As we welcome a new year, many of us take time to reflect on where we’ve been and where we hope to go. At Literacy Pittsburgh, goal-setting is at the heart of everything we do—because every student who walks through our doors brings their own aspirations, challenges, and dreams for the future.
No matter the goal, our work begins with understanding each student’s starting point and creating a clear, personalized pathway forward.
A Strong Start Through Placement and Assessment
When students enroll, they complete placement tests that help us understand their current skill levels. For students working toward their GED, we use the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) to identify strengths and academic areas that need support. English language learners take the BEST Plus test, which measures everyday speaking and listening skills and places them into one of several proficiency levels—from Beginning Literacy to Advanced.
These assessments ensure students are matched with the right class, tutor, or learning environment from day one. Literacy Pittsburgh offers a range of English levels. Each level comes with unique instructional strategies, from using pictures and real-life objects with beginning learners to connecting advanced students’ language practice directly to job goals, education pathways, or professional communication needs.
Setting Goals With Students, Not Just For Them
Once attending classes, students work closely with their instructor or tutor to set meaningful goals that align with their daily lives, long-term plans, and personal motivations.
For beginning English learners, goals might be as practical as learning vocabulary needed at work, communicating with a child’s teacher, or navigating transportation. Instructors use simple language, repetition, and visuals to help students gain confidence with real-world tasks.
As students progress to intermediate levels, goal-setting becomes more collaborative. Learners explore why they want to study English—whether for employment opportunities, community engagement, or supporting their families—and instruction adapts accordingly. Tutors vary the way they present material and encourage students to express what types of learning support them best.
Advanced students often set goals that go beyond language learning, such as preparing for job interviews, pursuing post-secondary education, or achieving professional certification. These goals help shape lessons and create a direct connection between classroom learning and future opportunities.
The same student-centered approach is used with GED and digital skills learners. Whether someone is mastering algebra, writing an essay, or navigating a computer for the first time, tutors and instructors help identify milestones and track progress in ways that keep students motivated and moving forward.
A New Year of Progress and Possibility
As 2026 begins, we celebrate the dedication of our students—and the volunteers, tutors, and instructors who walk beside them each step of the way. Goal-setting is more than a beginning-of-year tradition at Literacy Pittsburgh; it is a constant practice that empowers adults to take charge of their learning and their futures.
We look forward to another year of growth, community, and achievement as our students continue working toward their dreams—one goal at a time.
Literacy Pittsburgh (formerly Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council) helps create better lives through learning. Recognized as a national leader in adult and family literacy, Literacy Pittsburgh is the largest provider of adult basic education in Allegheny and Beaver Counties. Last year, Literacy Pittsburgh helped more than 4,000 individuals acquire the skills needed to reach their fullest potential in life and participate productively in their communities. Literacy Pittsburgh provides free, personalized instruction in workforce readiness, high school diploma test preparation, digital literacy, English language learning, math, reading, and family literacy through one-to-one and small class instruction. Founded in 1982, it serves local adults through numerous neighborhood locations and its Downtown Pittsburgh Learning Center.
