Working Together Towards Ontario’s
Adult Literacy Curriculum
In December 2007, CLO concluded its Success Indicators for Independence Goals project which was part of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities’ Learner Skill Attainment (LSA) Initiative to develop a Learner Skills Attainment Framework that uses the Essential Skills/International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey scales as a common assessment language for learner skill attainment.
CLO’s “Success Indicators for Independence Goals” project focused on the goal path of independence and resulted in the development of CLO’s draft Foundations for Independence Framework, which is comprised of a wide variety of goals and success and transition markers that literacy practitioners can use to validate the achievements of learners with the complex goals of independence. This document is available at www.nald.ca/litweb/province/on/clo/resource/foundind/project_report.pdf.
Based on its LSA project work, Community Literacy of Ontario was funded in
the fall 2008, by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to provide a
member of a project work team, drawn from the Literacy and Basic Skills
delivery sectors and delivery streams, to work on the Adult Literacy
Curriculum (ALC) Initiative.
The work in this initiative is building upon previous research and analysis in the field. The five transition pathways (Independence, Employment, Secondary Credit, Postsecondary, and Apprenticeship) as defined in the Learner Skill Attainment Framework, are being used to categorize existing resources and research new ones. Essential Skills will be a significant part of this analysis.
The project work team led by a MTCU project manager is currently completing the analysis phase of the project. This phase has involved the definition of principles, the creation of a repository of research for the project team (and practitioners once the new curriculum is piloted), and the identification of existing recent research and development products which will inform work on the framework for each of the transition paths. The curriculum framework and the assessment framework, which will provide the information required in developing the actual syllabus for each transition path and stream, is also being completed.
Please refer to CLO’s February 2009 E-Communiqué to read MTCU’s communication about the ALC project (www.nald.ca/litweb/province/on/clo/communique/feb09.pdf)
In February 2009, CLO submitted two project proposals to continue working on the Adult Literacy Curriculum Initiative. The first is to have a project worker continue working on the ALC design and development phases throughout April 2009 to March 2010. The second proposal pertains to resource and validation research, and piloting of the draft Adult Literacy Curriculum in January 2010.
As proposals are confirmed by MTCU, we will update our members. Please stay tuned for further communications about the Adult Literacy Curriculum Initiative!