SECTION 1: THE SYSTEM FOR ADULT BASIC ... - SABES

COMMON ABBREVIATIONS IN ADULT EDUCATION: (Continued)
Letter of Certification: The official document verifying that an individual has earned a
Massachusetts High School Equivalency Diploma, emblematic of passing the GED tests,
usually issued when a tester has misplaced his or her original diploma.
LINCS: Literacy Information and Communication System, see National Institute for Literacy
(NIFL)
Literacy: The term "literacy", as defined by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 means an
individual's ability to read, write, and speak in English, compute, and solve problems, at levels of
proficiency necessary to function on the job, in the family of the individual, and in society
LVA: Literacy Volunteers of America, Inc. is a fully integrated national network of local, state,
and regional literacy providers that give adults and their families the opportunity to acquire skills
to be effective in their roles as members of their families, communities, and workplaces.
LVM: Literacy Volunteers of Massachusetts
LWIB: (Local Workforce Investment Board) Massachusetts has sixteen LWIB regions (also
referred to as SDA regions) that represent the workforce development areas as defined by the
federal government and as referenced in the Workforce Investment Act. These include:
Berkshire, Boston, Bristol, Brockton Area, Cape Cod and the Islands, Central MA,
Franklin/Hampshire, Greater Lowell, Hampden, Lower Merrimack Valley, Metro North, Metro
South/West, New Bedford Area, North Central, North Shore, and South Coastal. Local
Workforce Investment Boards have policy oversight of the publicly funded workforce
development activities/services offered throughout the regions. Also known as Regional
Employment Boards (REB) in come counties.
MAPT: The Massachusetts Adult Proficiency Test (MAPT) is one of four ABE standardized
assessments required by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education (DESE). The three other assessments tools are the TABE, Best Plus, and the REEP
Writing Assessment. Testing is mandated by the US Department of Education to use valid and
reliable assessments to report students’ completion of educational functioning levels. The
State’s assessment policy requires programs to use the MAPT for all learners enrolled in ABE
classes, except for those in Corrections programs and Workplace Education programs that do
not have access to computers.
MassAAL: The Massachusetts Alliance for Adult Literacy is an organization formed by current
and former students of adult literacy programs, including Adult Basic Education, ESOL, and
GED. MassAAL is funded by the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
(DESE), Adult and Community Learning Services.
Massachusetts High School Equivalency Diploma: Commonly referred to as "the GED,"
the credential earned for successfully meeting the score requirements on the battery of five
tests of General Educational Development.
Western Massachusetts Profiles of Regional Adult Literacy Programs, summer 2009 edition 187