PART TWO - GOAL SETTING

Goal setting is a key element in an effective evaluation plan. If it is not clear what you are trying to achieve, it is very difficult to know what to evaluate!

Because long, middle and short term goals form the basis for developing instructional plans and evaluation procedures, they need to be determined and recorded as part of the initial assessment procedure.

In keeping with good literacy practice, progress in achieving these goals needs to be evaluated on an ongoing basis. Once the goals have been reached, the learner needs to celebrate the achievement and set new goals.

There are several approaches to goal setting. The one you choose will depend on the individual learner.

If the learner has a clear idea of what he or she wants to accomplish (say for example, pass the driver's test), then this becomes the long range goal.

Not all learners, however, are as definite about what they wish to accomplish. Many will say that they just want to improve their reading and writing or learn to read and write. For learners who want to improve their reading and writing, it is helpful to approach goal setting by having the learner think about everyday tasks that need reading, writing and arithmetic. The learner can then decide which ones he or she would like to do better.

Appendix E includes a chart called Goal Setting Step One. This chart lists various everyday tasks that involve literacy skills. The learner can check off the ones that he or' she is interested in working on. You may use the chart as it is, add other tasks, or just use it as a model for creating your own goal setting tool.

For learners who are just beginning to read and write, it is useful to have them look at the basic pre-reading and writing skills that they may or may not already have.

The chart called " Skills You Need Before You Start Reading and Writing" in Appendix E will be useful to help them identify pre-reading and writing skills that they may want to work on.

Once the learner has identified what tasks he or she wants to work on, then the instructor and learner need to determine and priorize the skills that must be worked on in order to accomplish the goal. Learning these skills would then be the immediate and short range goal for the learner.

Appendix E includes a chart called Goal Setting - Step Two. This chart can be use to record the tasks that the learner has identified as ones that he or she wants to work on. The skills needed for each task can be recorded on the chart so that both instructor and learner can have a clear idea of what the immediate and short range goals are. There is also a place on this chart to record the criteria that will be used to determine whether or not the skills have been acquired.

An assessment process that provides opportunities for the instructor and learner to work together to:

• set long range, short term and immediate goals
• identify what it is necessary to know and be able to do to achieve these goals
• and determine criteria for success

is a key element in an evaluation plan that promotes good literacy practice for learner-centred adult literacy programs.