Portfolio assessment is suggested for use with Levels 1 and 2 Literacy Benchmarks because portfolios can be used by both formal and non-formal literacy programs. They can be used by both classroom instructors and one-to-one tutors. Most importantly, portfolios are created, controlled, and kept by adult learners. The instructor or tutor facilitates this process and suggests what the learners may want to include in the portfolio, but does not make the ultimate decisions concerning it. Learners can concretely see the steps they have taken to reach their goals and feel empowered that they control their own learning.
Adult learners can take their portfolios with them to show others what they have accomplished. Because portfolios contain concrete examples of individual learners' work, they can reduce the amount of reassessment needed when learners transfer from one program to another, Portfolios can also show relatively small changes in a learner's development. This incremental learning is very important when working with adults who have limited literacy skills, as is the case with many adults in Levels 1 and 2.
Saskatchewan Learning's (2003) Intake and Assessment Framework for Basic Education and Related Programs for Adults (available from Advanced Education and Employment, 12th Floor, 1945 Hamilton Street, Regina, S4P 2C8) sets baseline standards for data collection and a provincial initial assessment model. However, each literacy program has the responsibility to develop its own policies and procedures concerning assessment. Saskatchewan Literacy Network's (2001) Learner Centred Intake and Assessment Processes for Learners in Saskatchewan binder also contains excellent initial assessment tools for reading, writing, numeracy, and spelling with learners who have low level literacy skills. The tools are easy to use and include answer keys and evaluation guides. The last half of the binder provides excellent assessment forms for use with learners at Levels 1 and 2. More information on assessment tools can be found in Saskatchewan Literacy Network's (n.d.) Assessment Travelling Trunk. (The Learner Centered Intake and Assessment Processes binder and Assessment Travelling Trunk are available from Saskatchewan Literacy Network, http://www.sk.literacy.ca).
Return to note 2 The information in this appendix has been taken with permission from Saskatchewan Literacy Network's (2001) Learner Centred Intake and Assessment Processes for Literacy Programs in Saskatchewan (available from the author, http://www.sk.literacy.ca)., and Saskatchewan Learning's (2003) Intake and Assessment Framework for Basic Education and Related Programs for Adults (available from Saskatchewan Advanced Education and Employment http://www.aee.gov.sk.ca).