[AAACE-NLA] Delusion of Accountability in Adult Education (longer)

[AWilder106@aol.com]

Colleagues,

A couple  of points--in my opinion--

1)  The same valid and reliable measures should be given as part  of the AELS--across all states.  These measures should be designed to catch measurable learning gains in literacy.

Do different types of programs require different types of assessments?  Then comparable programs should have comparable assessments--but something measurable, showing gains.

2)  Students with diagnosed learning disabilities should be given accommodations.

The report that Tom cites sounds obnoxious: condescending and faulty in reasoning.

I buy the taxpayer argument.  I am a  taxpayer, too, and I want to  know that  my money is actually helping students  make adult literacy gains. The crux of the problem is how literacy gains are to be measured. Do higher  levels translate  into jobs?  More  income?  Better housing?  Health care? 

Or is advancement through levels the gain that will insure the other outcomes?  What should I subsidize?  What should I push for?  (I have also observed teachers "coach" students into filling in test sheets.)

About self-esteem--I see that as an outcome of measurable skill growth.  In general I toss that out as a measure, as something that can be measured directly.

I think that VALUE plus educators should give a wack at solving the problems, maybe on this list serv.  As a taxpayer I want to know that my money makes a measurable difference in increasing adult literacy.  What would this take in program design and redesign?  Who wants to go first?

Andrea