Tag Archives: qualification

Which frameworks from Te Ao Maori work best for adult literacy and numeracy?

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Please Vote

The new NZCALNE qualification allows for a more explicit focus on the different frameworks that should underpin our teaching. This includes frameworks from a Maori worldview perspective.

One of the easiest Maori frameworks to communicate is Mason Durie’s Te Whare Tapawha framework. This got removed from the previous update to US21204, but we kept using it anyway.

There are other frameworks, however. Vote here and let us know what you think about this. Any thoughts to the comment section please.

Which definitions should we use for literacy and numeracy in the new NZCALNE Course?

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Please Vote

Here’s another thing. Currently, we use the existing definitions published by the TEC for literacy and numeracy.

We could change this and make use of other definitions. For example, the OECD have their own definitions.

Let me know what you think? Chime in, in the comments, if you have more to say.

TEC Literacy and Numeracy Qualification Requirements for Tutors Teaching SAC Funded Levels 1 and 2

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I’ve fielded a few enquires in the past few days about this so I’m re-posting the relevant information from the TEC website. It’s up to date as of 1 Sept 2015.

Instructions are here to sign up to do the NCALNE qualification with Pathways Awarua and ALEC online. You can get started for free.

Email apply@alec.ac.nz for more info. TEC blurb starts below:

Qualification requirements for literacy and numeracy educators

This page provides information on the ‘appropriate qualification’ requirements for foundation-level tutors, including how the TEC will ensure this requirement is met. The requirement is aimed at improving the effectiveness of embedded literacy and numeracy across foundation education delivered by the tertiary sector.

Contents

What is this requirement?

From 2015, the TEC will be transitioning to requiring tutors who teach foundation-level courses to hold an appropriate qualification. Qualifications are considered appropriate if they include content and outcomes related to embedding literacy and numeracy in a New Zealand context.

Why are we introducing this requirement?

The government is committed to lifting adult literacy and numeracy skills and improving the quality and outcomes from foundation-level education.  Whilst we are making good progress with improving learners’ literacy and numeracy skills within foundation education, more can be done to improve outcomes for all learners.

This requirement has been introduced to ensure quality and consistent embedding of literacy and numeracy across all foundation-level education.  The TEC expects all foundation level educators to be skilled at using the TEC’s educational resources (such as the Learning Progressions and the Assessment Tool), to know how to embed literacy and numeracy effectively in teaching activities and to be able to meet the needs of all adult New Zealanders effectively.

What is the TEC’s approach towards this requirement?

The TEC expects TEOs to ensure that the qualifications held by their tutors and educators meet TEC funding conditions. TEOs can meet this requirement by continuing to invest in the up-skilling and professional development of the foundation education workforce.

The TEC expects TEOs to ensure that either:

  • the tutor holds or is in the process of achieving an appropriate qualification such as the NCALNE (Voc) or
  • the tutor can demonstrate competency in teaching literacy and numeracy in a way that is comparable to achieving the NCALNE (Voc) qualification.

We may consider the extent to which TEOs have invested in a suitably qualified foundation level workforce in its funding decisions, such as any future competitive process for SAC Levels 1 and 2.

What funds have this requirement?

The requirement applies to the following funds in 2015:

  • Student Achievement Component (SAC) levels 1 and 2 (competitive and non-competitive, including the Māori and Pasifika Trades Training initiative)
  • Intensive Literacy and Numeracy
  • the Workplace Literacy fund.

TEOs are recommended to consider the need for a suitably qualified workforce across all foundation education, however the requirement it is not currently a condition of funding in the following funds:

  • Intensive Literacy and Numeracy Targeted ESOL
  • English for Migrants
  • Youth Guarantee
  • SAC levels 3+
  • Adult and Community Education
  • Gateway.

The qualification requirement may be extended to other foundation funds in the future as the foundation-level education sector matures and best practice is identified.

What qualifications are considered appropriate and therefore meet this requirement?

Qualifications held by tutors are considered appropriate if they include content and outcomes related to:

  • embedding literacy and numeracy in a New Zealand context
  • the Learning Progressions for Adult Literacy and Numeracy
  • the Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool.

Qualifications that are considered appropriate include:

  • National Certificate in Adult Literacy and Numeracy Education (Vocational) (Level 5)
  • National Certificate in Adult Literacy and Numeracy Education (Educator) (Level 5)
  • National Diploma in Adult Literacy and Numeracy Education (Level 6)
  • Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Adult Literacy and Numeracy) (Level 7)
  • Master of Adult Literacy and Numeracy Education (Level 9).

Tutors who have achieved any of the qualifications listed above have met the qualification requirement and do not need to take any further action.  TEOs should consider the qualifications of their workforce and assess whether further professional development is necessary in order to meet this requirement.

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Which educators does the requirement apply to?

TEOs should consider the extent of the educator/ tutors’ input into course delivery.  The requirement applies to educators and tutors who are responsible for the delivery, oversight, and/or management of an entire programme of study.

Whilst TEOs may want to invest in the capability of all foundation level educators, the requirement does not apply to:

  • subject matter experts, guest educators, or guest tutors with specialised knowledge, skills, or expertise who deliver a specific part of a programme of study, where the specific part makes up no more than 10% of the theory-based component of the entire programme of study
  • guest speakers or lecturers.

How do I get the NCALNE (Voc) qualification?

The NCALNE (Voc) is a good example of a qualification which meets this requirement.

Tutors can complete this qualification face to face or entirely online. Grants are also available to support the financial costs of completing the qualification.

Tutors can earn the NCLANE(Voc) through a number of tertiary providers. More information is available on the National Centre of Literacy and Numeracy for Adults website.

Each year 145 Adult Literacy Educator grants are available to support the costs of completing the NCALNE (Voc) qualification. Grants are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Email apply@alec.ac.nz for more information

Tutors can also complete the NCLANE(Voc) online through a TEC-funded Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Pathways Awarua. Tutors can register as an educator onwww.pathwaysawarua.com to complete this qualification.

Tutors who already have relevant qualifications can apply for a cross-crediting or recognition of prior learning with either Adult Literacy Education and Consulting (www.alec.ac.nz) or VisionWest (Training@VisionWest.org.nz). Adult Literacy Educator Grants are available to support this process.

What if I have more questions?

This page supersedes information in our TEC Now updates of 30 September 2014, 10 November 2014, and 29 January 2015.

If you have further questions, please email sectorhelpdesk@tec.govt.nz.

From the TEC: Update for foundation-level providers (Assessment Tool and Qualification Requirements)

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I’ve pasted in below in full the update from the TEC website today regarding Assessment Tool usage and Qualification Requirements for foundation-level providers.

10 November 2014

Updates on the Methodology for Assessment Tool Usage; requirements for assessing literacy and numeracy; and transitioning to the 2015 tutor qualification requirements.

Methodology for Assessment Tool usage published

The TEC has recently published the updated Methodology for Assessment Tool Usage on its website. The document defines the methodology for calculating tertiary education organisation (TEO) usage of the Assessment Tool, as usage of the Tool is a condition of funding. This methodology takes into account sector feedback about previous versions.

A template is available for TEOs that would like to have learners assessed through the Step Two Threshold Assessment or the Starting Points Assessment Guide excluded from usage indicator calculations.

Requirements for assessing literacy and numeracy

A change has been made to a number of funds in 2015.

Foundation-level learners need to be assessed in both literacy and numeracy through the Assessment Tool for:
• Youth Guarantee levels 1 – 3
• Student Achievement Component at levels 1 and 2 – Competitive
• Student Achievement Component at levels 1 and 2 – Non-competitive

The Intensive Literacy and Numeracy ESOL fund requires usage of an effective assessment process for identifying a learner’s literacy and numeracy gains agreed by the TEC, for example, the use of the Starting Points.

The Intensive Literacy and Numeracy Fund and the Workplace Literacy Fund have different requirements. Tertiary education organisations receiving these funds must have an effective assessment process, such as the Assessment Tool, to identify a learner’s literacy and/or numeracy.

See the relevant Ministerial Determination for more detail.

Transitioning to the 2015 qualification requirements and information on appropriate qualifications

From 2015, the TEC will be transitioning to requiring tutors who teach foundation-level courses to hold an appropriate qualification, such as the National Certificate in Adult Literacy and Numeracy Education (Vocational/Workplace) which is known as NCALNE (Voc).

More information is available in the Questions and Answers which were updated 7 November 2014.

The initial list of appropriate qualifications includes:

  • National Certificate in Adult Literacy and Numeracy Education (Vocational/Workplace) (Level 5)
  • National Certificate in Adult Literacy and Numeracy Education (Educator) (Level 5)
  • National Diploma in Adult Literacy and Numeracy Education (Level 6)
  • Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Adult Literacy and Numeracy) (Level 7)
    Master of Adult Literacy and Numeracy Education (Level 9).

If you represent a TEO that delivers a teaching qualification or an educator who holds a qualification that is not currently on the list and you would like it considered for inclusion, please complete the Request for qualification consideration form by 1 December 2014 and send to skills.highway@tec.govt.nz.

An updated list will be published in December 2014 based on input from providers and educators.

Let’s just sort out the confusion around steps versus levels when it comes to literacy and numeracy

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Mass-Confusion

I didn’t create this confusion, but I’d like to clear it up…

One of the things that people I meet seem constantly confused about is the difference between some very similar sounding language that we use in education, and in particular, in the field of literacy and numeracy, to describe things like skills.

Here are the two problem words: Steps and Levels.

Now here’s where the confusion sets in. There are at least three different things that these two words get used for, often interchangeably:

  • ALLS: The Adult Literacy and Life Skills (ALLS) Survey data from 2006 talks about Skill Levels on a scale of 1 to 5. For example, to function well in society you need to be at or above Level 3 which is generally considered to be the baseline in terms of the literacy and numeracy skills that you need to function at work, in study, or just in general.
  • Progressions: The Adult Literacy and Numeracy Learning Progressions talks about Steps on a scale of 1 to 6. Step 1 means low literacy or numeracy skills. Step 6 in a particular progression means that you are highly literate or numeracy in terms of that progression. For example, Step 6 for the Vocabulary Progression in the Reading Strand means that you have large vocabulary that includes not just everyday words, but also a large number of academic and specialised words as well. We use Steps to talk about the assessment results that learners get from the Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool that is a requirement for most foundation level learners in tertiary training. E.g. “She got step 5 in Numeracy”.
  • Qualifications: The New Zealand Qualifications Framework talks about qualifications in terms of Levels on a scale of 1 to 9. For example, the qualifications that young people do often at high school in New Zealand – the National Certificate in Education Achievement (NCEA) starts at level 1 (usually year 11) and goes through to level 3 (usually year 13). The course that I teach is Level 5. A Masters level degree would be Level 8 or 9.

So that’s it. Here’s the short version:

  • ALLS Survey 2006 ==> Skill Levels
  • Learning Progressions and Assessment Tool Results ==> Steps
  • Qualifications ==> Qualification Levels

And if you are someone who needs to talk about any or all of these things, here’s what I suggest. You can help clear up other people’s confusion by doing the following:

  • If you have to talk about the ALLS Survey data or courses and qualifications and the context is not really clear, make sure you expand the word “Levels” to either “ALLS Skill Level” for the ALLS or “Qualification Level” for qualifications.
  • If you have to talk about Assessment Tool results or anything to do with the Learning Progressions, make sure that you use “Steps” and not “Levels”. As an alternative word altogether, you may also want to use the word “Koru” instead of Step. These are the little images down the side of the Progressions charts. For example, “She got koru 5 in Numeracy”.

Someone tell me if this makes sense…

Change in some foundation-level tutor qualification requirements: NCALNE (Voc) Requirement from 2015

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ncalneED

The TEC announced recently that from 2015 the NCALNE (Voc) qualification and training will be a requirement for some tutors. Here’s the announcement in full:

Beginning in 2015, the TEC will be transitioning to requiring tutors who teach foundation-level courses to hold an appropriate qualification, such as the National Certificate in Adult Literacy and Numeracy Education (Vocational/Workplace) which is known as NCALNE (Voc).

The requirement will only apply to the following funds for 2015:

  • Student Achievement Component (SAC) levels 1 and 2 (competitive and non-competitive, including the Māori and Pasifika Trades Training initiative)
  • Literacy and numeracy provision (Intensive Literacy and Numeracy, as well as Workplace Literacy).

It will not be required for foundation-level courses for:

  • SAC levels 3+
  • Youth Guarantee
  • Adult and Community Education
  • Gateway.

In the future, achievement of the NCALNE (Voc) qualification may be required for other funds.

What this change means for providers and tutors

For 2015 a transitional approach will be taken. Providers should be working with individual tutors to confirm one of the following:

  • the NCALNE (Voc) qualification has already been achieved
  • the tutor is in the process of achieving the NCALNE (Voc) qualification
  • the tutor can demonstrate competency in teaching literacy and numeracy in a way that is comparable to achieving the NCALNE (Voc) qualification. Note this option must be on a case-by-case basis and should be discussed with the TEC in advance. This option will be phased out by December 2015 (at the end of the transition period).

In October 2014, we will publish a list of which qualifications that have learning progressions and use the Assessment Tool will be exempted from the NCALNE (Voc) requirement.

A set of questions and answers has been developed to provide additional information.

More information will be made available on the TEC website in mid-October 2014 to assist tutors and providers with preparing for the 2015 transition.