Helping Fill the Resource Gap: Introducing Scoreboost® for the CAEC workbook series
Submitted by Roberta Power, ProLiteracy New Readers Press Canadian Educational Consultant
Submitted by Roberta Power, ProLiteracy New Readers Press Canadian Educational Consultant
When Canada transitioned from the GED® to the Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC) in 2024, instructors and learners found themselves preparing for a new high school equivalency assessment with limited resources designed specifically for the new Canadian test and aligned with its outcomes.
The CAEC is available to adult learners who do not have a high school diploma and who need an educational credential to pursue further education, training, or employment opportunities. It shows that a learner has high school-level knowledge and skills without having completed a formal secondary program. It replaces the GED test formerly used for high school equivalency. Developed specifically for adults in Canada, the CAEC also reflects Canadian contexts and the diverse cultures and perspectives of Indigenous, Francophone, and multicultural communities.
For me, the need for Canadian-aligned resources is something I have been passionate about for several years. Before joining ProLiteracy New Readers Press, I was a longtime LINC instructor and used New Readers Press materials in my own classroom. I liked the resources, my learners responded well to them, and I eventually reached out to ProLiteracy to see if there might be an opportunity to bring my experience as a Canadian educator to the organization. That conversation opened the door to my current role as Educational Consultant for ProLiteracy New Readers Press in Canada.
Over the past four years, a significant part of my work has focused on making our resources more relevant to the Canadian educational landscape. This has included aligning many of our English language materials with the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB), as well as looking for opportunities to ensure our resources reflect Canadian learning outcomes and contexts. When the CAEC was introduced, I began speaking with educators and authors in different parts of the country about the new test and the need for additional Canadian-specific resources.
Those conversations helped lead to the development of Scoreboost® for the CAEC, a new series from ProLiteracy New Readers Press aligned with the CAEC test outcomes. Canadian content and contexts are central to the series, with Canadian statistics, stories, examples, and references woven throughout the materials.
Building Skills One Strategy at a Time
The series has been carefully developed to align with the CAEC test standards and outcomes. Each lesson focuses on a specific strategy or skill connected to a CAEC learning outcome and follows the Gradual Release of Responsibility model: “I do, we do, you do.”
The instructor first models the strategy, then works on it with the learner through guided practice, and finally, the learner applies the strategy independently. This approach is designed to help learners gradually build both their skills and their confidence as they prepare for the test.
An example of how this instructional approach is applied in the materials can be seen in the table of contents and sample chapter available here.
10 Workbooks Across All Five CAEC Subjects
Reading 1: Content, Structure, Elements, and Techniques
Reading 2: Grammar, Syntax, and Language Conventions
Writing: Persuasive Writing
Math 1: Mental Math
Math 2: Number Sense, Patterns, and Relations
Math 3: Measurement and Geometry
Math 4: Data Analysis and Probability
Science: Science Skills, Technology, and the Environment
Social Studies 1: Citizenship, Government, and Economics
Social Studies 2: History and Geography
The workbooks not only provide opportunities for learners to move from examples and guided practice to independent practice, but also for review and self-assessment. Questions throughout the lessons and practice activities reflect the CAEC online question types. The series is written at a grade 9 to 11 reading level, making the materials accessible for many adult learners preparing for high school equivalency.
The workbooks launch in November 2026. Preorder information is available here.
As educators and learners continue to become familiar with the CAEC, our greatest hope is that instructors will have access to resources and instructional approaches that help learners understand what is expected of them, practice the necessary skills and strategies, and build confidence as they prepare for the test.
If you have questions or comments, please reach out.
Roberta Power, Educational Consultant for Canada
ProLiteracy New Readers Press
604.728.0343
rpower@proliteracy.org