What is the CRLA tool of DepEd and why is it important?
The Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA) is a pioneering initiative by the Department of Education (DepEd) in the Philippines to bridge the gap in literacy skills across diverse linguistic backgrounds. The assessment is tailored for different grade levels, including Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 3. It aims to gauge students' reading skills and proficiency in their mother tongue (MT), Filipino, and English languages.Download here National BoSY CRLA Rollout
The CRLA consists of three phases: beginning, middle, and end of school year. The beginning of school year tasks focused on letter sounds, isolated words and sentence in reading in MT (G1), Filipino (G1-G2) and English (G1-G3). The middle of school year tasks added listening comprehension and oral reading fluency in MT (G1-G3), Filipino (G2-G3) and English (G2-G3). The end of school year tasks further included reading comprehension in MT (G1-G3), Filipino (G2-G3) and English (G2-G3).
The CRLA was initially piloted in November 2020 with select schools. The experience of the pilot led DepEd to scale up the CRLA to all schools in the ABC+ Target Regions. The feedback from the schools and teachers who utilized the CRLA was encouraging. Many schools used the results of the CRLA to develop remedial and focused reading programs in the context of the new normal and identify the struggling readers to provide additional support.
Based on the success of the CRLA, DepEd requested ABC+ to help expand the number of MT languages supported by the CRLA and incorporate it into their operations manual for mother tongue-based multi-lingual education. The CRLA is expected to be a valuable tool for improving the quality of education and learning outcomes for Filipino learners.
The CRLA is an example of how DepEd is adapting to the challenges and opportunities of the new normal. By using a rapid, easy, and remote assessment tool, DepEd is able to monitor and support the literacy development of its learners across different languages and grade levels. The CRLA is also a testament to the importance of mother tongue-based multi-lingual education in promoting inclusive and equitable learning for all.