Improving Practice in Adult Basic and Literacy Education

The ABLE Evaluation Design project is a cornerstone of Assessment and Evaluation Services at the Center on Education and Training for Employment. Funded by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) since 1995, this project provides leadership and coordination in activities of statewide significance in Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE). Currently, staff members are designing and assisting in the implementation of a system that supports accountability at local, state, and national levels. The system is also designed to enable local and state staff to plan and develop program improvement and staff development activities.

Although the project’s emphasis is on Ohio’s ABLE system, much of the staff’s efforts have led to national recognition in adult education. The majority of the project’s activities are focused on the following evaluation design and standards-based education work.

Evaluation Design Activities
Using various research methods, staff members study processes and outcomes through needs assessment, surveys, site visits, focus groups, content analysis, and archival data analysis. Working closely with ODE, staff members develop and conduct evaluation methods to monitor the effectiveness of ABLE local programs, resource centers, literacy coalitions, and state level services.

Standards-Based Education Activities
Staff members assist in the continued development and validation of a standards and assessment system for ABLE. Beginning with managing the revision of the academic content standards for literacy students and English speakers of other languages, staff members conduct validation studies and develop materials to assist in teaching and learning. In addition, they evaluate the feasibility of standardized and performance assessments and advise ODE on assessment policy.

For more information about the ABLE Evaluation Design Project, contact:

Jim Austin, 614/292-9897, austin.38@osu.edu
Traci Lepicki, 614/292-7033, lepicki.1@osu.edu
Bob Mahlman, 614/292-9072, mahlman.1@osu.edu
Kirk Ross, 614/688-3720, ross.527@osu.edu

Events

DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) Institute
May 16-20, 2005, 8am-5pm
Hosted by CETE/OSU, Columbus, OH
Registration Fee: $1,195

SCID (Systematic Curriculum and Instructional Development) Workshop)
May 23-27, 2005, 8am-5pm
Hosted by CETE/OSU, Columbus, OH
Registration Fee: $995

For information: Robert Norton, norton.1@osu.edu
Debbie Weaver, weaver.22@osu.edu
http://www.dacumohiostate.com

Webcasts

May 2, 2003, 1pm EDT
“Authentic Assessment” by James Austin, Center on Education and Training for Employment, live from the Ohio JVS Superintendents Spring Meeting

Sponsored by the Ohio Department of Education, Office of Career-Technical and Adult Education, and The Ohio State University Chapter of Omicron Tau Theta

May 25, 2005, 3-4:30pm EDT
“Leadership Development for Career and Technical Education and Workforce Education” by David Dean, Idaho Division of Professional-Technical Education

Presented by the National Dissemination Center for Career and Technical Education

View webcasts online at http://www.nccte.org/webcasts/

Make Your Own Road: Youth Entrepreneurship Summit

LearningWork Connection welcomed over 300 young people and adults to the third annual All-Ohio Youth Summit on March 9, 2005 at the Fawcett Center in Columbus, Ohio. The Summit, which was sponsored by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, gave nearly 200 youth aged 14-21 who are served through the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) an opportunity to come together for a day of learning and fun.

The focus of this year’s Summit was entrepreneurship. Youth participants were challenged to use creative thinking and problem-solving skills through a variety of projects facilitated by college student mentors. One youth said after completing a team project, “I learned to be more creative and I’ll be able to use that every day.” Another youth said at the end of the day, “I will have more respect for the knowledge I have, the way I handle life.”

Keynote speaker, Jason Dorsey, was a highlight of the day. Dorsey wrote the book Graduate to Your Perfect Job at age 18 and was the 2004 recipient of the “Austin Under 40 Entrepreneur of the Year” award. He has appeared on NBC’s “Today Show” and ABC’s “The View.” Dorsey, who achieved success by overcoming a difficult childhood, stresses to youth that their dreams can come true despite adversity. His inspirational yet funny and energetic speech prompted one youth to say, “He’s the best speaker ever!”

Brenda Phalin, who works with WIA youth through the University of Rio Grande’s Crossroads program wrote, “I just wanted to tell you how very much our youth from Gallia and Meigs counties enjoyed the Summit. I don’t believe any of them stopped talking on the way back home. All the hard work and organization put into the Summit’s development made many youth very happy.” Phalin noted that she hopes to bring more young people to the Summit next year.

Shawn Sweeney, Senior Project Manager at LearningWork Connection, said, “Our goal was to provide young people with a fun, engaging experience with plenty of opportunities to interact and learn from other youth throughout the State of Ohio.” Comments from adult and youth participants show that goal was met.

Creative projects completed at the Summit

CETE Adult Education Publications on Sale

The following oldies but still relevant publications are available through the CETE Publications Office for half price.

The ABLE Sampler: A Professional Development Guide for Adult Literacy Practitioners—SN66, now $2.50
Contains innovative professional development resources for adult literacy and basic education practitioners. Includes materials on administration and management, learning theory, evaluation, instructional strategies, workplace literacy, and more. (1992)

Beyond Ourselves: Activities for Implementing Ohio’s Indicators of Adult Basic and Literacy Education Program Quality—SN70, now $3.75
Contains activities to assist adult basic and literacy education practitioners in developing programs that address the following quality indicator areas: Learner Achievement, Program Planning, Curriculum and Instruction, Staff Development, Support Services, Recruitment, and Retention. Each activity description includes steps for implementation, estimated time, effective environment for implementation, limitations, required materials, and recommended classroom arrangement. (1995)

More than the Sum of the Parts: Using Small Group Learning in Adult Basic and Literacy Education—SN68, now $3.50
Provides information on using small-group learning in adult basic and literacy education. Includes rationale for small-group learning, advantages and disadvantages for learners, instructors, and administrators, tips for managing small-group learning, strategies for preparing learners for small-group learning, sample activities that can be used to develop literacy and numeracy skills of adult learners, process for involving learners in generating materials, and ideas for staff development. (1994)

Indicators of Program Quality Resource Guide—SN71, now $24.75
The Resource Guide was designed to help ABLE programs plan services that meet or exceed performance expectations. It is organized around the Indicators of Program Quality adopted by Ohio in 1993 and revised in 1999. The practices offer proven ideas and activities that can be implemented or adapted to fit the needs of any ABLE program. (1999)

A Decade of Family Literacy: Programs, Outcomes, and the Future, by Nancy Padak, Connie Sapin, and Dianna Baycich—IN389, now $4.25
Reviews family literacy programs and practices, focusing on outcomes for adult learners. Finds that a common theme among programs is strengthening intergenerational literacy and preparing parents and caregivers for their role as children’s first teachers. Examines outcomes, describes assessment models, and discusses specific outcomes. Describes a prototype of a successful family literacy program. (2002)

From the Learning Organization to Communities toward a Learning Society, by Victoria Marsick, Jeanne Bitterman, Rudd Van der Veen—IN382, now $4.25
Explores how social units collectively learn and how adult educators can work with these social units to enhance their learning. (2000)

Evaluating Adult and Continuing Education, by Alan B. Knox—IN375, now $2.25
Describes concepts and practices related to program evaluation. Develops a broad framework for the evaluation of adult and continuing education programs that incorporates eight aspects: needs, context, goals, staffing, participation, programs, materials, and outcomes. (1998)

Technology, Basic Skills, and Adult Education: Getting Ready and Moving Forward, Christopher E. Hopey, editor—IN372, now $3.63
Designed to help educators get started, plan for, and integrate technology into adult education. Includes guidelines for equipment selection, examples of instructional uses, and an overview of policy issues. Cosponsored by the National Center on Adult Literacy. (1998)

Adult Education for Social Change: From Center Stage to the Wings and Back Again, by Tom Heaney—IN365, now $2.75
Examines the following questions: To what extent was social change on center stage during adult education’s formative years? Whose vision embraced social change and whose did not? What factors led to the decline of social action as a goal of adult education, and what factors suggest renewed interest in social goals? (1996)

Older Adults: Learning in the Third Age, by Mary Alice Wolf—IN358, now $2
Explores the literature on learning among adults over 60 through four concepts: the inner life, cognitive changes of aging, psychosocial development, and socioeconomic factors. Suggest research needs and resources for program planning for education in the Third Age. (1995)

Check out the following recently released paper:
Opportunities and Limits: an Update on Adult Literacy Education, by Alisa Belzer and Ralf St. Clair—IN391, $9
Taking a fresh look at the field since the 1992 publication of Hanna Fingeret’s Adult Literacy Education: Current and Future Directions: An Update, this paper analyzes the major milestones in research and practice that have occurred since then. Alisa Belzer and Ralf St.Clair explore major aspects of the infrastructure that support the field—research and practice related to policy, assessment and accountability, and professional development. They depict the state of teaching and learning by examining trends in the following areas: adult learning and development, instructional strategies, learner engagement, special populations, trauma, reading, writing, and numeracy, the GED, family literacy, work force literacy, health literacy, and technology. They conclude with thoughts on the ways in which these milestones challenge the field of adult literacy to keep growing, developing, and asking complex and difficult questions. (2003)

Order CETE Publications Online!

CETE’s online ordering system is now available at http://cete.org/publications.asp. You can search by title, series, subseries, subject, author, or description or browse catalogs on special topics.

Prices do not include shipping and handling. Shipping costs are figured at 10% of total order. Priority shipments charged at actual costs plus $10 handling. Call for quantity discount information (614/292-4277).

To order by mail, write to Publications, Center on Education and Training for Employment, 1900 Kenny Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1090.

Building Better Opportunities for Ohio's Youth Conference

April 18-20, 2005, Holiday Inn® Worthington Hotel and Conference Center. Registration deadline: April 8, 2005. For online registration and more information, see: http://www.ohiolearningwork.org/2005youthconference.asp

An exciting program for Workforce Investment Act (WIA) youth program administrators and practitioners has been scheduled for the 4th Annual Building Better Opportunities for Ohio’s Youth Conference. The Conference will feature keynote addresses from Roger Crawford and Richard Santana. Over 50 workshops as well as learning exchanges, exhibits, and a resource room for checking e-mail round out the offerings for professionals. Youth attending the Conference will have the opportunity of participating in a Youth Leadership Institute. Youth will also enjoy an evening dance and an afternoon career fair.

For over 20 years, Roger Crawford has been serving up grand slam programs to audiences throughout the world. As a professional speaker, he works with organizations that want to achieve success despite the obstacles, in order to inspire a winning attitude towards work and life. Sports Illustrated calls Roger one of the most accomplished physically challenged athletes in the world. Besides being a tennis pro, he has been inducted into three separate halls of fame because of his amazing accomplishments.

Richard Santana was born in California and became the third generation of his family to join one of the largest gangs in the state. After several years of drugs, crime and violence on the streets, Señor Chocolate (his gang name) experienced a transformation. He discovered real power through education. Education provided him with opportunities to achieve personal and social growth. He credits education, community programs, and teachers with paving the way from a life as Señor Chocolate, the gang member to Richard Santana, the Harvard graduate.

Activities for youth participants will include the Youth Leadership Initiative (YLI), led by Edward DeJesus, President and Founder of the Youth Development Research Fund (YDRF) in Montgomery Village, Maryland. Edward DeJesus is a member of The Sar Levitan Policy Network on Out-of-School Youth at Johns Hopkins University, the founding Director of the Promising and Effective Practices Network (PEPNet), and a consultant to many of the top leading research and advocacy organizations in the U.S.

There is no fee to attend the Conference. The Conference is sponsored by the Bureau of Workforce Services, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

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