National Adult Literacy Database

See also:

Réaliser notre potentiel : Plan d’action pour l’évaluation et la reconnaissance des acquis (ÉRA) au Canada - Sommaire

102. Improving literacy levels among Aboriginal Canadians (2008)

Lessons in Learning - September 4, 2008

The authors of this document note that while many working-age Canadians have inadequate literacy skills, the situation is even more urgent among Aboriginal Canadians.

Education improves literacy skills for all people. But the authors point out that Aboriginal people have more negative experiences in school than their non-Aboriginal counterparts and are less likely to complete high school. Among the barriers described by Aboriginal students and teachers are discrimination; institutional insensitivity toward Aboriginal cultures; and a lack of awareness of Aboriginal approaches to learning.

In collaboration with the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL), members of First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities have developed three models to be used as frameworks for measuring the progress of Aboriginal peoples in lifelong learning. The authors point to the need for ongoing work to identify appropriate indicators to apply to these models.

Added: 2012-04-17

See also:

Améliorer les niveaux de littératie chez les Canadiens autochtones

103. Report on Consultations with Adults Living with HIV/AIDS (2008)

Full Report

Authors: Sue Folinsbee, Wendy Kraglund-Gauthier, Allan Quigley, Hélène Grégoire

This document grew out of a Health and Learning Knowledge Centre (HLKC) consultation organized by the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2005. The meeting saw the establishment of working groups to concentrate on health-related issues for identified priority groups, including adults living with HIV/AIDS.

This report is based on consultations held in Montreal (QC); Edmonton (AB); and Truro (NS).

The authors explain the consultation methodology; describe the outcomes of the consultations; provide recommendations from participants on overcoming barriers and filling gaps in health and learning; and list the working group’s suggestions for promoting a knowledge agenda.

Added: 2012-05-03

See also:

Résumé du rapport sur les consultations avec des adultes vivant avec le VIH/SIDA

104. More education, less employment: Immigrants and the labour market (2008)

Lessons in Learning – October 30, 2008

The authors point out that while recent immigrants to Canada have attained high levels of education, they earn less and are more likely to be unemployed than their Canadian-born counterparts.

Over time, the labour-market gap between immigrants and native-born Canadians diminishes, the authors note. Nonetheless, given that Canada faces growing competition for skilled immigrants, it is important to ease the transition into the Canadian labour force for new immigrants.

The authors offer several recommendations for easing the integration of immigrants into the labour market, including enhancing language education; improving the recognition of foreign credentials; and providing prospective immigrants with the information they need to make informed decisions about their future.

Added: 2012-05-11

See also:

Plus de formation, moins d’emploi : Les immigrants et le marché du travail

105. The replacements – Non-permanent teachers (2008)

Lessons in Learning – November 13, 2008

Non-permanent teachers are known by a variety of titles, including substitute teachers, supply teachers, occasional teachers, or teachers on call. Whatever title they are given, they play an important role in Canada’s education systems: between Kindergarten and Grade 12, a child will be taught by a non-permanent teacher the equivalent of one full year.

The authors of this document argue that despite the importance of non-permanent teachers, education and training geared towards them is largely ignored. They suggest ways that teacher education programs, school districts and school boards, teacher federations and unions, and provincial governments could fill this gap.

For example, teacher education programs could offer more instruction on the planning required to help a non-permanent teacher ensure the continuity of instruction. School districts and boards could offer non-permanent teachers additional training regarding district policies, while teacher federations can develop handbooks and other resources. Provincial governments can support training and professional development for non-permanent teachers.

Added: 2012-05-31

See also:

Suppléance : Les enseignants sans poste permanent

106. Parlez-vous français? The advantages of bilingualism in Canada (2008)

Lessons in Learning – October 16, 2008

Research has shown that being bilingual confers many cognitive benefits, including diminishing the effects of aging on the brain. In Canada, being able to function in both English and French can also have economic benefits.

The authors of this document note that although most Canadian children are taught French or English as a second language in school, these lessons often do not result in bilingualism. As well, many Anglophone students who do succeed in becoming bilingual feel that their French as a Second Language (FSL) skills deteriorate quickly when not used regularly.

The authors offer a number of suggestions for maintaining the bilingualism advantage, including continuing French instruction during postsecondary education; taking part in exchange programs; building relationships with people who speak French; and listening to the radio, watching television, and reading in the second language daily.

Added: 2012-06-07

See also:

Do you speak English? Les avantages du bilinguisme au Canada

107. Understanding the academic trajectories of ESL students (2008)

Lessons in Learning – October 2, 2008

In this document, the authors explore the implications of research that shows wide variations in learning outcomes among sub-groups of English as a Second Language (ESL) students in schools in Canada’s largest cities.

They point to one British Columbia study that showed substantially higher graduation rates among Chinese-speaking student populations than among native English speakers and other language groups. In contrast, graduation rates among Spanish- and Vietnamese-speaking populations are significantly lower than among other ESL students.

Such findings, which are also reflected in studies carried out in Toronto and Montreal, highlight the need to look beneath labels like “ESL” and “immigrant students” to observe wide variation in the outcomes of students covered by these labels.

The authors recommend that resources available to support ESL students should be directed toward identifiable groups most in need of such help.

Added: 2012-06-13

See also:

Comprendre le parcours scolaire des élèves dont l’anglais est la langue seconde

108. Ready to Learn? A look at school readiness in young children (2008)

Lessons in Learning – September 18, 2008

Parents, teachers, and decision-makers all have a stake in ensuring that children are well-prepared when they begin their formal education. However, the authors of this document note that the meaning of the term “ready to learn” is not as clear as it might first appear.

With support from the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL), researchers at Statistics Canada undertook the development of a school-readiness index for Canadian pre-schoolers. Their research pointed to two factors that have a direct effect on school outcomes: social/emotional development, and verbal ability and attitude toward learning.

The authors offer a number of suggestions to help parents and caregivers prepare children for school, including developing children’s verbal abilities through stories, nursery rhymes, and conversation; encouraging curiosity and effort; and serving as positive role models for social and emotional responses.

Added: 2012-06-20

See also:

Prêt à apprendre? Coup d'œil sur la préparation à l'école des jeunes enfants

109. Building a Performance Framework for LBS Support Organizations in Ontario (2008)

Authors: Lindsay Kennedy

The purpose of this project was to provide support organizations with the opportunity to enhance their understanding of the key processes and elements of Continuous Improvement Performance Management (CIPMS) as it applies to them. The project produced a performance framework that includes sample outcome statements, performance indicators and measurement tools.

The author explains that logic models based on service functions identified by Ontario’s Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) form the basis for the performance framework. Logic models are used by many non-profit agencies to describe programs, establish priorities, and evaluate programs.

The author explains the methodology used for the project and has included a glossary of terms related to performance management.

Added: 2012-07-03

110. Summer learning loss (2008)

Lessons in Learning – June 12, 2008

The existing Canadian school calendar, with its long summer vacation, creates a gap in the learning cycle during which students forget some of what they have learned, requiring teachers to devote significant instructional time to review when students return to school.

In this paper, the authors note that the summer break also contributes to an achievement gap between students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds and their less-advantaged classmates. Summer learning loss is more pronounced for mathematics-related subjects than for reading or language arts, most likely because many students continue reading over the summer, but few of them practice their math skills.

The authors point to a number of practices that can help reduce summer learning loss, including the implementation of summer reading programs; modifications to school calendars to provide for shorter summer breaks; and systematic instructional reviews that help students solidify their knowledge.

They also call for more specifically Canadian research into summer learning loss.

Added: 2012-07-12