Meeting the Literacy Challenge Briefing to the Select Committee on Education and Recreation on liter

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Meeting the Literacy Challenge Briefing to
the Select Committee on Education and
Recreation on literacy in schools

• Mrs Palesa Tyobeka
• Deputy Director-General General Education
• 26 August 2009

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Presentation Outline

• A. Current state of performance in literacy
• Evidence from public schools
• Major predictors of performance
• B. Strategy to address the literacy challenge

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Priorities and measurement

• The Department is increasingly strengthening
  measurement to provide credible evidence to
  inform necessary interventions and support and
  improve performance in literacy as a an important
  foundational skill.
• Achievement of high quality learning outcomes is
  periodically measured against contextual factors
  of access, equity and quality that might impact
  on learning and teaching.
• National priority at the basic education level is
  on literacy/language and numeracy/mathematics and
  these are monitored through periodic systemic
  evaluations and annual national assessments.

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Available Evidence
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Observed Levels of Achievement

• Baseline studies showed average scores of 30 in
  literacy at grade 3 level (2001) and 38 in
  language at grade 6 level (2004).
• Annual national assessments show that 2 out of
  every 5 grade 3 learners achieved average scores
  of 50 and above (Levels 3 to 4) in literacy.
  Corresponding proportion at grade 6 level was
  approximately 1 out of every 5.
• Localised tracer studies (QIDS UP) indicate
  appreciable increases in performance where there
  has been focused interventions (e.g. provision of
  basic learning--teaching resources) and regular
  measurement.

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Distribution of Achievement
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Distribution of Achievement

• Lowest performance is in the largest (previously
  disadvantaged) provinces of Eastern Cape and
  Limpopo
• However, individual rural schools in these
  provinces have been identified that tend to
  over-perform their socio-economic circumstances.

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Major Predictors of Performance

• Key predictors and the percentage difference
  (diff.) they account for in learner
  achievement-
• Teaching practices (diff. 59)
• Language of learning and teaching (diff. 49)
• School resources (diff. 49)
• Access to learning materials (diff. 28)
• Time-on-task (diff. 20)

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Strengthening of Measurement

• Department is strengthening assessments at grades
  3, 6 and 9
• Schools are directed to set improvement targets
  and monitor performance towards the 50 target of
  2011 (FFL)
• Deserving schools will be assisted to administer
  the tests to ensure evenness of measurement.

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Addressing key predictors of performance

• Foundations for Learning Campaign was launched in
  March 2008 to energise system around the teaching
  of literacy and numeracy starting with Grades R
  6 specifically to do the following
• Provide structure around properly sequenced and
  paced content for teachers in these key learning
  areas
• Assistance with assessment activities covering
  the entire curriculum and assessing different
  skills envisaged by the curriculum
• Ensure maximum time on task
• Provide critical resources for effective
  teaching
• Provide support for under prepared teachers in
  all grades.

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• Key strategies and documents
•   To support teachers in the classroom, the
  Department has supplied all schools with the
  following
• FFL Gazette expectations in respect of basic
  resources daily teaching activities and
  assessment
• FFL Assessment Frameworks Milestones, that
  guide teachers to pace learning and teaching and
  monitor learner performance
• Quarterly Assessment Activities to assist
  teachers to assess learners and monitor their
  progress on a quarterly basis
• Lesson plans for each quarter to provide teachers
  with guidance on how to approach Literacy and
  Numeracy teaching and learning.
• ReadRight Supplements Provide useful tips and
  support not only to teachers and learners but to
  parents as well and make Literacy and Numeracy
  promotion everyones business..

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2009 and beyond

• The Foundations for Learning Grade R Toolkit will
  be sent to all schools with Grade R by November
  2009. This comprises all the basic resources a
  Grade R teacher needs in a year for effective
  teaching
• Lesson plans for all terms for Grades 1 6 will
  be sent to all schools for the start of the 2010
  academic year (scheduled for distribution by
  November 2009)
• National assessments for all Grades 1 9 to be
  conducted again at the end of 2009, and schools
  assisted to use results in SIPs
• A programme of support by districts to be
  developed with district advisors for a
  qualitative focus on improving outcomes.