Over the years, practitioners, learners, and funding agencies have all expressed the need for a consistent way to recognize and document level 1 and 2  literacy learner achievements.  In response to this need, the Saskatchewan Literacy Network, Advanced Education and Employment and the Saskatchewan Literacy Commission, with funding support from the National Literacy Secretariat  undertook a 5 year project that resulted in  the development of the Level 1 and 2 Adult Literacy Benchmarks that will serve as  a basis for evaluation or comparison across Saskatchewan.  

The benchmarks and the processes around using them take a  holistic approach to learning…drawing on gifts of the mind, body, heart, & spirit.  They are respectful of diversity and allow learner centred planning.   The benchmarks processes honour the knowledge of learners and empower them by providing them with opportunities to direct their own learning and to make changes in their lives as a result of their learning.