Update from the TEC Re: Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool

[This is pasted in below from the update on the TEC website which is here]

The Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool is an online adaptive tool that provides robust and reliable information on the reading, writing and numeracy skills of adults.

The Assessment Tool informs the development of learning interventions that strengthen literacy and numeracy skills. The Assessment Tool also allows learners to track their progress over time and enable educators and organisations to report on the progress made by groups or cohorts of learners.

The Assessment Tool provides:

reading, writing, vocabulary, listening, speaking and numeracy assessments linked to the learning progressions
thousands of assessment questions, using New Zealand adult contexts
adaptive (where the computer alters the difficulty of questions in response to the learner’s answer) and non-adaptive assessments (online and printed)
reporting for learners, educators, organisations and the TEC
a reliable infrastructure built and tested to IT industry standards.

Use of the Assessment Tool will continue to be a funding condition on TEOs receiving foundation education funding through the TEC.

Methodology for Assessment Tool Usage October 2014 (PDF, 200 Kb)

Where use of the Assessment Tool is a condition of 2014 funding received by your TEO, this is set out in your Confirmation of 2014 Investment Plan funding letter. Please see theTEC guidelines to using the Assessment Tool by fund.

Different funds require the Assessment Tool to be used in different ways.

SAC and Youth Guarantee

The following requirements apply to learners enrolled in levels 1 to 3:

SAC-funded course(s) in 2014 that lead to award of a qualification at levels 1 or 2 (except for any exempted te reo and ESOL course); and/or
Youth Guarantee funded course(s) in 2014 that lead to award of a qualification at any level.

For 2014, learners must be assessed in at least Reading and Numeracy using the Assessment Tool:

at the start of their enrolment (unless they have been assessed already within 90 days before enrolment and/or have been previously assessed and presented at step 4 for Reading and step 5 for Numeracy); and again
at the end of their enrolment (unless they have been previously assessed and presented at step 4 for Reading and step 5 for Numeracy).

Note that learners will only need to be re-assessed in the areas where they have not met the threshold. For example, if a learner presents at step 4 in Reading and step 3 in Numeracy at the start of their enrolment they will only need to be assessed again for Numeracy.

As good practice for other SAC and/or Youth Guarantee funded delivery, the TEC recommends that TEOs similarly assess:

learners enrolled in levels 1 to 3 course(s) in 2014 that lead to award of a qualification at level 3
any learner, regardless of course or qualification level, where the TEO considers that the learner is likely to have reading and numeracy needs.

This will enable the TEO to identify the literacy and numeracy support needs of its learners and implement the necessary support to enhance teaching and learning to meet those needs.

Intensive Literacy and Numeracy, and Workplace Literacy and Numeracy

Learners enrolled in an Intensive Literacy and Numeracy (ILN) or Workplace Literacy and Numeracy funded programme in 2014 must be assessed in at least Reading and Numeracy using the Assessment Tool at the start of their enrolment, and again at the end of their enrolment.

ILN ESOL

Learners enrolled in an ILN English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) funded programme in 2014 must have their literacy and numeracy gains identified using a process agreed by the TEC, for example using the Assessment Tool’s snapshot step 2 threshold followed by the Starting Points Assessment.

Industry Training Fund

Industry trainees enrolled in a programme leading to award of a qualification at levels 1 or 2 must be assessed, using the Assessment Tool, to identify their:

literacy and/or numeracy needs at the start of their enrolment (unless they have been assessed already within 90 days before enrolment and/or have been previously assessed and presented at step 4 for Reading or step 5 for Numeracy); and
progress in gaining literacy and/or numeracy skills during or at the end of their enrolment (unless they have been previously assessed and presented at step 4 for Reading or step 5 for Numeracy).

The TEC has developed a guide to assist providers in how to use the Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Tool (PDF, 515 Kb).

There is now an alignment of the Learning Progression Steps with the six NZQF Level 1 literacy and numeracy unit standards (26622 – 26627). These unit standards (three literacy and three numeracy) provide one pathway for learners to meet the 10 credits Level 1 literacy and 10 credits Level 1 numeracy requirement for NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3. This alignment is illustrated in the Alignment Chart.

Learners, who present at step 4 reading and step 5 numeracy (and are therefore exempt from any further progress assessments), can use the Assessment Tool report as a piece of evidence towards the achievement of some of the Level 1 literacy and numeracy unit standards. See the NZQA website for further information.

Aligning the measures of Adult Literacy and Numeracy (Word, 721 Kb)

Further information about the Assessment Tool

To find out more about the Assessment Tool, and what your organisation needs to do to prepare to use the tool, visit the assessment for learning tab atwww.literacyandnumeracyforadults.com.

Embedded Literacy and Numeracy (ELN) Practices

The Embedded Literacy and Numeracy (ELN) Practices table emerged from Literacy and Numeracy Professional Development research undertaken by the TEC.

Literacy and Numeracy Professional Development Research Findings 2013 (PDF, 1 Mb)

The purpose of the table is to help organisations identify their own ELN practice and make judgments about what they still need to do. This will enable organisations to reflect and then plan what can be achieved to improve embedded practice.