TABE testing teaches students about leadership, not just about academics.

TABE math and reading students at the Joliet Job Corps Center work on critical thinking skills and the process of analyzation while preparing for the tests.

There are awards for improvement dur

The staff in the Joliet Job Corps Center's Finance Department distribute cash incentives to students who have increased their test scores.

ing the process. Students who raise their scores three grade levels from their initial assessments receive $15, and students who reach a 12.9 equivalency score on the TABE math and reading tests receive a $20 incentive.

Each week during the Monday morning brief in meeting, the students who have increased their TABE scores are recognized and their financial incentives are distributed.

Laura Rocha, manager of the Education and Training Department, says the exercises performed on the TABE and in the class-room are designed to encourage students to think critically, synthesize information and sharpen teamwork and communication skills.