New resources to help you navigate assessment complexities in adult learning

You’ve told us that assessment in adult learning programs is complicated — and often frustrating. You’re working within a system that doesn’t always align with what you know about literacy development or what your learners need.

This is what we hear from your peers:

• Lack of alignment: The Ontario Adult Literacy Curriculum Framework (OALCF) isn’t aligned with the K-12 education system, creating knowledge gaps about literacy development, progress and expectations.
• Purpose of assessment: The current OALCF assessment system feels more like a funding and accountability tool than a means to support instruction or demonstrate meaningful learner achievement.
• Need for better tools: You want assessment tools that are relevant, easy to use, valid and reliable.
• Learner agency matters: Including learners’ knowledge of their own progress and achievements is crucial for effective assessment.

Two new resources to support your practice

Here’s why we created these for you:

We developed these resources to help you make sense of assessment complexities and give you practical tools to support your teaching and reporting.

1. Literacy Development Stages to Support Instruction and Assessment

Here’s how you can use this in your work:

This resource offers a comprehensive, concise description of how we all acquire the skills, strategies and knowledge needed to become capable readers and writers.

Unlike the OALCF and many other frameworks — which rely on conceptual models — the

stages approach was derived from observations of actual teaching and learning. The five stages describe literacy development from emergent to highly advanced. Adult learners in foundational programs typically work within Stages 1, 2 and 3 (roughly equivalent to Grades 1–12).

Each stage includes:

• Instructional priorities
• Indicators of accomplishment
• Linked OER assessments

2. Using OALCF Milestones and Culminating Tasks with Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC) Learners

Here’s how you can use this in your work:

This new section helps you complete reports for CAEC learners and avoid introducing barriers when using milestones and culminating tasks.

CAEC tests and OALCF tests were built using different design principles, so learners need different knowledge, skills and strategies to complete them. You’ll also find an analysis of key limitations:

• Reading milestones across all three levels fall within a narrow difficulty range (roughly Grades 10–13), meaning learners need approximately Grade 10 reading ability to complete Level 1.
• Milestone levels are inconsistent — for example, Level 2 reading milestones are often harder than Level 3.
• Writing milestones at Level 3 don’t require integrating evidence to support claims, a key CAEC expectation.
• Math milestones lack the breadth and depth of problem-solving required by the CAEC.
• Technology milestones are more predictable, but employment training consultants interpret them inconsistently.

Given these inconsistencies, decisions about milestones and culminating tasks should focus on minimizing learning barriers — not assumptions about ability.

Explore the resources

Ready to dig in? Access both resources now:

• Literacy Development Stages to Support Instruction and Assessment

• Using OALCF Milestones and Culminating Tasks with CAEC Learners

We’d love to hear how you use these in your practice — reach out anytime.