Recognising and Recording
Progress and Achievement
(RARPA)
An Introduction
Silvia Hanley
Contract Officer
Culture & Adult Education
Lincolnshire County Council
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.
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
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 nonaccredited provision.
• Piloted throughout the country in a range of
settings (since 2004).
• Reporting to LSC against achievement of
Learning Outcomes compulsory from Sept 2009.
Current Policy Links
• Common Inspection Framework
(CIF)
• Measuring Success (LSC mandate)
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.
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
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
???
?!?
!!!
Learner Journey
 Future Progression
What do I want to do next?
INFORMATION, ADVICE & GUIDANCE (IAG)
What’s next?
PCDL? Certificate?
NVQ? Diploma? ...
RARPA: 5-staged Process
Stage 1
Appropriate
Aims
Stage 5
Summative
Assessment
Formative
Assessment
Stage 4
Initial
Stage 2
Assessment
Challenging
Learning
Objectives
Stage 3
Stage 1: APPROPRIATE AIMS
Element
Evidence
Course AIM(S):
Aim(s) must be stated clearly for
all programmes on:
• Broad statements of overall goals,
ends or intentions of teaching.
• Must be appropriate to an individual
learner or groups of learners.
• Pre-course information, e.g.
course information sheet (CIS)
• What is the course aiming at?
• Information about prerequisites and resources
• Who is the course aimed at?
• Scheme of Work (SOW)
• What is the expected level of
learning.
• Session plan
• What are the required prerequisites?
Stage 2: INITIAL ASSESSMENT
Element
Evidence
Recording of outcomes of process
establish the learner’s starting point. of establishing learners’ starting
points:
INITIAL ASSESSMENT to
• Why has the learner joined the
course?
• Existing knowledge relevant to
the course
• Enrolment form
• Personal Learning Record (PLR)
Stage 3: CHALLENGING LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
Element
Evidence
Identification of appropriately
Clearly stated and suitably
challenging objectives (SMART) for
all programmes and, wherever
feasible, individually for each
learner:
CHALLENGING LEARNING
OBJECTIVES (SMART)
•Statements describing what
learners will be able to do as a
• Scheme of Work (SOW)
result of learning.
• Session plan
• Initial: Set at the beginning of
• Personal Learning Record (PLR)
course
• Renegotiated and revised: during
the programme
Stage 4: FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
(During the programme)
Element
Evidence
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT:
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
Recognition and recording of
progress and achievement DURING
PROGRAMME including
• Tutor feedback to learners
• Learner reflection
• Progress reviews
Stage 5: SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
(At the end of programme)
Element
Evidence
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT:
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
Recognition and recording of
progress and achievement at the
END OF PROGRAMME including:
• Learner self-assessment
• Tutor review of overall progress
and achievement
Proposed Stage 6
Element
Evidence
PROGRESSION:
Record of progress intentions to
establishing learners’ progression
route:
Information, Advice and
Guidance (IAG)
To ensure that learners receive
professional information, advice and
guidance relating to their future
progression.
• Enrolment form
• Personal Learning Record (PLR)
• Register
• nextstep documentation
Summary of RARPA
• Compulsory from September 2009 for all nonaccredited 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
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
ANY QUESTIONS?
Examples of Documentation
Supporting RARPA
Personal Learning Record (PLR)
Course Title:
Tutor Name:
Provider:
Day/Date:
Time:
Have you taken part in any learning (formal or informal)
Yes
during the last three years?
How easy was it to find out what was on offer from your
2.
Easy
learning provider?
Comments – If not easy, can you say what would have helped to improve this?
1.
Yes
Did you find the enrolment process easy?
Not easy
No
Comments – If not easy, can you say what would have helped to improve this?
4.
2. Initial
Assessment
Please give details of any special help or support you will need to fully participate in this course:
Tutor
Use
Only
Introduction to your Course/Venue – have you been told about?
Venue information (toilets, refreshments etc)
Yes
No
Course information – e.g. what it involves
Yes
No
Course information – materials required/cost?
Yes
No
Assessment information (if applicable)
Yes
No
Health and Safety (e.g. fire action)
Yes
No
1. Aims
3.
No
1. Aims
Learner Name:
Was the information provided overall:
Good
Too Much
Too little
What Do I Already Know?
Please tick the statement that reflects your present knowledge and understanding of the subject
of the course.
I know nothing about this subject
Yes
I know a little about this subject
Yes
I know about this subject but want to know more
Yes
Yes
I know a lot about this subject
Have you completed an initial assessment?
(Ask your tutor if you are not sure)
Yes/No
Date
1. Aims &
2. Initial Assessment
5.
Complete this section at the beginning and end of the course.
Review your learning and assess your achievement:
Please insert date:
Learning Objectives:
The tutor has planned that by the end of this course you will be
able to:
I have not
achieved
this yet
I have
partially
achieved
this
I have fully
achieved
this
1
2
3
4
1. Aims 3. Challenging Outcomes
4. Recognition & Recording &
5. End of Prog Learner Self-Assessment
6.
5
1
2
3
4
5
7.
Please tell us your plans in relation to continuing in learning or other progression on completion of
your course.
I intend to enrol on another course with this organisation next term/year
Yes/No
I would like to continue studying in this subject area and would like further information
Yes/No
I would like a confidential chat with someone about career or course options open to me.
If yes please enter your phone number here:
Yes/No
5. End of Prog Learner
Self-Assessment
2. Initial Assessment
3. Challenging Outcomes & 5. End
of Prog Learner Self-Assessment
What else do you want to achieve from the course:
Personal Outcomes?
3. Challenging Outcomes
4. Recognition & Recording &
5. End of Prog Learner Self-Assessment
End of course Review – Learner comments:
End of course Review - Tutor comments:
Learner Signature
Date
Tutor Signature
Date
How Do You Like To Learn? (Please tick all that apply to you)
Listening
Watching
Doing
Reading
Learner progress record
At the end of each session take a few minutes to reflect on what you think you have learned that will help you to achieve one or
more of your learning outcomes. Check with your tutor if you are not sure.
For each session please think about the following:


What skills or knowledge have I learned or improved today?
What do I still need to improve and progress?
Session 1
Date
Tutor comments/progress review:
Tutor’s initials
3. Challenging Outcomes &
4. Recognition & Recording
Learner comments:
Session 2
Date
Tutor comments/progress review:
Tutor’s initials
3. Challenging Outcomes &
4. Recognition & Recording
Learner comments:
Session 3
Date
Tutor comments/progress review:
Tutor’s initials
3. Challenging Outcomes &
4. Recognition & Recording
Learner comments:
What Have I Learned?
How many of the learning outcomes listed in Section 6 have you achieved? (Please tick)
5
4
3
2
1
%
(for tutor use
only)
How many of the personal outcomes listed in Section 6 have you achieved? (Please tick)
5
4
3
1
%
(for tutor use
only)
Date:
5. End of Prog Tutor summative Assessment
End of course review (tutor’s comments)
2
Do not forget to complete Section 7 – progression
Tutor Record of Learner Achievement
(TRLA)
Course
Date
1


2
x

3


x


x
3/5
4/5



x



SAMPLE
4
5
Total number of Learning Outcomes Achieved
Personal Outcomes
1
2
3
Please tick if a learner has achieved their personal
outcomes
4
5
Total number of Personal Outcomes Achieved
3/4
3/3
TOTAL NUMBER OF ALL OUTCOMES ACHIEVED:
6/9
7/8
Total of all Outcomes Achieved (%)
Add the number of Learning Outcomes and Personal
Outcomes together and calculate the percentage achieved in
comparison to the total number of all Outcomes. Benchmark
for achievement is 75% or above.
67%
88%
5. End of course Tutor Summative Assessment
Learning Outcomes
May
West
Course
Title
James
Brown
Tutor
Name