National Disability Insurance Agency

With the change of our Federal Government in 2013, DisabilityCare Australia has been renamed the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) http://www.ndis.gov.au/

It is the new national disability insurance scheme in Australia, and has been running test sites in various areas in Australia.

The test sites are raising some significant and important issues for clients and families attempting to access services.

In addition professionals, and specialist therapists are finding there are many and varied hurdles and issues in the implementation of the NDIA.

At the recent Heads of Government meeting in Canberra, the NDIA was discussed. Premiers need to formally report back to the Federal Government at their next meeting in February.  Our professional associations, support networks, and advocacy groups need to be letting their MP’s and the government know what the first 6 months have been like.  What are the positive changes and what are the negative changes?

Cathy is a registered provider for the National Disability Insurance Agency. 

Ask your case planner about how to use the services of Access Easy English.

Cathy has specialist skills, knowledge and expertise in Augmentative and Alternative Communication, both aided and unaided communication, Behaviours of Concern, Easy English, and other areas.  Cathy can provide assessment, implementation and training support.

Cathy Basterfield

 cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au 

0466 579 855

www.accesseasyenglish.com.au

Plans for 2014

Thank you to the many people who have shown such interest in Easy English and have begun or continued the process of planning and developing Easy English documents during the last 12 months.

As the Christmas break approaches, and the new year arrives, it is a great time to review the place of Easy English in your communities and for your workers. 

Have the recently released PIAAC http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4228.0Main+Features12011-12?OpenDocument results or PISA http://www.acer.edu.au/documents/PISA-2012-In-Brief.pdf results generated much discussion in your organisation? Do you need to know more about these significant international surveys on functional literacy?

Has the priority for developing Easy English shifted in your organisation in the last 12 months?
What are the plans for including Easy English development in new projects in 2014?
Do your staff need training and support to write or develop their skills in Easy English?

Watch this space for some new resources which are due out early in the new year.
I am also planning to run some training in 2014 (short modules and full day) based on feedback from you. Keep checking my blog for when they are announced, or go to my website. www.accesseasyenglish.com.au
 
I will be available in January, however, will be working reduced hours.  Please leave me an email or phone message about your Easy English questions, projects or quotes you may need.

Cathy Basterfield
0466 579 855
cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au
www.accesseasyenglish.com.au

Paper accepted for National Speech Pathology Conference

It was great to get confirmation from the National Speech Pathology conference, I have a paper accepted for the 2014 conference in Melbourne . http://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/spa-news-a-events/2014-national-conference

The paper is "Connections in our Communities. What happens when consumers have non functional literacy?"

It will be great to provide a functional perspective relating to the2013 PIAAC (Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies, Australia,) results http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4228.0Main+Features12011-12?OpenDocument and also the latest 2013 PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) results. http://www.acer.edu.au/documents/PISA-2012-In-Brief.pdf

Cathy
cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au
0466 579 855
www.accessseasyenglish.com.au  

PISA results in. What is literacy like for our 15 y.o's?

The latest PISA results have been released.
PISA is a worldwide assessment of  literacy, numeracy and scientific literacy for 15 y.o.  occurring every second year. 15,000 Australian students were included in the latest study.

You will need some great mathematical literacy to interpret all the data, but it is significant.

 Comparisons can be made 

·         between countries;

·         between Australian states;

·         indigenous versus non-indigenous students;

·         English as  a second language and/or migrant versus English as a first language;

·         socio-economic background;

·         private , public , catholic schools;

·         city versus rural versus remote students;

·         girls versus boys.

This year PISA 2013, has made comparisons with PISA 2003.  There has been significant reduction in functional literacy in all areas - literacy, mathematical and scientific compared with 10 years ago.

When looking at the Australian data, there is significant differences between students achieving the highest scores on the PISA and those at the lower ends.  It can equate to up to 3 years or more in schooling and reading levels. 
36% of students fall below "category 2 which defines reading skills as being able to

"locate one or more pieces of information; recognise the main idea in a text; and understand relationships, or construe meaning within a limited part of the text, when the
information is not prominent and the reader must make low-level inferences"

Read the definitions of reading levels used to categorise students results  at p.15 at http://www.acer.edu.au/documents/PISA-2012-In-Brief.pdf

From The Conversation
"The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) director of educational monitoring and research, Sue Thomson - who wrote the Australian chapter of the PISA report - said Australia now has fewer top-performing students, and more at the bottom.
She said the reading results showed Australian students were illiterate in a practical sense.
"It's not saying they're totally illiterate or innumerate,'' she said.
"But they don't necessarily have the skills they need to participate fully in adult life.''
 http://www.news.com.au/national/pisa-report-finds-australian-teenagers-education-worse-than-10-years-ago/story-fncynjr2-1226774541525

Data from Maths and Science literacy are also available.

Read further interpretations and commentary 
at http://www.acer.edu.au/documents/PISA-2012-In-Brief.pdf   
   http://www.acer.edu.au/ozpisa/key-findings/

Where to from here?

Services, organisations and government departments need to be even more aware of the needs of their audience. Students, young adults and adults in the workforce can continue to learn to read.  However, when a student is significantly below functional literacy standards, and yet still needs to be able to make life choices, interrupt health literacy information, financial literacy and other problem solving tasks this is significantly harder.  Implementing a strategy of Easy English will ensure you engage with your audiences more meaningfully.

Cathy
cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au
0466 579 855

PISA results due tomorrow

In The Age today, there is an article describing the PISA test, and information about the results being due out tomorrow.

PISA is a worldwide assessment of 15 y.o. literacy, numeracy,  science etc; moreso in how the students interpret new information not based on information learnt. So in fact it is  problem based learning and interpretation This is an inherent skill required in today’s adult work life.
Look out here in the next days for details about the PISA results.

Link to The Age article at http://www.theage.com.au/national/education/excellence-in-education-the-aim-of-pisa-tests-developer-says-20131129-2yfkq.html  

Cathy
cathy@acesseasyenglish.com.au
0466 579 855