CURRICULUM CONTENT

Unit Index

Reading

Writing

Grammar

Technology

Family Literacy

LEARNER ASSESSMENT

Level Descriptions

Assessment Framework

Initial Assessment

Assessing Lifeskills Objectives

Progress Through REEP
     Levels

Culminating Assessment

Final Assessment

Documenting Progress

ESL Progress Report


CORRELATIONS

Internal

External

Assessing the needs, interests, and goals of learners is an integral part of the REEP Curriculum and is important in achieving the program's goal of creating "learner-centered" classrooms.

Class Goal Setting/Curriculum Negotiation: Each instructional level contains more lifeskills units than could reasonably be covered during one cycle of instruction. Through needs assessment activities, students negotiate which units will be covered. In other words, students decide the contexts through which they wish to learn language skills.Needs assessment is a component of the "Getting Started Unit", which is the first unit (and the only required unit) in each instructional level.

Unit Needs Assessment: Needs assessment is also a component within each lifeskills unit. See Unit Needs Assessmentin this section for guidelines and suggested activities.

On-going Needs Assessment: Needs Assessment should be done routinely in order to ensure that learner needs and goals are being met and to assist the teacher in planning effective lessons that are relevant to the learners' needs. Final needs assessment should occur at the end of a course to take account of accomplishments and to help learners make decisions about educational goals for the future.

For information on designing effective needs assessment activities, go to

Characteristics of effective needs assessment activities

Sample Needs Assessment Activities:

Picture Questionnaire
Mind Mapping
Learner Generated Questionnaire
Information Grids
Timelines
Compositions
Achievement Charts
Individual Education Plan
Four Corners/Vote with Your Feet

For sample Needs Assessment Lesson Plans, see Getting Started Units.

For Needs Assessment Bibliography, see Resources.

Other resources:

To view an ERIC DIGEST on needs assessment links, go to: Needs Assessment for Adult Learners by Kathleen Santopietro and Carol Van Duzer, ERIC Digest (has REEP example)

Go to Individual Goal Setting  for process and resources for setting individual goals.

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Arlington Education and Employment Program
2801 Clarendon Blvd., Room 218, Arlington, VA 22201

Contact REEP:reep@arlington.k12.va.us