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        Wednesday, May 16, 2012

What is ABE?

Adult Basic Education (ABE) is an umbrella term that refers to a wide range of services, credit, and non-credit programs designed to help adult learners achieve their goals.  These goals may include:

  1. increasing education and/or certification levels;
  2. gaining prerequisites for further training or employment;
  3. enhancing life skills, independence and self-sufficiency; or
  4. learning skills in specific areas (such as technological literacy, communication skills, or portfolio development).
ABE - Learning for Life
Adult Education Principles

Critical to the planning and delivery of the Adult Basic Education Level 3 curricula is the understanding and implementation of adult education principles.  Six adult education principles (Imel, 1998) that demonstrate the treatment of our learners as adults include:

Literacy Benchmarks (Levels 1 & 2)

Levels 1 and 2 Literacy Benchmarks reflect the roles adult learners fill in their everyday lives – as family members, community members, and workers. The Benchmarks, therefore, are those general skills, abilities, and attitudes adults need to function in their world. The Circle of Learning is the physical representation of the Benchmarks.

Adult Basic Education Level Three (Adult 10)

Level Three courses (Communications, Social Sciences, Life/Work Studies, Mathematics, and Science) are designed for people who want to build on their knowledge and skills. Learners who complete Level Three successfully go on to further education, training, or employment opportunities.

Adult Secondary Completion (Adult 12)

Level Four includes Adult Secondary Completion and GED (General Educational Development).  Under Adult 12 policy, an adult may attain a Grade 12 standing by completing 7 credit classes successfully.  Information about the GED can be found on the GED Home Page.

ABE Curriculum Redesign

The Basic Education Program Review (1999) suggested the need for change in the way  Adult Basic Education is delivered in Saskatchewan. Three primary recommendations of the review were to 1) increase Adult Basic Education’s connections to employment; 2) increase the retention and success of Aboriginal learners; and 3) develop curriculum in the Adult Basic Education Level Three (Adult 10) program.

ABE Contacts

A list of contacts for Post-Secondary Delivery Organizations providing Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs and services in Saskatchewan.

ABE Transcripts

Information on how to request transcripts for Adult Basic Education (ABE) and General Education Development (GED) programs in Saskatchewan.

ABE-Essential Skills for the Workplace
Adult Basic Education - Essential Skills for the Workplace (ABE-ESWP)

In 2011-12, our Ministry committed funding for programs to help Adult Basic Education learners with low levels of literacy.  ABE-ESWP focuses specifically on Literacy Levels One and Two, and will help First Nations/Métis and the unemployed to gain workplace skills that will allow them to enter the workforce.

Round Table
ABE Roundtable 2012

The Adult Basic Education (ABE) Roundtable is an annual meeting for Chief Executive Officers, Senior Academic Officers, Deans, ABE administrators, and Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration staff involved with adult basic education programs.

Credit Programs

Successful completion of credit programs results in a certificate of standing, which is critical for gaining entrance to technical and trade schools, apprenticeship training, or university.  The knowledge, skills, and attitudes gained in secondary education are important for those who wish to enter or re-enter the labour force, who need retraining, or who wish to advance in a chosen career.
Credit Programs include:

  1. Adult Basic Education Level Three (Adult 10)
  2. Adult Secondary Completion (Adult 12)
  3. GED® Testing Program

Non Credit Programs

Non-credit programs are based on the needs of the members of the community and will vary from region to region.  Contact one of the following post-secondary delivery organizations for more information on non-credit opportunities.

ABE Policy & Procedures

Partners

The ABE Policy and Procedures Manual including the latest forms is available on the ABE Partners website.  This is a password protected site, available only to ABE delivery organizations. 

For information on obtaining a password, please contact your organization's ABE administrator or call the Program Innovation Branch at (306) 787-2354.

Related Documents
Intake and Assessment Framework for Basic Education and Related Programs for Adults

The framework supports the efforts of existing organizations within the post-secondary
sector that are working on improving mechanisms to facilitate transitions for individuals
amongst providers of basic education and related programs. Within basic education and
career services, one of the main goals is to ensure appropriate, consistent and effective
referral and placement of individuals in programs.

be_intake_assessment.pdf  ( 870.8 KB )
Essential Skills Assessment Tools

A number of intake and assessments tools can be found by clicking on the resource link. Some are free of charge and some have a minimal charge.

Essential Skills Assessment Tools.pdf  ( 63 KB )
ABE On-Reserve Review Report 2007-2011

The Ministry contracted Saskatchewan Educational Leadership Unit to conduct a comprehensive review of the delivery of On-reserve Adult Basic Education programs in Saskatchewan from 2007-08 to 2010-11.  The objectives of the evaluation were to: identify the types of agreements between post-secondary institutions and participating First Nations; identify the types of formal and informal intake and assessment practices; provide a broad overview of the current practices, partnerships and administrative structures; and identify the outcomes that were a direct result of the program.  The results of the review can be found in the attached report.

abe-on-reserve-review-report.pdf  ( 2.4 MB )
Related Links
GED® Testing Program
The GED® tests offer adults who have not completed high school the opportunity to obtain the equivalent of a Grade 12 standing.  The Grade 12 equivalency is a recognized credential that can lead to employment opportunities, career advancement and further education.
Circle of Learning (Benchmarks)

For literacy workers, learners, and friends who have participated in the Circle of Learning Levels 1 and 2, this document is the realization of a five-year investment in developing a tool for quality literacy programming in Saskatchewan.

ABE Level Three (Adult 10) Curriculum Guides

The five required courses at the Adult 10 level are Communications, Social Sciences, Life/Work Studies, Mathematics and Science. Revised curricula are posted in various formats as well as links to online resources and supplemental documents applicable to the various curricula.

Recognizing Prior Learning

Recognizing Prior Learning (RPL) is a broad umbrella concept which values all learning that people have gained in their lives.

Review of Cross-Jurisdictional and Promising Practices on Delivery of Adult Basic Education

In September 2010, the Ministry contracted with EKOS Research Associates Inc to review adult basic education processes and promising practices within Canada and in select international locations.

SABEA

SABEA (Saskatchewan Adult Basic Education Association) is a province-wide volunteer organization specifically for adult basic education practitioners.  

The Office of Literacy and Essential Skills (OLES)

The Office of Literacy and Essential Skills (OLES) is focused on improving the literacy and essential skills of adult Canadians to get a job, stay in the job market, and contribute to their communities and families. Through extensive research, the Government of Canada and other national and international agencies have identified and validated nine key Essential Skills for the workplace. These skills are used in nearly every job and at different levels of complexity. They provide the foundation for learning all other skills and enable people to evolve with their jobs and adapt to workplace change.

The Saskatchewan Action Research Network (SARN)

The Saskatchewan Action Research Network (SARN), formerly called Research-in-Practice, is in its 5th year of operation in Saskatchewan. To date, 88 practitioners have been trained in Action research and 8 mentors have been trained.  In 2011-2012, four institutes SIAST (Wascana), SIAST(Woodlands), Southeast Regional College, and Great Plains College held workshops so staff members could participate  as teams.

The Action Research Projects throughout the province indicate there are common concerns that the practitioners have. These are retention rates, attendance and lateness. Several of these projects are found on the SARN website.

 

Saskatchewan Distance Education Courses

The Ministry of Education's Technology Supported Learning (TSL) operated until the end of the 2008-2009 school year when it closed its doors permanently.  Saskatchewan school divisions and other providers of distance education assumed responsibility for all distance education courses.  A list of available courses and their providers is available at the Saskatchewan Distance Education Courses website.

Provincial Training Allowance (PTA)

PTA provides grant funding to assist with the costs of living for low income adult students enrolled full-time in basic education, workforce development programs or quick skills training which are not eligible for student loan funding.

Program Innovation

The Program Innovation Branch is responsible for the development and implementation of quality training and employment programs to respond to the basic education, work experience and skill training needs of Saskatchewan adult learners, including employers and workers.



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