The Center for Literacy

Connecting the Dots, a two-year pan-Canadian action research project that examined the impact of accountability on the adult literacy field, engaged 42 participants in a closing two-day symposium, Charting the Way: Identifying Common Values for Accountability in Adult Literacy on October 20-21, 2009, in Ottawa. Participants included provincial, federal, and other literacy services funders, adult literacy providers, and members of the project’s advisory and steering committees and action research teams. Participants read and discussed project findings, including the work of five innovative action research projects and a first draft of a linkage report that connected the dots among the findings to identify essential lessons related to accountability and adult literacy. Participants also examined and revised a draft set of principles regarding accountability practices in the adult literacy field. The closing activity was an opportunity to envision the next steps to build on and continue the work of Connecting the Dots.

Objectives

• To provide participants with an understanding of current practices,successes and challenges in implementing accountability structures and processes in adult literacy in the Canadian context.
• To agree on a set of shared principles for accountability in adult literacy to assist literacy funders and providers when designing accountability structures and processes.
• To invite feedback and make recommendations on how to build on and continue the work of the project.

Outcomes

• A foundational document describing shared principles related to accountability agreed upon by participants.
• Recommendations of ways to move forward on improving accountability in adult literacy in Canada.
• A proceedings report.

An invitational, pan-Canadian symposium was held in May bringing together over 60 adult literacy practitioners, funders and other experts to learn about the findings of the Project's field and literature reviews and to formulate recommendations for moving the conversation about accountability forward in productive and meaningful ways.

At the bottom of this page you can find Symposium materials such as agenda, handouts, and PowerPoint presentations about the field review findings and the British experience with accountability and adult literacy.

Objectives

• Share findings from the Project's literature and field reviews.
• Exchange perspectives about accountability and adult literacy in a climate of mutual respect for different experiences, perspectives and interests.
• Collectively highlight the areas of challenge and opportunity in designing and implementing effective accountability structures in adult literacy program delivery.

Outcomes

• Present the findings of the Project’s field and literature reviews to create a shared understanding of accountability issues and challenges. (Please see the documents and PowerPoint presentations in the list below.)
• Funders and practitioners will begin the process of identifying common ground about the purpose and impact of various accountability measures on adult literacy practice.
• Participants will develop recommendations that identify concrete ways to sustain a dialogue between funders and practitioners about improving accountability systems and outcomes for Canada's adult literacy learners.

The discussion and recommendations from the symposium are captured in the Proceedings Report. They will also be included in a report that compares and contrasts the findings of the field review and the symposium with the findings of the literature review. This report will be available in November 2008.

Materials from First Symposium

Proceedings Report
Top 10 Lit Review Citations
What is Accountability: Findings from the Literature Review
Overview of Field Review Process
Field Review: Perspectives on Accountability
Field Review: What Needs to Change?
Field Review: Recommendations for Moving Forward
Accountability and Adult Literacy in Britain