The College Sector Committee for Adult Upgrading has the lead project for developing an overarching Learner Skill Attainment Framework. Building on the recommendations made in the Vubiz Ltd. Report (May 31, 2006) (see Appendix 3) and through discussion and consultation with the working group, a “pathway approach” is being used to develop the draft framework. Five learner transition paths have been identified and five organizations (Framework Project Development Team) are working in an advisory capacity to the overarching framework, in addition to developing their independent projects within the specified pathways:
| Organization | Path | Project |
|---|---|---|
| Community Literacy of Ontario | Transition Path: Foundations for Independence (Home, Community) | Success Indicators for Independence Goals |
| Preparatory Training Programs | Transition Path to Employment | CAMERA Development |
| Centre d’apprentissage et de perfectionnement | Transition Path to Apprenticeship | Measuring Essential Key Skills: Indicators of Concerted, Uniform Progress |
| College Sector Committee for Adult Upgrading | Transition Path to Postsecondary | Academic Upgrading Template Development |
| Ontario Association of Adult and Continuing Education School Board Administrators |
Transition Path to Secondary Credit | Strategic Partnerships for Academic Upgrading in LBS |
Community Literacy of Ontario’s project, “Success Indicators for Independence Goals” focused on the learner pathway of Foundation Skills for Lifelong Learning and involved researching success indicators and transition markers in the domain of independence. As part of our LSA project, CLO assessed where independence fits within the Essential Skills and outlined how/if the framework for identifying and measuring success in the domain of independence could be expressed/articulated to the Essential Skills scale.
The Framework Development Project Team met numerous times in 2007 to discuss how Literacy and Basic Skills could be reconciled with a skill attainment approach premised on essential skills. As the framework evolves, common elements have become evident for each pathway. Currently, each draft pathway includes a description of the core program content and the focus for instruction (personal, workplace, or academic).
Next steps will involve the identification of potential assessment tools that can produce valid and reliable quantitative assessment related to essential skills or the IALS scale for baseline testing.
For more information on LSA, please see CLO’s November 2007 newsletter online at www.nald.ca/litweb/province/on/clo/newslet/dec07/1.htm.