In Canada, each jurisdiction, with the exception of Alberta and the Yukon has developed a framework of literacy levels or stages. Some respondents from Ontario expressed frustration with the multitude of levels and benchmarks that currently exist.
We are working with too many differing benchmarks -IALS, LBS levels, grade levels. How does one even attempt to incorporate these into assessment tools that learners can understand and relate to?
In Ontario it is very confusing to deal with IALS levels, essential skills, Literacy and Basic Skills levels, grade levels etc. If it is confusing for practitioners, it is certainly confusing for students - we need integrated meaningful programs for adult literacy unfettered by restrictive rules and government silos.
Each jurisdiction's framework has a different number of levels or stages that correspond to different benchmarks. These levels serve to shape the construction of some assessment tools, such as CABS, which is aligned to the five levels in Ontario's Learning Outcomes Matrix.
The levels in each jurisdiction are artificially constructed by governments, and in most cases, the benchmarks or outcomes are not based on research or practice in adult literacy or numeracy. For example, research shows that there are few differences in reading strategies used by adults across different levels of reading proficiency. Most matrices or rubrics, however, reflect a developmental process in which adults need to learn "lower level" skills and strategies before they can develop "higher level" skills and strategies. However, research shows the need for a spiral approach whereby processes, skills, and concepts are revisited and developed to new levels of complexity and the text becomes increasingly more difficult as adults progress through literacy levels (Campbell and Malicky, 2002).