Description

            The Accreditation and Equivalency Program is an NFE Program that provides a certification of learning for out-of-school children, youth and adults who are unable to avail of education in the formal school system or who have dropped out of formal elementary or secondary education.

Objectives

            The Accreditation and Equivalency (A 7 E) program aims to:

• provide a system for assessing levels of literacy and other nonformal learning achievements
• completers of basic Literacy Program who wish to acquire elementary and secondary education
• elementary and secondary drop-outs or school leavers who wish to acquire elementary and/or secondary diploma
• Conduct advocacy and social mobilization activities in the community to invite target learners to join the A&E programs
• Administer the Functional Literacy Test to prospective learners to determine their literacy level and the appropriate program for them
• Assist the learners in preparing their individual learning plan, their learning goal, schedule of activities, and their  choice of modality of learning
• Prepare an individual learning portfolio for each learner
• Conduct kearning sessions based on agreements with the learners using any of the following modalities
  • Independent Learning
  • Group Learning (Face-to-Face)
  • Computer-based Learning (eSkwela)
  • Radio-Based Learning
  • TV-based Learning (Ibang Klase)
• Conduct registration in testing centers among prospective test takers.
• Administer the A&E Test in date schedule (test is free)
• Issue certificate (diploma) to A & E test passers
• Formal school leavers/drop-outs
• Persons with physical disabilities
• Members of cultural minorities/indigenous peoples
• Members of the labor force

Target Learners

            The A & E learners are:

How to introduce and implement the Accreditation and Equivalency Program in the Community Learning Center?

PRELIMINARY ACTIVITIES

IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES

ASSESSMENT AND CERTIFICATION ACTIVITIES

ALS Accreditation & Equivalency (A & E) Test

What is the ALS A & E

            It is a test that determines if the test take possesses equivalent learning competencies as those of a Grade VI graduate or a 4^th year high school graduate. There is an elementary level test and a secondary level test.

Who are qualified to take the test?

            Any of the following out-of-school children, youth and adults who may be

Provided that for elementary level test takers, they are at least 11 years old and for secondary level test takers, they are at least 15 years old.

Useful Definitions in Accomplishing the ALS MIS Forms:

1. Illiterate / non-literate – anyone who is deficient in basic skills in reading, writing and numeracy.

1. School dropout – one who does not complete a school year for any reason.

1. School leaver – one who completes a grade/year but fails to enroll in the next grade/year level the following school year.

1. ALS target beneficiary – a non-literate person, a school leaver, a school dorput are target clients of the ALS.

1. A&E test taker – anyone who takes the A&E test (elementary or secondary) level: he/she either passes or fails the A&E Test.

1. Completer – one who underwent the BLP or A&E learning sessions and accomplished the learning competencies prescribed in each program.

1. DepEd-delivered – refers to the program implementation arrangement where ALS programs (Basic Literacy Program and Accreditation and Equivalency Program) are directly carried-out by DepEd personnel such as the ALS Mobile Teachers and ALS District Coordinators.

1. DepEd-procured – refers to the program implementation arrangement where ALS programs are being contracted by DepEd to service providers such as non-government organizations, LGUs and other government organizations. Specifically, this makes use of the ALS Contracting Scheme for the delivery of the Basic Literacy Program and Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Program.

1. District ALS Coordinator (DALSC) – refers to the formal school teacher who is locally designated as DALSC to coordinate the ALS program implementation in the district and to conduct learning sessions for target beneficiaries.

1. ALS Mobile Teacher (MT) – refers to a teacher who, oftentimes, lives among the people in remote communities of the country to conduct intensive community-based education for out-of-school children, youth and adults who are willing to learn basic literacy skills or other desired and necessary competencies for continuing education)

1. Non-DepEd ALS Programs – refers to all community development programs with basic and functional literacy components initiated and implemented by Local Government Units (LGUs), Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and other Government Organizations (GOs)

1. Community Learning Center (CLC) – is the venue for learning among the out-of-school children, youth and adults. It takes various forms such as a chapel, a barangay hall, a jail house, a market, a spare classroom in the school, etc. There are also CLCs on the roadside and under the trees.

By: Victor R. Lazaro | Teacher III | DALSC | ORION, BATAAN