UPGRADE TO LEVEL 7 CERTIFICATE FOR ASSESSING AND TEACHING OF LEARNERS WITH SPECIFIC LEARNING DIFFICULTIES (DYSLEXIA)

Start Date: 22nd September 2008 (Course 1) - 23rd September 2008 (Course 2)

Day and Time: Course 1 Monday 1.30p.m. to 4.30p.m - Course 2 Tuesday 1.30 p.m to 4.30 p.m.

(TUESDAY'S Course is now FULL)

Venue: Potters Bar Tutors: Margaret Bevan and Valerie Hammond

Length of Course: 1 year

Cost: £1100 (plus exam fees approx £200) Twenty sessions of three hours duration spread over 3 terms.

Aim of the Course
To develop your ability to identify and assess the needs of learners with specific learning difficulties, using observation and evidence-based assessment and standardised tests. It has been developed to recognize candidates' skills, knowledge and understanding as Specialist Teachers and their ability to carry out diagnostic assessments, write reports and deliver effective teaching sessions to learners with dyslexia and other learning difficulties affecting literacy and numeracy.

Target Group
This qualification is designed primarily to provide a route for continued professional development for teachers/trainers with responsibility for learners with specific learning difficulties in literacy and numeracy acquisition. These difficulties may also affect communication and interaction. This qualification would be appropriate for Teachers/Trainers/SENCOs/Speech and Language Therapists/Educational Psychologists advising and supporting classroom teachers. Candidates who progress from the Level 5 Certificate to the Level 7 Certificate will be able to receive accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) for the teaching experience they have gained in the Level 5 qualification.

Entry Qualifications
These qualifications are designed primarily for qualified practising and experienced teachers and other professionals who hold recognized professional qualifications. Candidates should possess an appropriate level of learning support experience and should have unrestricted access to appropriate teaching and assessment practice. It is anticipated that candidates will have a high level of skill and be working at or above the equivalent of Level 4 in the following key skills areas: literacy, numeracy, ICT, working with others, improving own learning and problem solving. Candidates for this course will have already been awarded the ‘Level 5 Certificate for teaching Learners with Specific Learning Difficulties’ at a good standard. All candidates will be invited for interview. Places on this course are limited. At this interview candidates will: · Demonstrate their underpinning knowledge of the nature of Specific Learning Difficulties. · Produce evidence of their teaching portfolio from the level 5 qualification. · Confirm that they will have free access to standardised test materials in their own workplace or will be prepared to obtain these materials themselves. Candidates who hold the old OCR 307 ‘Certificate in Teaching Learners with Specific Learning Difficulties’ will be required to fill the missing competencies from the new level 5 qualification. This will involve assessing and teaching another pupil at a different Key Stage in learning to the pupil taught on their Certificate Course for a minimum of six lessons. This will also involve the assessing and teaching of mathematics. An additional fee of £350 will be charged for these candidates.

Course Plan and Management
There are five mandatory units. Each unit is designed to be delivered in approximately 60 guided hours. All units are equally weighted and contribute one fifth to the overall qualification.
Unit 1 Psychometric and Educational Assessment Methods
Element 1.1 Understand principles of psychometric and educational assessment
Element 1.2 Develop awareness of published assessment resources Candidates must independently: a. Produce a review of diagnostic tests for individual learners with specific learning difficulties/dyslexia to include reading, spelling and numeracy.

Unit 2 Diagnostic Assessment of Learners
Element 2.1 Plan assessment session
Element 2.2 Conduct diagnostic assessment session
Element 2.3 Interpret test results and other information
Candidates must independently:
a. Produce a case history of one individual learner which summarises the reasons and background to referral.
b. Produce two questionnaires/interview schedules (e.g. One for learner/parents and another for class teacher/learning support tutor.
c. Produce an assessment session plan, including brief notes explaining the reasons for choice of assessment procedures and resources, showing how these have been devised and prepared to meet the needs of the individual learner.
d. Carry out diagnostic assessment with one learner, at least one hour of which must be observed on video by an assessor.
e. Compile a report of the assessment data collected to include:
f. Produce a brief description of the purpose of all tests and assessment procedures used.

Unit 3 Communication and Liaison with others
Element 3.1 Write professional, valid, accessible diagnostic assessment reports
Element 3.2 Plan a teaching programme to be delivered by others
Element 3.3 Communicate effectively in an organisational context
Candidates must independently:
a. Write a diagnostic assessment report for one learner.
b. Use their own assessment findings and recommendations to provide evidence in the form of a teaching programme, which is relevant to the individual and appropriate to the context of learning.
c. Provide evidence that they can communicate and liaise effectively about their findings with learner and parent/carer.

Unit 4 Reporting Special Educational and Assessment Needs
Element 4.1 Investigate and demonstrate knowledge of relevant regulations and guidance Element 4.2 Identify methods and materials to screen, select and assess the needs of learners Element 4.3 Write and process reports
Candidates must independently:
a. Compile a list of contact details for personnel in a range of organisations relevant to the learners in the organisation where they work (e.g. relevant contacts in LEA, Education Psychology Service, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, Joint Council for General Qualifications).
b. Produce a progress chart/year planner for their own place of work showing what should be done, who should be contacted and when for learners with learning difficulties who may need special arrangements during tests, assessments or examinations (i.e. KS1/KS2/KS3 SATs/GCSE/A levels, vocational qualifications/University degree).
c. Produce information sheets of a maximum of 500 words summarising the regulations regarding special arrangements in one of the following contexts.
d. Invent two different hypothetical scenarios concerning learners with learning difficulties who require assessment to identify the support they would need to meet their special educational or assessment needs. One learner should have significant special educational needs and the other should be a borderline case.
e. Produce two reports recommending special arrangements for these hypothetical learners. f. Produce brief guidance notes for invigilators and those providing assistance to learners (e.g. Readers, scribes), detailing exactly what they should and should not do during and immediately after the examination.

Unit 5 - This will have already been achieved through completing the Level 5 qualification

Teaching Learners with Dyslexia and Reflective Practice. Candidates who have the old OCR 307 Certificate will be required to undertake an extra teaching practice (6 hours) t provide evidence of numeracy support and ability to work with a learner at a different key stage. This can be in a group setting.

One session will need to be recorded for assessment purposes. This can be the student assessed in Unit 1.

Element 5.1 Plan Lessons and Prepare Resources
Element 5.2 Deliver lessons and learning support
Element 5.3 Review learners' progress and evaluate effectiveness of teaching