30. (Note: A student has to exit adult education before the postsecondary entry for it to count.)
are reported in all of the Periods of Participation that the student has on Table 4.
If the student has both the GED and Postsecondary Entry, the last one achieved by date is reported.

10. NRS Table 4: MSG by EFL First Period of Participation
All Periods of Participation
NRS Table 4: MSG by EFL

11. Ahmad is a successful computer programmer from Jordan
Ahmad is a successful computer programmer from Jordan. He recently moved to Georgia to work at one of the top IT firms in the state, but is having difficulty with English. He enrolled in an IELCE class and pre-tested on BEST Plus into ESL 4 in March. He earned 78 hours, post-tested at the end of June, but did not move up a level, and is scheduled to return in July.
How many Periods of Participation (PoPs) did Ahmad have?
How many MSGs did Ahmad earn?
Using the NRS Table 4 provided, plot how Ahmad would appear in each column.

12. First Period of Participation All Periods of Participation
Ahmad
% 1 0 0%

13. Yuki entered the program on July 7 with BEST Plus scores that placed her into ESL 6 with the goal of improving her English language skills and earning a GED credential. She is currently employed as a receptionist at a local construction company, where the manager has encouraged her to get her GED so she could be eligible for a promotion. After 65 hours of instruction, she stopped attending on October 27 due to transportation issues. She re-entered the program February 14 as ESL 6. After 15 hours, she post-tested into ESL exit criteria. She stayed for an additional 8 hours before exiting on May 15. She took and passed the GED Test on June 26.
How many Periods of Participation (PoPs) did Yuki have?
How many MSGs did Yuki earn?
Using the NRS Table 4 provided, plot how Yuki would appear in each column.

14. First Period of Participation All Periods of Participation
Ahmad
% 1 0 0%
Yuki
% %

15. Miranda was born in Puerto Rico and moved to Georgia when she was 19 years old after graduating from high school. She can speak English very well, but her writing skills are limited. She enrolled in ELA classes at a technical college on September 17. The BEST Literacy test placed her reading/writing skills at level ESL 3. She attended regularly and earned 62 hours by November 15. Her work hours at UPS increased due to the holidays, which made it difficult to attend class. She returned to class on March 12 to pick up where she left off in ESL 3. She attended class until the end of the term (June 22), completing 24 hours and advancing to ESL 4.
How many Periods of Participation (PoPs) did Miranda have?
How many MSGs did Miranda earn?
Using the NRS Table 4 provided, plot how Miranda would appear in each column.

16. First Period of Participation All Periods of Participation
Miranda
% %
Ahmad
% 1 0 0%
Yuki
% %

17. In March, Ebo enrolled in the ELA classes offered at the church down the street from his job. He is a food server at a local Ethiopian restaurant. He does not have a high school diploma or GED and has limited English language skills. His BEST Literacy pre- test placed him on ESL 2. He attended classes for 4 hours in March and 3 hours in April. His work hours make it difficult to attend regularly. He was able to return to class in June for a total of 3 hours.
How many Periods of Participation (PoPs) did Ebo have?
How many MSGs did Ebo earn?
Using the NRS Table 4 provided, plot how Ebo would appear in each column.

18. First Period of Participation All Periods of Participation
Ebo does not have enough hours to be a participant, so he doesn’t appear on Table 4.
Miranda
% %
Ahmad
% 1 0 0%
Yuki
% %

19. Final Thoughts: PoPs and MSG
Programs are encouraged to:
Practice a variety of scenarios at team meetings and trainings
Provide ongoing training throughout the year
Request technical assistance and/or training from OAE
Ensure all employees gain understanding