Case Study – Delivering Learner-Centred Initial Assessment

Case Study – Delivering learner-centred initial assessment

To implement learner-centred initial assessment processes and systems
To ensure that all learners on full time and substantive part time programmes were assessed at entry to programmes
To improve the efficiency of the referral system for learners requiring additional support
To identify ways of embedding support for learners in mainstream curriculum delivery

Working with curriculum managers, teachers and support staff across the college’s sites

Background

Underuse of and lack of commitment to a paper-based initial assessment instrument
Over-reliance on learner/study support team to assess learners’ skills, identify gaps and support needs
Development of learners’ literacy, language and numeracy skills divorced from mainstream teaching and delivery
Retention and success rates on some courses dampened by lack of differentiated approaches in teaching

Action group of teaching and support staff tasked with identifying and recommending an appropriate initial assessment instrument and acting as initial assessment champions within their curriculum and service teams
Identification of programmes with historically high numbers of learners with learning support needs
Assignment of specialist support staff to identified programmes prior to beginning of academic year
Liaison with Enrolment Task group to ensure presence of additional learning support team at all interviews from Spring term onwards
Liaison with college’s IT team to ensure compatibility of on-line initial assessment tool with existing systems
Use of 3 end-of-year staff training and development days to train teaching and support staff in using the new, on-line initial assessment tool
Follow up training sessions with all curriculum teams on the Adult Literacy and Numeracy standards and curriculum in order to understand and act on the results of initial assessment
Development and delivery of an in-house training programme for learning support assistants delivering support in class

Online initial assessment in place within 1 academic year and carried out on 100% full time and 90% substantive part-time programmes
Additional learning support teams involved in interviews and at enrolment sessions within curriculum areas
Learners with identified support needs referred for additional one-to-one support at interview, enrolment and during induction
Improved retention and success rates for 16 – 18 year olds across all curriculum areas
In-class additional support set up on programmes with high numbers of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities eg dyslexia, dyspraxia, Asperger’s syndrome
Systems in place for initial assessment and subsequent learning support judged to be good by Ofsted
Improvement in the college’s capacity to support learners with dyslexia assessed by Ofsted to be significant

Lindiwe Mokoena