On January 1, 2000, the Centre for Research on Literacy at the University of Alberta launched the Directory of Canadian Adult Literacy Research in English. The directory, which was funded by the National Literacy Secretariat, provides information on research conducted in Canada from 1994, as well as research that is currently being conducted. To date, the directory contains information on 140 completed pieces of research and 20 current research projects. Each research entry contains bibliographic information and a 500 word annotation. Permission is currently being sought from authors to include full-text documents.

The directory will benefit academics and practitioners by providing a venue for people to access information on research published by universities, governments, colleges, non-profit and community-based organizations and the private sector. In particular, the directory will assist in disseminating information on research that is not published in mainstream resources. This directory will also be helpful to individuals who live in rural communities and do not have access to library databases.

The directory will further knowledge of the state of literacy research. Graduate students who are looking for topics can use the database to identify subject areas which need to develop a foundation of research. It is hoped that an increased awareness of completed and current research may facilitate collaboration among researchers and practitioners.

The directory, which is hosted by NALD, can be accessed at the following URL: http://www.nald.ca/crd/start.htm
For further information, please e-mail Pat Campbell at
Patty.Campbell@ualberta.ca

If you are currently working on a research project, please e-mail Pat at Patty.Campbell@ualberta.ca or phone (780) 492-2984. If you completed a research project in the past five years (1994-present), please send a copy of the document to: Pat Campbell Centre for Research on Literacy, Faculty of Education , 653 Education South , University of Alberta, Edmonton AB T6G 2G5

Your assistance in developing the directory is appreciated.

Note: CDEACF, a francophone organization, is developing Répertoire canadien des recherches sur l’alphabétisation des adultes en français. This directory will be available to the public in the fall of 2000. For more information, please e-mail recraf@cdeacf.ca

The educational mandate of CSC is to ensure that education programs are accessible to all those offenders who have an assessed need for them. During the Offender Intake Assessment phase, offenders undergo a CAAT (Canadian Adult Achievement Test) standardized test. For all those who score at a level less than Grade 10, education is included as a priority on the offender’s Correctional Plan.

The offender is then referred to School where, along with an Educational Counsellor, he/she will plan the courses to be taken in order to lead to the achievement of the educational or employment goal. Depending upon program assignments, attendance formats include full-time, part-time or distance education.

In general, the academic education program is entitled Adult Basic Education and culminates in a Grade 10 certificate or its equivalent, issued by the provincial education authority. Teaching staff includes those from mainstream and aboriginal cultures, those with training to teach for special needs including Learning Disabilities, and some vocational instructors.

CSC has recently completed a joint project with the National Literacy Secretariat of Human Resources Development Canada and the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada. The latter organization published a teachers’ manual called DESTINATION:LITERACY! and has just completed conducting 2-day training workshops for CSC and contracted teachers in our 5 Regions across Canada. CSC will conduct a follow-up study over the next two years to determine the effectiveness of the teaching strategies from the Manual.

Vocational programming places an emphasis on the generic skills of employability and there are still some vocational shops operating within the system.

Recognizing that the work of CSC centers around the creation and maintenance of respect and peace, CSC anticipates participation in the United Nations’ International Year for the Culture of Peace in 2000 by planning activities for offenders, quarterly. The events will involve as many offenders as possible in our institutions.

Of particular note will be LITERACY 2000, an International Conference on Correctional Education, co-sponsored by CSC and the USA Federal Bureau of Prisons. The conference will include Best Practice demonstrations from around the world, world-known keynote speakers, panels and highly interactive workshops.

CSC will continue its efforts to: improve accessibility of education programs to offenders; ensure that teachers are well-equipped with training and reference materials to address the educational needs of those with learning disabilities or other learning problems; place an emphasis on teaching students how to learn in order to address the need for skills for lifelong learning; and find ways to have job-specific skills within institutional employment opportunities certified by community educational agencies. All of these objectives should lead to greater potential for reintegration of our offenders into the community.

Correctional Services Canada
http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/

Literacy 2000 - Four Cornerstones of Correctional Education
http://www.literacy2000.com/