New to Adult Literacy in Ontario? What Literacy Staff Needs to Know

Presentation  This presentation is designed to orient new literacy staff to the field of Adult Literacy in Ontario  This presentation was developed from the Literacy Link South Central resource “New to Adult Literacy in Ontario?”

Content This presentation is organized by: 1. Overview 2. Professional Development 3. Program Administration 4. Assessment 5. Teaching and Tutoring 6. On the Horizon 7. Contacts 8. Index

Overview – Program Delivery in Ontario  300 organizations delivering Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) programming to 60,000 adult learners annually  learners with goals such as finding or keeping employment, going on to further education or training or increasing their independence can be helped through the LBS program

Three Interrelated Literacy Services  Information and Referral  Training (which includes assessment, training plan development and literacy instruction)  Follow-up

Four Cultural Literacy Streams  Anglophone Stream : Ontario Literacy Coalition (OLC)  Native Stream: Ontario Native Literacy Coalition (ONLC)  Deaf Stream: Goal: Ontario Literacy for Deaf People (GOLD)  Francophone Stream: La Coalition Francophone

Three Literacy Sectoral Groups  College Sector – College Sector Committee (CSC)  School Board Sector – Continuing Education School Board Administrators (CESBA)  Community Based Sector - Community Literacy of Ontario (CLO) Laubach Literacy of Ontario (LLO)

Sixteen Regional Literacy Networks Each regional network supports delivery by:  coordinates local literacy services planning (LSP) across the four streams in communities covered by their geographic region  provides access to accurate, relevant and timely information related to the literacy services of delivery organizations  builds professional capacity by support and coordination for those involved in the literacy service  increases community awareness of the vital role and contribution of a literate society through active community outreach

Three Literacy Service Organizations o Alpha Plus Centre o Centre FOR A (centre franco- ontarien de resources en alphabetisation) o Ningwakwe Learning Press

LBS Field Consultants These Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) employees work with agencies to review, facilitate, and evaluate all aspects of an agency’s literacy services. The Ministry articulates program expectations in the “LSB Program Guidelines”.

RALS – (Recognition of Adult Learning Strategy) Program Reform Learning outcomes oprovides a common language for measuring and documenting the achievements of learners Common Assessment Approach obuilds on the learning outcome approach to adult literacy oprovides a method of comparing assessment results and portability among LBS agencies and other organizations

Research and Development The “core business” of the MTCU LBS Program is service delivery. Supplementary services include –  Field support  Research and Development

Professional Development (PD) Professional development is an ongoing process of learning both informally, through experience and individual efforts to develop knowledge and understanding, and formally, through education and training.

Examples of Informal Training  share ideas and concerns with co- workers, individuals and organizations  read books, manuals, newsletters, and research papers.  view videos and access a variety of information online

Examples of Formal Training  Attend meetings  Take courses  Participate in workshops and seminars

Program Administration The Literacy and Basic Skills Contract  a Multi-year Contract governs the relationship between a literacy agency and MTCU and establishes the legal and administrative responsibilities of each party  the Business Plan and the contract are closely connected  each year, communities update their Literacy Services Plans, which in turn guide individual agencies in preparing their own Business Plans

Literacy Service Planning is a community-based process to facilitate effective and efficient delivery of the LBS Program which responds to individual community needs. Program Administration Literacy Services Planning Process

Community stakeholders such as Ontario Works, Job Connect, YES Employment, HRDC, Other members from the employment preparation community and employers are invited and encouraged to provide input into the Literacy and Basic Skills delivery in their communities. Program Administration Literacy Services Planning Community Stakeholders

The information and referral LBS delivery service:  helps direct adult learners to agencies and programs that best suit the learners’ needs  provides basic information about other local literacy agencies, plus other kinds of local community services  includes MTCU – funded agency responsibilities for: research; marketing; outreach;literacy service planning; reporting and analyzing referrals; and follow-up Program Administration Information and Referral

The information and referral LBS delivery service provides literacy information to members of the community including learners, potential learners, volunteers, local organizations, and other interested individuals. Program Administration Information and Referral

Professional Administration Volunteer Management Thousands of volunteers donate hundreds of thousands of hours each year, working as tutors, board members, and in other capacities.

 Assessment refers to gathering and analyzing information about the needs, abilities, learning styles and achievements of learners.  Assessment helps to ensure the learners receive the training they need and recognizes they are making progress.  Common assessment is the use of comparable tools and approaches based on learning outcomes. Assessment

Initial Assessment  Initial Assessment helps determine a learner’s current literacy levels and needs.  Initial Assessment also provides an opportunity for learners to be active participants in their own learning.

 A training plan is a document that outlines a learner’s plan of action. The learner is involved in the ongoing development and review of this plan.  Each training plan establishes individual goals, and the means to attain those goals.  Learner Training Plans should clearly articulate how much of the learner’s goal can be achieved through literacy. The learner’s next steps or transition points should be identified. Training Plan Development

The practitioner can assess a learner’s progress in relation to his or her goal and use this information to modify the individual’s learning program. Ongoing Assessment

Exit assessments are used to document a learner’s progress to the next transition point. The next transition point can include, independence, employment or further education. Exit Assessment

Teaching and Tutoring LBS teachers and tutors offer instruction in one-to-one, small group, or classroom settings in the areas of reading and writing, spelling, and math/numeracy.

 is based on a goal-directed, learning outcomes approach to teaching and learning.  helps learners develop and apply skills they need to reach their goal.  varies in approaches and methods across programs, but all methods lead to measurable learning outcomes for learners. Training Delivery…

Post Training Services All agencies are to have polices and procedures for learner involvement, learner exits and learner post-training services that are consistent with the LBS Guidelines and Definitions. All agencies will maintain complete files that include their status at exit and reason for leaving, their follow-up interviews, and their Learner Satisfaction Survey.

Collecting statistics about a learner’s status at exit, reason for leaving and follow-up data helps LBS agencies in “measuring the effectiveness of the program in meeting the literacy needs of the learners”. WHY Collect Stats at Exit?

Follow-up requires that LBS agencies contact all learners who have exited the program because they have attained their LBS goal. Agencies are required to document their former learner’s status (i.e. employed, unemployed, further training, etc.) after three months and at six months Reporting on follow-up provides an important tool to assist agency’s with Program Improvements and is necessary for agency accountability as part of a Continuous Improvement Performance Management System (CIPMS). This information helps in measuring the effectiveness of the program in meeting the literacy goals of the learners. Follow-up

Core Quality Standards The Ministry has identified 18 Core Quality Standards (CQS) which are integral to the evaluation of literacy delivery agencies by key stakeholders which could include: Learners, Agency Personnel, Board Members, Employers, the General Public, and MTCU.

 Program Mission  Community Focus  Program Commitment to Learners  Learner Commitments to Program  Respect for Learners  Learner-Centred Approaches and Methods  Access and Equity  Learning Assessment  Instruction Time  Ratio of Learners to Instructors  Learning Materials  Practitioner Training  Outreach  Support Services  Organizational Links  Program Accountability  Administration Accountability  Program Evaluation 18 Core Quality Standards (CQSs)

Workplace Literacy Strategy  The government of Ontario has identified literacy and basic skills as an essential element in its economic development strategy.  The Workplace Preparation Branch of the MTCU has introduced a Workplace Literacy Strategy to further develop LBS and extend literacy services to the workplace.

Workplace Literacy Strategy Five Key Elements #1 Promoting literacy and the LBS program to workers, potential workers and to workplace training decision-makers – employers and labour organizations – and to other training partners such as local boards and the Apprenticeship program.

Building the capacity of our LBS- funded delivery system to respond more effectively to workplace and workforce needs in their agency- based services and to be able to provide LBS-quality training to workplaces on a fee-for-service basis. Workplace Literacy Strategy Five Key Elements #2

Workplace Literacy Strategy Five Key Elements #3 Encouraging investment of employers and employees in workplace literacy training.

Workplace Literacy Strategy Five Key Elements #4 Supporting partnerships and innovative approaches to better integrate learning for work and learning for life.

Workplace Literacy Strategy Five Key Elements #5 Evaluating the impact of workplace literacy activities for continuous improvement.

Ontario Works Mandatory Literacy Testing Part of the reform to Ontario’s Welfare system was the introduction of Mandatory Literacy Testing in “The government will help welfare recipients who struggle with reading, writing and math by introducing mandatory literacy testing and training.”

LBS & OW  LBS programs are an integral part of the Ontario Works Mandatory Literacy Testing Strategy.  Most agencies or their respective Literacy Services Planning Committees have protocols in place to assess and train Ontario Works clients.

Lastly….  There are many initiatives in the literacy field, both new and ongoing, that do not necessarily directly pertain to the five service functions funded by MTCU. However, they are important initiatives in terms of the literacy field in general and will often be the subject of discussion. Some examples include, Public Awareness, Clear Language, Family Literacy, Disabilities and Special Needs, Literacy and Technology, etc.