1. Culture & Adult Education Lincolnshire County Council
Recognising and Recording Progress and Achievement (RARPA) An Introduction
Silvia Hanley
Contract Officer
Culture & Adult Education
Lincolnshire County Council

2. What is RARPA?
Process that assists learners and tutors to recognize and record the progress and achievement of the learner.
Focused on the learner.
Evidences the learner journey.
Helps to monitor the quality of learning and teaching in non-accredited learning.

3. What is RARPA? Identifies and records: Learner starting point
Achievement of course learning outcomes
Achievement of personal learning outcomes
Progress made during the course (formative assessment)
Progress made at the end of the course (summative assessment)
Feedback from learner
Feedback from tutor

4. Where has RARPA come from?
National Learning Skills Council (LSC) initiative, developed in conjunction with:
NIACE (National Institute of Adult Continuing Education) and
LSDA (Learning and Skills Development Agency).
Addresses perceived shortcomings in non-accredited provision.
Piloted throughout the country in a range of settings (since 2004).
Reporting to LSC against achievement of Learning Outcomes compulsory from Sept 2009.
LSDA = Learning and Skills Development Agency
NIACE = National Institute of Adult Continuing Education

5. Current Policy Links Common Inspection Framework (CIF)
Measuring Success (LSC mandate)

6. What does RARPA mean in practice?
For Tutors:
Provides an educationally sound framework for planning and delivery of courses.
Provides an opportunity to check that provision is learner-centred.
Ensures learners’ goals are recognised and counted towards learners’ achievement.
NOT meant to introduce new layers of bureaucratic paperwork.

7. What does RARPA mean in practice?
For Learners:
Ensures well-planned sessions and clear aims and learning outcomes.
Provides learners with identifiable learning journeys.
Where did I start? Initial Assessment
What is my progress? Formative Assessment
Where am I now? Summative Assessment
Where do I want to go next?  IAG

8. Learner Journey
Start  During the course  End of course 
Where did I start? What is my progress? Where am I now?
INITIAL ASSESSMENT FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
??? ?!? !!!

9. PCDL? Certificate? NVQ? Diploma? ...
Learner Journey
 Future Progression
What do I want to do next?
INFORMATION, ADVICE & GUIDANCE (IAG)
What’s next?
PCDL? Certificate? NVQ? Diploma? ...

10. RARPA: 5-staged Process
Appropriate Aims
Initial Assessment
Summative Assessment
Challenging Learning Objectives
Formative Assessment

11. Stage 1: APPROPRIATE AIMS
Element
Evidence
Course AIM(S):
Broad statements of overall goals, ends or intentions of teaching.
Must be appropriate to an individual learner or groups of learners.
What is the course aiming at?
Who is the course aimed at?
What is the expected level of learning.
What are the required pre-requisites?
Aim(s) must be stated clearly for all programmes on:
Pre-course information, e.g. course information sheet (CIS)
Information about pre- requisites and resources
Scheme of Work (SOW)
Session plan

12. Stage 2: INITIAL ASSESSMENT
Element
Evidence
INITIAL ASSESSMENT to establish the learner’s starting point.
Why has the learner joined the course?
Existing knowledge relevant to the course
Recording of outcomes of process of establishing learners’ starting points:
Enrolment form
Personal Learning Record (PLR)

13. Stage 3: CHALLENGING LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Element
Evidence
Identification of appropriately CHALLENGING LEARNING OBJECTIVES (SMART)
Statements describing what learners will be able to do as a result of learning.
Initial: Set at the beginning of course
Renegotiated and revised: during the programme
Clearly stated and suitably challenging objectives (SMART) for all programmes and, wherever feasible, individually for each learner:
Scheme of Work (SOW)
Session plan
Personal Learning Record (PLR)

14. Stage 4: FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT (During the programme)
Element
Evidence
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT:
Recognition and recording of progress and achievement DURING PROGRAMME including
Tutor feedback to learners
Learner reflection
Progress reviews
Examples of appropriate evidence include records of:
Learner self-assessment
Group and peer assessment
Tutor records of assessment
Activities and individual or group progress and achievement.
Learners’ files, journals, diaries, portfolios
Artwork, videos, audiotapes, performances, exhibitions and displays, individual or group learner testimony, photographs and other forms of evidence

15. Stage 5: SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT (At the end of programme)
Element
Evidence
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT:
Recognition and recording of progress and achievement at the END OF PROGRAMME including:
Learner self-assessment
Tutor review of overall progress and achievement
Examples of appropriate evidence include records of:
Group and peer assessment
Tutor records of assessment
Activities and individual or group progress and achievement.
Learners’ files, journals, diaries, portfolios
Artwork, videos, audiotapes, performances, exhibitions and displays, individual or group learner testimony, photographs and other forms of evidence

16. Proposed Stage 6 Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) Element
Evidence
PROGRESSION:
Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG)
To ensure that learners receive professional information, advice and guidance relating to their future progression.
Record of progress intentions to establishing learners’ progression route:
Enrolment form
Personal Learning Record (PLR)
Register
nextstep documentation

17. Summary of RARPA
Compulsory from September 2009 for all non-accredited courses.
Currently a five stage process.
Identifies and records:
Learner starting point
Achievement of course aims and learning outcomes
Achievement of personal learning outcomes
Progression during the course (formative)
Progression at the end of the course (summative)
Feedback from learner
Feedback from tutor

18. Summary of supporting evidence
Learner charter and learner handbook (Induction)
Course agreement/rationale (Induction)
Initial assessment / Course Information Sheet (CIS)
Scheme of work (SOW)
Generic lesson plan
Personal Learning Record (PLR) / Individual Learning Plan (ILP)
Tutor Records of Learner Achievement (TRLA)
Internal moderation procedures
Observation of teaching & learning (OTL) procedures

19. ANY QUESTIONS?

20. Examples of Documentation Supporting RARPA

21. Personal Learning Record (PLR)

26. Tutor Record of Learner Achievement (TRLA)