A quality adult literacy and basic education program monitors learner progress on an ongoing basis through a variety of participatory assessment procedures.
Staff use a variety of learner assessment methods. At the beginning of the academic year, learners write Aurora College Math placement tests and writing tests. Staff use these tests to place new learners. Standardized tests, such as the Canadian Adult Achievement Test (CAAT), help give an overall picture of learners’ areas of strength and weakness. Informal reading inventories, such as the Canadian Adult Reading Assessment (CARA), not only assess learners’ reading levels, but also reveal learners’ reading patterns. This lets tutors design strategies specific to each learner, and ties assessment closely to instruction.
Most learner assessment is ongoing throughout the year. Since many learners suffer from high levels of test anxiety, staff prefer to use alternate methods of assessment for all subjects except Math. In Math, learners write pretests that are not graded, to show which areas they need to review, and to build their confidence. Then they complete the unit tests, as required by the curriculum.
In all other subjects, learners work on projects. They receive continuous feedback from instructors. The instructor reviews a draft and makes suggestions for improvement, but does not give the paper a mark. In a one-on-one conference the learner and instructor review the strengths of the assignment and talk about ways to improve it. Learners write four or five drafts, learning more with each revision and conference. This process helps learners to internalize the concepts and skills through repeated hands-on applications, and results in most learners receiving encouraging grades.