Message text written by "Discussion list for disabled students and their
support staff."
>Some delegates took issue with this - pointing out that the DfEE
guidelines state that RSA Dip assessments are acceptable for DSA
applications.
I would argue that they are also quite good enough on which to base study
strategies and support.<
Sorry for the delay in replying.
This is not a BDA statement, just mine.
When it was decided that RSA diploma holders, and then others as well,
could assess for GCSE special arrangements,
I think it was expected that SENCos in secondary schools
who had GCSE teaching/support experience would do the assessing.
There may have been the same expectation about assessments in HE
being done by teachers working in HE (or maybe in FE or with sixthformers
i.e. with students about to enter HE).
RSA (now OCR) diploma holders are required to teach
a primary, a secondary and an adult learner for the purpose
of the course, (the adult often being one needing basic skills).
It is hoped that study skills knowledge would be shown
with one of those learners, usually the secondary age learner.
The observed assessment can be with a learner of any age.
I do not think that a teacher who shows competence
in assessing a six year old would necessarily be competent
assessing a sixteen year old or a 26 year old
at the HE level of learning.
Other courses, e.g. the Hornsby Diploma, may only monitor lessons
and assessment of two learners of primary age.
Teachers who did OCR courses three or more years ago
did not cover GCSE assessment.
PATOSS, HADC and the DI are addressing this by offering
courses re GCSE assessment and these upgrades will soon be
compulsory.
Could the centres who run SpLD FE/HE courses
offer similar upgrade courses?
BDA lists HADC and MMU but there may be some in the pipeline
and others who have not asked for BDA accreditation.
Could you recommend that DSA assessments should only be done
by teachers with sixthform, FE or HE experience?
Jean Hutchins
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British Dyslexia Association volunteer
RSA Dip SpLD, AMBDA.
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BDA Web: http://www.bda-dyslexia.org.uk/
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