How to Find CASAS Content

Locating CASAS Materials

Does your program use CASAS (Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System) to measure student achievement? Do your students’ pretest scores drive your curriculum? Is your class struggling with a particular CASAS competency? If so, Ellii is here to help! CASAS has surveyed our materials and provided a general overview of the correlations on their Quick Search database. We have also tagged our CASAS content by competency.

To find lessons and resources that correlate specifically to a CASAS competency, simply head to our CASAS Competencies Collections and find the competency you are looking for. If we don't have specific resources available yet or at the level you require, please contact us with a request!

Background on CASAS

For teachers unfamiliar with CASAS, this assessment system is widely used in adult ESL programs in the United States. Schools can choose to administer a reading test, a listening test, or both for placement purposes and for measuring student progress. Because post‑test results are often a factor in determining program funding, the stakes can be quite high for all involved—administrators, instructors, and test‑takers. Fortunately, Ellii can help prepare students for the post‑test and alleviate some of the stress related to the process.

CASAS Competencies

Similar to programs funded by the Canadian government, the CASAS competencies in the US focus on essential life skills in the areas of community, family, and the workforce with nine content areas. In addition to Ellii's CASAS Competencies Collections, you'll also find some Lesson Sections (or categories within the sections) that focus on CASAS competencies. Within each collection and section, you can filter by level to find appropriate material. Here are some links to help you find appropriate materials more easily.

0. Basic Communication

Search terms for CASAS 0.1–0.2.4: "communication," "gestures," "greetings," "adjectives," "polite," "personal information," "daily routines," "leisure," "clarification," "request," "social," "agreeing and disagreeing," "instructions," "persuade," "advise," "emotions"

1. Consumer Economics

Search terms for CASAS 1.1–1.9.9: "consumer," "economics," "money," "recipe," "shopping," "finances," "housing," "food," "rental," "insurance," "banking," "receipts," "measurement"

2. Community Resources

Search terms for CASAS 2.1–2.8.9: "community," "telephone," "communication," "schedules," "transportation," "travel," "time," "mail," "driving," "currency," "emergency," "weather"

3. Health

Search terms for CASAS 3.1–3.6.9: "health," "health care," "body," "dentist," "doctor," "insurance," "prescription," "immunization," "food," "labels, "aging," "pregnancy," "mental health," "appointment"

4. Employment

Search terms for CASAS 4.1–4.9.4: "work," "employment," "jobs," "workplace," "job ads," "employee," "occupation," "negotiation," "culture," "stereotypes," "gender," "feedback," "problem solving," "safety"

5. Government & Law

Politics & Government Collection
STEM Collection
Famous Things (See Organizations & Institutions category)
Living in English
American Presidents
Discussion Starters
Mini-Debates
Historic Events
Famous Places (world geography)

Search terms for CASAS 5.1–5.8.3: "law," "government," "US," "American," "politics," "American history," "voting," "civil rights," "citizenship," "geography," "crime," "science," "ethics," "economics"