[AAACE-NLA] Re: functional context, decoding, etc

[AWilder106@aol.com]

All:

This will only get us marginally forward--but a step is all I've got. When I worked on the LPALS study we measured literacy gains by increased use of literacy skills in the home, and we had a master list, derived from a previous study, refined for LPALS. No classes were held in testing to the test--couldn't have been.  The students assessed were in contextualized and decontextualized classes--a range. Students in the contextualized classes (not GED it turned out) used signifiantly more literacy practices in the home.  For a full report go to NCSALL, LPALS study. I'll have to review this, myself.

Point:  you do not have to teach to the test to have literacy gains.  If the acccountability tests are valid, will literacy gains show up there?  Just a thought.  Has anybody tested this assumption? 

Andrea