HIGH INTERMEDIATE ABE COMPETENCY OUTLINE

CASAS Range: 221-235 TABE Range: 6.0-8.9

By the end of this level, learners will have worked on and attained competency in the following areas:

1. Communication

   1. Provide appropriate verbal and nonverbal feedback in face-to-face conversations.

      1. Use language appropriate to situations

         1. social

         2. academic

         3. employment

      2. Employ language sensitive to gender and cultural bias and concerns

   2. Use responsive listening.

      1. Paraphrase

      2. Summarize

      3. Elaborate

      4. Clarify

      5. Ask relevant questions

      6. Make relevant comments

2. Consumer Economics

   1. Interpret and compare information on savings plans.

      1. Interpret charts detailing interest rates

      2. Compare savings plans

   2. Create a personal and a family budget.

      1. Create a circle graph of budget information

      2. Express budget amounts in percentages and fractions

   3. Fill out an order form.

      1. Fill out a catalog order form

      2. Compute sales tax

      3. Compute shipping and handling charges

   4. Evaluate products through comparison shopping.

      1. Compare unit pricing

      2. Evaluate products

         1. price

         2. warranty

         3. guarantee

   5. Interpret return policies

      1. Differentiate among return, exchange, and store credit

   6. Complete a credit card application and interpret information on a credit card statement.

      1. Complete a credit application

      2. Interpret information on a credit card statement

         1. beginning balance

         2. payments

         3. charges

         4. interest

         5. minimum payment

         6. total balance

         7. where to send payment

         8. what to do if unable to pay

         9. when to send payment

         10. what to do to change address

   7. Interpret information on a utility bill.

      1. Information on a utility bill

         1. charges

         2. payment required

         3. where to send payment

         4. what to do if unable to pay

         5. when to send payment

      2. Determine where to call to

         1. start service

         2. discontinue service

         3. report a service problem

   8. Interpret information on home safety and security and develop an emergency plan.

      1. Read informational articles on home safety and security

      2. Identify potential safety hazards in a home

      3. Develop an emergency plan and emergency kit

   9. Read and interpret information on consumer protection.

      1. Read informational articles on consumer protection

      2. Know where and how to report unsatisfactory products or service

         1. Where

            1. In store

            2. Better Business Bureau

            3. Internet

         2. How

            1. Face to face

               1. Store manager

               2. Store owner

            2. Nonpersonal

               1. Phone call

               2. Complaint letter

3. Community Resources

   1. Communicate with a child’s school and know information about children’s educational programs.

      1. Write notes to a child’s teacher

         1. explain absence

         2. request information about child’s performance

      2. Children’s educational programs

         1. before and after school care

         2. enrichment classes

         3. Early Childhood Family Education

         4. Special Education

         5. Gifted and Talented

         6. ESL, ELL, ESOL

   2. Locate information on free or low cost legal information and services.

      1. Locating

         1. phone book

         2. personal referrals

         3. referrals from social service counselors

         4. flyers, posters, business cards

      2. Read informational articles about legal services

   3. Locate information on community assistance agencies.

      1. Homeless shelters

      2. Food shelves

      3. Domestic violence shelters and hotlines

      4. Mental illness assistance

      5. Child care assistance

      6. Housing assistance

   4. Plan a vacation.

      1. Budget

      2. Where to go

      3. Informational articles about places

      4. Maps

      5. Request information about places

         1. letter

         2. phone

         3. internet

4. Health

   1. Use advanced medical vocabulary to describe medical conditions, medical personnel, and body systems.

      1. Conditions

         1. Cholesterol

         2. Hypertension

         3. Arthritis

         4. Alzheimer’s

         5. Diabetes

      2. Medical personnel

         1. Pediatrician

         2. Gynecologist

         3. Obstetrician

         4. Internist

         5. Oncologist

         6. Dermatologist

      3. Body systems

         1. respiratory

         2. circulatory

         3. neurological

         4. muscular

         5. skeletal

         6. gastro-intestinal

   2. Interpret written medical instructions and information.

      1. When to use a medication

      2. Side effects

      3. Physical therapy instructions

      4. Nutrition instructions

   3. Interpret information on substance abuse problems.

      1. Alcoholism

      2. Eating disorders

      3. Drug abuse

      4. Treatment facilities and options

      5. Informational articles

         1. symptomology

         2. places to go for assistance

   4. Develop a meal plan following food pyramid recommendations.

      1. Food pyramid recommendations

         1. serving, serving size

         2. categories

            1. protein

            2. sweets, oil, fat

            3. fruit, vegetables

            4. starches, bread, grain

      2. Develop a meal plan to fit a certain calorie count

5. Employment

   1. Read and interpret job-related information.

      1. Flow charts

      2. Organizational chart

      3. Procedures

         1. narrative

         2. graphic

      4. Forms

         1. accident report

         2. leave request

         3. productivity reports

   2. Interpret and compute information on time cards and pay stubs.

      1. Compute overtime pay

      2. Compute deductions based on percent

      3. Compute yearly gross and net pay

   3. Identify employment training opportunities.

      1. Identify types of training for specific jobs

      2. Identify types of training in general

         1. vocational college

         2. community college

         3. 4-year university or college

         4. for-profit technical school

         5. continuing education courses

6. Government and Law

   1. Fill out a voter registration card, compare and contrast candidates for elected office, and mark a ballot.

      1. Fill out a voter registration card

      2. Compare and contrast candidates for elected office

         1. background

         2. stance on issues

         3. other factors of interest

      3. Mark a ballot

   2. Fill out federal and state tax forms.

      1. Interpret written directions on filling out tax forms

      2. Fill out federal and state tax forms

      3. Use a tax table to determine tax

   3. Identify issues of concern to a particular community and processes that can be used to address the issue.

      1. Sources for issues

         1. neighborhood groups, block clubs

         2. newspaper articles

         3. media reports

      2. Identify processes that can be used to address the issue

         1. protesting

         2. petitioning

         3. city council

   4. Read and interpret information on common laws and ordinances.

      1. Read notices and posted signs

      2. Read and interpret information on common legal rights

      3. Read and interpret information on a traffic ticket

   5. Read and discuss information about governmental activities.

      1. International affairs

      2. Legislative activities

      3. Judicial activities

      4. Executive activities

      5. Military activities

      6. Law enforcement activity

      7. Local policy-making

         1. city, township

         2. school district

         3. county

   6. Identify political leaders.

      1. Identify elected officials

         1. president

         2. vice-president

         3. senator

         4. representative

         5. governor

         6. state senator

         7. state representative

         8. mayor

         9. council members

         10. school board members

         11. county commissioners

      2. Identify other political leaders

         1. leaders of countries in the news

         2. federal officials in the news

7. Computation

   1. Perform computations with whole numbers and basic operations.

      1. Commutative, associative, distributive properties

      2. Factors up to 100

      3. Greatest common factors

      4. Express remainders as decimals and fractions

      5. Prime numbers to 100

   2. Perform operations involving fractions.

      1. Equivalent fractions

      2. Simplify fractions

      3. Convert improper fractions and mixed numbers

      4. Add and subtract fractions with different denominators

      5. Multiply and divide fractions with mixed numbers

      6. Fractions as decimals

   3. Perform operations involving decimals.

      1. Express decimals as fractions

      2. Round decimals to a certain place

      3. Add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals

      4. Powers of 10

      5. Currency conversion tables

   4. Calculate percent.

      1. Calculate for part, whole, and percent to two decimals places

      2. Percents larger than 100% and smaller than 1%

      3. Percent increase, decrease

      4. Calculate sales tax

      5. Calculate tip

   5. Solve problems using ratio and proportion.

      1. Express information as a ratio

      2. Set up and solve proportions

   6. Solve narrative problems.

      1. Problem solving method

      2. Rounding

      3. Estimating

      4. Mental math

      5. using different methods to solve a problem

      6. relating how to solve a simple problem into how to solve a more complex one

   7. Use a calculator.

      1. Basic calculations

      2. Multiple operations

      3. Fractions

      4. Percents

   8. Recognize and solve numerical patterns.

      1. Counting patterns

      2. Mathematical operation patterns

      3. Create an equation to show solution

      4. Create a pattern

   9. Apply concepts of pre-algebra.

      1. Order of operations

      2. Notation conventions

         1. parentheses

         2. <>

         3.  

      3. Exponents

         1. evaluate expressions using exponents

         2. re-write numbers with exponents

         3. interpret simple scientific notation

   10. Solve algebraic equations.

       1. One step with one unknown

       2. Substitution

       3. Combining like terms

       4. Rewrite expressions using commutative and associate properties

       5. Write and equation to represent a situation

       6. Cost formula

       7. Distance formula

   11. Perform calculations using signed numbers.

       1. Read, write, order, compare positive and negative numbers

       2. Add, subtract, multiply, divide

       3. Place on a number line

       4. Use absolute value

   12. Use the Cartesian coordinate system.

       1. Plot points

       2. Identify axes, quadrants

       3. Identify a point by its coordinates

       4. Draw a figure using only the points

       5. Determine slope of a line

   13. Identify and describe two and three dimensional shapes.

       1. Circle

       2. Cylinder

       3. Sphere

       4. Square

       5. Cube

       6. Triangle

       7. Prism

       8. Rectangle

       9. Rectangular solid

       10. Hexagon

       11. Pentagon

       12. Octagon

       13. Parallelogram

       14. Trapezoid

   14. Find the perimeter, area, and volume of two and three dimensional shapes.

       1. Use formulas

       2. From words

       3. From a picture

   15. Apply characteristics of angles.

       1. Vertical angles

       2. Transverse angles

       3. Acute, obtuse, right

   16. Convert and calculate measurements using U.S. and metric units.

       1. Time

       2. Distance

       3. Speed

       4. Rate

       5. Capacity

       6. Temperature

       7. Weight

   17. Measure using various measurement tools.

       1. Dials

       2. Scales

       3. Rulers

       4. Gauges

   18. Analyze and represent data.

       1. Line, bar, circle graphs, charts, tables

       2. Identify and extract data to make comparisons and computations

       3. Mean, media, mode

       4. Create different graphs and charts

          1. collect and group data

          2. represent data in appropriate format

       5. Draw mathematical conclusions from data

       6. Predict trends

   19. Apply concepts of probability.

       1. Permutations

       2. Simple events

       3. Chance events

       4. Compound events

8. Learning to Learn (Reading)

   1. Apply word analysis skills.

      1. Prefixes

      2. Suffixes

      3. Roots

   2. Interpret vocabulary.

      1. Familiar and unfamiliar functional vocabulary.

      2. Specialized vocabulary

         1. consumer

         2. work

         3. field of interest

      3. Figurative language

         1. simile

         2. metaphor

         3. analogy

         4. irony

      4. Connotation vs. denotation

   3. Read and comprehend a variety of texts.

      1. Newspaper and magazine articles

      2. Technical materials

      3. Fiction

      4. Poetry

      5. Drama

      6. Workplace procedures

      7. Operating instructions

      8. Complex forms

         1. housing

         2. finance

         3. employment

         4. medical

         5. governmental

      9. Graphic documents

         1. maps

         2. diagrams

         3. charts

         4. graphs

         5. tables

         6. lists

         7. political cartoons

   4. Utilize conventions of writing to make meaning.

      1. Signal words

         1. transitions

         2. conjunction

         3. subordination

         4. coordination

      2. Formatting clues

         1. headings

         2. outline

         3. captions

         4. bullets

         5. bold

         6. italic

   5. Utilize reference materials.

      1. Index

      2. Table of contents

      3. Glossary

      4. Catalog

      5. Directory

      6. Web page

      7. Standard dictionary

   6. Apply reading strategies.

      1. Pre-reading

         1. predicting

         2. previewing

      2. Skimming

      3. Scanning

      4. Fluency

      5. Summarizing

      6. Paraphrasing

   7. Apply reading skills

      1. Main idea

      2. Detail

      3. Support for an argument

      4. Text structures

         1. cause/effect

         2. compare/contrast

         3. description

         4. narrative

         5. problem/solution

         6. persuasion

      5. Sequence in a complex narrative

      6. Inferences

      7. Conclusions

      8. Unstated assumptions

      9. Fact/opinion

   8. Analyze literary text.

      1. Story elements

         1. setting

         2. plot

         3. character

         4. conflict

         5. resolution

      2. Literary devices

      3. Relate a theme to own life

      4. Identify theme

      5. Cultural perspectives of a selection

      6. Universal themes

9. Grammar and writing

   1. Write a multi-paragraph narrative essay.

      1. Narrative

      2. Transitions

      3. Consistent point of view

      4. Consistent verb tense

      5. Clearly stated main idea

      6. Effective development

      7. Concrete, relevant, supporting details

      8. Appropriate word choice

      9. Almost no errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics

      10. Variety of sentence structures

   2. Follow a writing process.

      1. Prewriting

         1. brainstorming

         2. clustering

      2. Drafting

      3. Revising

   3. Identify all parts of speech in a sentence.

   4. Write compound and complex sentences.

      1. Compound sentences

         1. with conjunction

         2. with conjunctive adverb

         3. with semicolon

      2. Complex sentences with dependent clauses

   5. Practice self-editing skills.

      1. Consistent verb tense

      2. Punctuation use

      3. Subject/verb agreement

      4. Spelling