Literacy Basics - Community Literacy of Ontario

Essential Skills

This module is designed to provide literacy agencies and others with training and resources to increase knowledge and awareness of the Essential Skills in Ontario's Literacy and Basic Skills agencies. The module introduces the reader to the Essential Skills website and clearly explains how to effectively use it. Many examples and scenarios are included.

Essential Skills profiles are introduced and explained, and the module includes strategies to help literacy agencies use these profiles with learners. A number of other useful resources are explained in the module with links provided

Topics in this module include:

• A Brief History of Essential Skills
• Essential Skills Defined
• National Occupational Classification Matrix
• Essential Skills Profiles
• Complexity Levels
• Authentic Workplace Materials

top of page

Evaluation

Program evaluation is important for literacy programs, but sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. We want a manageable process that will allow us to clearly demonstrate the impact our program has had with learners. Outcomes-based evaluation can be that process!

This module clearly describes outcomes-based evaluation and shows how it can be used effectively in Ontario’s literacy agencies. A case study is woven throughout the module to help demonstrate how outcomes-based evaluation might happen in a typical literacy agency.
The module also features many links to web-based evaluation resources.

Topics in this module include:

• Why evaluate?
• Types of evaluation
• Who is responsible for evaluation?
• Definitions and terminology
• From planning to doing
• Asking the right questions
• Analyzing, reporting and using your data

top of page

Exit and Follow-Up

In this module, CLO will discuss helping learners prepare to leave your program - whether they are moving on to further education and training, going directly to the workforce or if they have met their independence goals. We will also share retention strategies to assist learners to stay in your program until they have met their goal. And we'll take a look at some of the signs that might indicate a learner is thinking about leaving the agency before having met his or her goals.

In this module, CLO also explores what happens after learners have left. Where do they go? How do they use the skills they learned in your program? How can you use this information to make changes in your program that will benefit current and future learners? We will also discuss why it makes good sense to follow-up with learners who have left your program.

Topics include:

EXIT

• Exit Planning
• Transition Planning
• Exit Assessment
• Unplanned Exits
• Strategies for Identifying "At Risk" Learners
• MTCU Requirements On Exit

FOLLOW-UP

• Planning for Follow-Up
• Lost Contacts
• MTCU Requirements for Follow-Up
• Confidentiality
• Suggested Resources
• Sample Agency Policies
• Student Lost Contact Form
• Lost Contact Memo
• Sample Privacy Policy

top of page