RUNNING HEAD: Alternative Secondary Transitional Programme (ASTEP)

St. Joseph’s Teachers’ College

Bachelor of Primary Education Degree Programme

Course Name: Addressing Children’s Literacy Development

Course Code:LA300PRB

Lectures Name: Reneki Hylton-Laidley

Group Members Name & ID Number:

Damanique Riley SJ18172244

Jade Campbell SJ18172040

Asharie Stephens SJ18170976

Due Date: October 26, 2020

RUNNING HEAD: Alternative Secondary Transitional Programme (ASTEP)

Background

The Alternative Secondary Transitional Programme (ASTEP) is a programme that extends over a

two-year period. This initiative was implemented by the Ministry of Education to support

students who by the completion of primary education was not proficient to move on to secondary

education. For this subgroup of learners it was brought into consideration that instructions and

curriculums would have to be altered to suite the needs of these students, paired with adequate

supervision and assessments. This programme started in September 2011. (Reynold,2011)

Aim

The aim of the ASTEP is designed to provide a safety net for children at the completion of the

primary level of education, who will require special, intensive support and intervention to

advance to the next stage. (Katherine,2014)

Objective

The programme focuses on developing the literacy and numeracy skills of the students and

ensuring that they can effectively transition to the secondary level of education. (Katherine,2014)

Purpose

The purpose of the Alternative Secondary Transitional Programme is to aid in children who have

not achieved literacy mastery after four attempts at the Grade Four Literacy Test. Due to this

phenomenon the students would not be allowed to move on to do the Grade Six Achievement

Test. Therefore, the thought behind this initiative is to give children additional time to develop

the basics at the primary level and master the basic literacy skills before they transition into the

secondary school system. (Katherine,2014)

RUNNING HEAD: Alternative Secondary Transitional Programme (ASTEP)

Mission Statement

The Ministry of Education intends to primary to deliver a literate child to the secondary system.

Funding Agency

This initiative is funded by the Government of Jamaica funded from the national budget.

Selection of Schools/ Criteria

According to the Jamaica Observer Audrey Sewell noted that the Alternative Secondary

Transitional Education Programme (ASTEP), 300 schools were audited for the programme but

only 192 centers were chosen. In total there are 253 programs. This is so because in some

schools there more than one center. These centers have been placed in primary, all age and

junior high schools across the island.

The centers were selected based on the availability of space school leadership (board of

management and principal), school performance on national assessments, proximity of center to

neighbouring schools and accessibility to center availability of resources. (Reynolds, 2011)

Program Provisions for the school From the Initiative

The Ministry of Education received over thirty-six computers from the Digicel Foundation to

support Alternative Secondary Transitional Education Programme (ASTEP). The Seaview

Primary School ASTEP center received five desktop computers and one laptop. The other

computers were distributed to six other centers that ministry deemed in need of resources. These

schools include: Fellowship Primary and Junior High, Rio Bueno Primary, Darliston Primary,

Bellefield Primary and Eltham Park Primary.

RUNNING HEAD: Alternative Secondary Transitional Programme (ASTEP)

Features of the curriculum

Features of this initiative include small classroom sizes, differentiating curriculum, and a

combination of strategies to address existing needs of students, specially trained teachers,

and a relaxed learning environment.

Program Content

The differentiated curriculum will concentrate literacy and numeracy skills. In addition, the

students will be exposed to some level of aesthetics. In the second year of the program will

function as a vocationally oriented parallel pathway. Students will be exposed to the following

curriculum areas: Language Arts, Mathematics, Integrated Science, Social Studies, Information

and Communication Technology, Technical and Vocational Subjects, Citizenship, Music and

Physical Education.

Effectiveness of the Programme

(Evaluate the program)

The Alternative Secondary Transitional Programme (ASTEP) is an excellent initiative that was

implemented in 2011 for students who find it difficult to matriculate to the secondary level. This

programme gives students the opportunity to move on from primary school to secondary school

knowing that even though they are facing literacy problems there is still hope for them.

However, this programme has encountered several challenges such as financial and lack of

resources. Hence, the reason why private sector and other organizations should come on board to

provide necessary materials such as computers to reduce the illiteracy rate in our country. No
RUNNING HEAD: Alternative Secondary Transitional Programme (ASTEP)

doubt the programme has several challenges however, Ministry of Education is still dedicated to

have the Alternative Secondary Transitional Programme a float.

Recommendations

Several recommendations to the Alternative Assessment Ptogramme are:

Ensure that more three quarter of the resources are available to start the initative. This is because

the programme has been affected by lack of resources.

The programme should be funded by other agency such as the Private Sector. Doing this will

alleviate the burden on the Government of Jamaica.

Ensure that all the students who are apart of the programme sit the exam no student should be

absent as this helps to defeat the purpose of the programme in assisting students to move on to

the secondary level.

Provide final support for students who are frequently absent from the programme since they are

from low income homes as this is could be one of the major reason for absenteeism.

Implement in the ASTEP is to have designated facilitators in every center who knows the

differentiated curriculum to oversea the teachers selected to deliver the content and new

strategies to improve learning.

RUNNING HEAD: Alternative Secondary Transitional Programme (ASTEP)

References

`Ministry of Education. (2011, March). Retrieved from

https://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/sites/planipolis/files/ressources/jamaica_asep_final.pdf

Edu-Consultation: Alternative Secondary Transitional Education Programme (ASTEP) Policy

Review | Caribbean CoP. Mona.uwi.edu. (2014). Retrieved from

https://www.mona.uwi.edu/cop/queries-and-discussions/edu-consultation-alternative-

secondary-transitional-education-programme-astep-policy

REYNOLDS, A. (2011). ASTEP Centres Established in 192 Schools - Jamaica Information

Service. Jamaica Information Service. Retrieved from https://jis.gov.jm/astep-centres-

established-in-192-