Guidelines for Effective Literacy Programs in Ontario. A Discussion Paper for Programs [and] Accountability Framework: Summary of Elements Developed for Consultation.

This document examines the major issues and implications related to the development of quality guidelines for adult literacy programs in Ontario (Canada) and presents a framework for discussing issues related to quality guidelines and their formulation. Discussed in the first section are the following topics: the place of quality issues/guidelines in the Ontario government's 1986 Plan for Adult Basic Literacy and the Ontario Ministry of Education's Adult Literacy Policy and Evaluation Project; the role of learners, service providers, and funders in the provision of adult literacy programs in Ontario; the purpose and scope of quality guidelines; and trends in the development and use of quality guidelines in the United Kingdom, other Canadian provinces, and the United States. The remaining 60% of the document is a discussion guide for stimulating thought and discussion about quality guidelines in adult literacy programming. It includes a discussion format and seven elements of quality in literacy programs (community focus, access to services, learner-centeredness, appropriate and effective service delivery, equity of outcomes, integration, and accountability). An accountability framework summarizing the elements of the quality guidelines consultation is included. (MN)