Overview for Assessment Centres and Referring Organizations

Transcription

1 Overview for Assessment Centres and Referring Organizations For people who refer clients to the LINC Home Study Canada program Contents A. Overview of the LINC Home Study Program B. Client Eligibility C. How LINC Home Study Works D. Program Delivery Options E. How to Refer Clients to LINC Home Study Canada F. Communication from LHS Administration G. Contact Information Delivered by:

2 A. Overview of the LINC Home Study Program Developed by the Centre for Education & Training, LINC Home Study (LHS) is a unique program that provides Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) to eligible clients by distance education. It is an excellent alternative when classroom learning is not feasible. LHS allows clients to study from home following a schedule that is uniquely tailored to each individual. LHS is currently offered in seven provinces: Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland & Labrador. As LHS is funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the program is provided free of charge to eligible clients. Students only need to provide their own equipment. (See program delivery options below.) The LHS curriculum includes LINC levels 2 to 7. The curriculum was developed by the Centre for Education & Training, and it is based on the Canadian Language Benchmarks. The curriculum is skillsbased, focusing on listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It is also theme based, covering topics such as employment, family life, and education. In addition to the regular curriculum, the Centre for Education & Training also developed region specific material for students residing in Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland & Labrador. The program is taught by experienced TESL certified instructors who help students achieve their individualized learning objectives. Instructors conduct a weekly lesson with each student by Skype or telephone, and they also maintain communication throughout the week. Student progress is monitored through an initial needs assessment, regular assignments and evaluations, student portfolios, and quarterly student reports. B. Client Eligibility To be eligible for LINC Home Study, clients must be at least 18 years of age and meet the following criteria: Immigration status Permanent Resident Convention Refugee Unable to Attend LINC Classrooms work obligations - shifts/irregular hours illness/disability family commitments - young children/elderly lack of regular LINC programs in area Minimum Canadian Language Benchmarks Listening 3 Speaking 3 Reading 2 Writing 2 In addition, clients must be self-motivated and willing to study approximately 5 to 10 hours per week.

3 C. How LINC Home Study Works From initial assessment to program completion, all LHS clients follow the same process. Clients must first go to an assessment centre or referring organization to have their English skills evaluated according to the Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment (CLBA) or Canadian Language Benchmarks Placement Test (CLBPT) guidelines and to have their eligibility for LINC Home Study determined. A list of assessment and referring organizations is available on our website ( After the client s benchmarks have been assigned and eligibility has been determined, the client is referred to the LINC Home Study program (section E explains how to refer a client). The client is then contacted by LHS administration to confirm personal information and availability. If there is a waitlist, the client is informed that he/she will be contacted as soon as space is available. Once space is available, the client is matched with a teacher who has the same availability. The client is provided with all necessary learning material and technical support to begin the program. Teachers contact their students within three business days of registration to set up a time for the weekly lesson and to conduct a needs analysis. In addition to the weekly lessons via telephone or Skype, students study independently for 5 to 10 hours each week. Using the LHS curriculum material provided to them, students follow a learning plan that their teachers tailor to suit their needs. On a regular basis, teachers conduct formative and summative evaluations of students progress. When students reach their learning objectives, they graduate from the program and receive a certificate of achievement. This process is illustrated by the diagram on the following page. D. Program Delivery Options Once referred to the program, students may choose to study either by correspondence or online. If a student has access to high speed internet, the online option is preferred. No matter which learning modality students choose, they will receive: All required learning material Administrative and technical support by telephone and/or Access to a web forum for meeting other students/teachers Students are required to provide their own equipment. Correspondence students must have: Telephone CD player Students studying online must have: Personal computer Internet connection with high-speed access Computer headphones or speakers Computer microphone

4 The LINC Home Study Process Client goes to a Referring Organization. Canadian Language Benchmarks are assigned. LINC Home Study Eligibility is determined. Eligible client is referred to LINC Home Study. LINC Home Study student meets learning objectives and receives Certificate of Achievement. Formative and summative evaluations occur in the course of a LINC level. Teacher writes quarterly reports if student remains in program for six months or more. 1-on-1 language training is provided. Student studies independently 5 to 10 hours each week. A teacher is assigned to the student. Teacher calls student within 3 business days to establish calling schedule. LINC Home Study administration contacts client to determine availability and study option.

5 E. How to Refer Clients to LINC Home Study Canada Once the assessment centre or referring organization has determined a client s eligibility and has decided to refer the client to LHS, specific information about the client must be collected. The required information is indicated in the Client Referral Form. In addition, if the assessment centre or referring organization would like to receive a Client Progress Report or a LINC Training History (see section F for details), the client must sign the Information Release Consent Form. After collecting the necessary information from the client, the person making the referral communicates the information to the LHS administration by entering it into the referral page of the Learning Management System (LMS) online: The Consent Form should be scanned and uploaded to the online referral page as well. If the referring organization does not have a scanner, the Consent Form can be faxed to All partners who make referrals will be given soft copies of the Client Referral Form and the Information Release Consent Form, and a username and password for the LMS. The LHS administration will contact the client within a week of receiving the referral.

6 F. Communication from LHS Administration The LHS administration informs the assessment centre or referring organization when clients are removed from the waitlist and registered in the program as well as when clients are withdrawn from the program. In addition, for clients who sign the Information Release Consent Form, referring organizations will receive Client Progress Reports for clients who have been in the program for six months, and LINC Training Histories when clients withdraw from the program. These documents indicate the clients entry benchmarks, current benchmarks, number of instructional hours with a teacher, registration date, and, if applicable, withdrawal date. G. Contact Information Sonia Martin Project Manager LINC Home Study Canada Tel: ext Toll Free: ext smartin@tcet.com Kenda Khalil Administrative Assistant LINC Home Study Canada Tel: ext Toll Free: ext kkhalil@tcet.com Centre for Education & Training Community Door, Sussex Centre 50 Burnhamthorpe West, Suite 410 Mississauga, ON, L5B 3C2 Please do not hesitate to contact the office should you require additional information. Thank you for referring clients to the LINC Home Study Canada program! Updated July 7, 2011