Literacy Basics - Community Literacy of Ontario

Confidentiality

For many learners, returning to school is a big step. Unfortunately, despite years of public awareness, for some there is still a social stigma about attending a literacy program. Some learners might not be comfortable having their family, friends, co-workers, etc. know that they are attending a program. Because of this, literacy agencies have always done their best to ensure confidentiality for their learners. With today's privacy laws, it is even more important than ever that we keep personal information safe and secure.

On the other hand, other learners are more than happy to have people know that they are improving their literacy skills. Some are delighted to have their picture in the newspaper or have an article written about them. However, it is important to always receive permission before releasing names, photos or articles about learners.

Ensuring that their personal information is safe and that the agency will respect their right to confidentiality can help reduce the initial nervousness that some learners might feel when joining a literacy program.

Here is a sample oath of confidentiality that could be signed by staff, volunteers, board members and students.

I promise to keep confidential all information I learn while being at the Literacy Council. I promise to respect the privacy of others and their right to confidentiality. I will not discuss the progress or attendance of others. If I do not respect confidentiality, I may be asked to leave the Literacy Council.

Relevant Programming

Adults tend to be practical learners. They seek training that meets the needs that they recognize. Adult learners will, therefore, be more likely to stay with literacy programs that deliver practical literacy training focused on the needs and goals that the learners themselves identify.

Literacy programs should strive to meet individual learning needs where possible. For example, some learners prefer to work one-to-one with a tutor while others prefer a small group or a classroom setting. Some learners are very independent and will ask for help when they need it while others require more frequent “check-ins”. Learners with employment goals will usually have different training needs than learners with independence goals. Be open and honest with learners about what you can and cannot offer to meet their training needs. If you can't provide what they are looking for, you need to refer them to another literacy program or community service.

Program Planning

Literacy agencies have limited funding, resources, and staff and volunteer time. It is important to focus agency time and energies on the students whom you can serve best rather than trying to be all things to all people. For example, some programs are best at serving students at the lowest Literacy and Basic Skills levels while others focus on learners with employment goals. Some programs offer one-to-one tutoring while others offer small groups or a classroom environment; some programs offer a combination of approaches. Still others focus on serving Deaf, Native or Francophone students.

The Literacy Services Plan (LSP) will be helpful for agencies to assess which community needs are best served by which literacy agency. The LSP can also help identify if there are gaps in service and how those gaps might be filled. We can't be all things to all people. It is important that we are clear about the programming we can provide and that learners know the options available to them.

Making Changes

ABC Life Literacy's “Who Wants to Learn?” research found that 88% of current students reported high degrees of satisfaction with the program level, content and teaching structures. However, some areas of improvement were also identified.

Program improvements suggested by adult students:

• More hours per week with an instructor or tutor
• Smaller classes
• More individual attention
• More relevant material
• Teachers and tutors who are more knowledgeable
• Diverse program locations

Unfortunately, some of these things are difficult to do given the limited resources literacy agencies have to work with, but even small changes can be beneficial.

Planning for Retention

Literacy agencies need to be mindful of retention issues when doing regular program planning. Often, we focus our efforts on simply getting learners into programs. However, it is equally important to think about how we ensure that they want to stay in programs and how we can help them do so. Retention needs consistent thought and attention. It won't just happen!

To help ensure a focused approach, some agencies create a retention team made up of a staff person, learners and volunteers to brainstorm and plan for retention. Still others talk about retention strategies at board meetings or at board / staff retreats.

In addition, talking about retention issues doesn't always have to be a formal activity; it's also important to take time to talk informally to learners and colleagues about ways the program can encourage and support learners to stay and work towards meeting their goals.

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