Hi Marie, Alison Sutton here, I am an adult literacy researcher from NZ who
lurks on this discussion list a lot.   NZ is in an interesting position
because we do not have any nationally mandated testing for adult literacy
and foundation learning - but it is coming!

 

Yes programmes do get government funding. At present providers have choice
about the assessment and reporting methods they use. One reason is that we
have few dedicated literacy programmes as such; most offer literacy skills
development as part of achieving other qualifications. 

 

 Pre-employment labour market programmes have to meet outcomes related to
people moving on to further education and training or employment and
achievement of credits in our competency based national qualifications
framework. They can do all that without necessarily demonstrating any
literacy gain.

 

Programmes run by polytechnics (your community colleges) each work to an
internally developed and moderated assessment systems and often do not have
to show any literacy gain over and above course credit achievement. 

 

Those programmes that do get specific funding for literacy thru a dedicated
fund do have to demonstrate literacy gain - in a variety of ways but mostly
based around progress against individual learning plans or specially
designed before and after assessments - not nationally standardised..

 

The government does want more  systematic evidence that the increased
funding into adult literacy is resulting in gain - but they at this stage
are not pushing 'testing' as such. I am working with the University of
Auckland on a government contract scoping how to develop a computer based
interactive assessment system for adult literacy. The model we are looking
at gives teachers and learners lots of information about progress and is
much more formative in scope that the testing and reporting regimes most of
your funders use. 

 

 

Alison Sutton, Critical Insight

52a Bolton St Blockhouse Bay Auckland NZ

alison.sutton at criticalinsight.co.nz

Phone +64 9 627 4415 

Mob 021 279 6804

 

 

 

 

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