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

[AWilder106@aol.com]

Andres,

I agree that we first have to define literacy.

I also agree that there are many literacies.

I also agree that there are specific domains of literacy. (The Brian Street reference.)

I agree with others that there is something called "rudimentary literacy,"  let's say  literacy at the 6th grade level (whatever that is).    Basic literacy.

(By the way, has  anybody tried to figure out reading grade level--really tried to figure it out?  How it is determined?  Please give me  a reference if you know.)

I agree with your list of uses of literacy.  I haven't mastered them all myself, may sometime.

A test is an index of  wider ability in a  field.

Anecdotes are maybe useful, but they don't go the  distance.

If X can read a  prescription, it is likely that X can read many other things.  Same with homework.  

I thought of workforce programs, that is why I used the word "assessments."  

Teaching to the TABE is an interesting idea.  Would it increase the students' overall use of literacy?  Is the TABE good enough to act as an index?  Does anybody know?

How do your teachers test their students?  Are you part of AELS?

Oh--the teacher who "coached," not part of the adult ed system, I included this as an example of how a test can be manipulated by a  person  who wants to be able to  report higher average scores for a group.

Andrea