HI Susan, thanks for this.
 
You have hit a crucial aspect of building an assessment/accountability
system and that is professional development!  Without that, even the
best systems and materials can falter.
 
I feel like we practitioners in the U.S. are getting much better at a
lot of the points Susan makes in her post below.  We still have work to
do in order to run a tight ship, but I think we're better as an entire
group with this stuff than even just 4 or 5 years ago.  Would people
agree with that or no?
 
What types of opportunities (or mandates for that matter) are in place
in NZ for necessary ProD for things like assessment?
 
Marie Cora
Assessment Discussion List Moderator
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: assessment-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:assessment-bounces at nifl.gov]
On Behalf Of Susan Reid
Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 5:12 PM
To: alison.sutton at criticalinsight.co.nz; The Assessment Discussion List
Subject: [Assessment 626] Re: assessment in Nz
 
Hi Marie and others 
 
Alison has succinctly described the situation in New Zealand and added
additional information from projects she is involved in  
 
in terms of detail if a programme is funded for literacy gains then they
are expected to measure them but the approaches to measurement are very
diverse.
A couple of  programmes use the ETS PDQ online assessment, others
develop their own assessments either as a result of training or by
copying something someone else is using. Some download online materials
regardless of the context ( and then wonder why their learners don't
understand questions that refer to other countries' landmarks e.g. Big
Ben). Some who have been trained as  primary school teachers use a range
of assessments norm referenced for children (despite the efforts of
adult literacy organisations to get rid of these sorts of reading age
assessments). There are also a couple of tests ( one is called Probe)
that have been developed in New Zealand but I think they may have had
their base in the US 
Sometimes the same test is used pre mid and post course without real
understanding about issues around people getting more familiar with the
tests etc 
 
There is a real range of tools and practices used ranging from very good
to some that are inappropriate for adult learners 
 
regards Susan 
 
 
Susan Reid
Manager, Learning and Development 
 
Workbase: The New Zealand Centre for Workforce Literacy Development 
2 Vermont Street, Ponsonby - PO Box 56571, Dominion Road, Auckland 1030
Phone: 09 361 3800 - Fax: 09 376 3700           
Website:  <http://www.workbase.org.nz/> www.workbase.org.nz - Email:
<mailto:sreid at workbase.org.nz> sreid at workbase.org.nz
See New Zealand Literacy Portal 
www.nzliteracyportal.org.nz
 
Caution - This email and its contents contain privileged information
that is intended solely for the recipient.  If you are not the intended
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reflect the views of Workbase: The New Zealand Centre for Workforce
Literacy Development.
 
 
 
  _____  

From: assessment-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:assessment-bounces at nifl.gov]
On Behalf Of Alison Sutton
Sent: Friday, 2 February 2007 10:49 a.m.
To: assessment at nifl.gov
Subject: [Assessment 625] assessment in Nz
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
 <mailto:alison.sutton at criticalinsight.co.nz>
alison.sutton at criticalinsight.co.nz
Phone +64 9 627 4415 
Mob 021 279 6804
 
 
 
 
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