[AAACE-NLA] using data, is it research?

[jataylor]

Hi Marie, All,
Marie, thanks for sharing that example of continuous improvement from your 
program.  I too have been thinking about how data can be used in different and 
effective ways.  I'm wondering, has anyone used program data like Marie 
describes to then advocate for change in your community, or at the state or 
federal levels?  It would seem that solid evidence of what programs find that 
work would make a great advocacy tool for changes in policy.

I stayed up way too late last night with holiday preparations, so my mind's a 
little fuzzy today. But it would seem that continuous improvement could become 
action research.  That, used in tandem with other research from the field 
(like the persistence study) might be one example of using program data to 
advocate for changes in national policy. Like advocating for change in 
accountability requirements or for developing useful assessment tools, such 
that programs get credit for outcomes currently not measured by the NRS, or 
that learners are counted while engaged in study outside of the program.

Just a thought,

jackie

Jackie Taylor
jataylor_1 at yahoo.com


>===== Original Message From Marie Cora <marie.cora at hotspurpartners.com> =====
>Hi Andrea,
>
>I have no idea what substantive reading content is, so you'll have to
>explain that to me.
>
>What I mean by using data to improve program (or any) performance is to
>collect information from your program systematically, log it, address
>issues you suspect could change your present situation, make those
>changes, note what occurs, log it, examine the outcomes.  Start all over
>again.
>
>That was my way as program director.  So no scientific research was
>conducted, but we did improve our overall performance by *examining* our
>performance, and specifically addressing and making changes in areas
>that we felt were not meeting our standards.
>
>Example:  note how many semesters volunteers stay in the program; at
>start of program the average was one semester; hypothesize reasons for
>low retention, make changes (for a few of the changes we made to
>increase the retention of volunteer commitment, see my email entitled
>Towards Quality in Adult Literacy Education from 12/21); observe
>outcomes; log; examine whole new process.  Start again.  (Over about 5
>years, volunteer retention was at an average of 5 semesters, and that
>average held for the rest of the 4 years I was at the program.)
>
>These two articles discuss using data for program improvement:
>http://www.sabes.org/resources/adventures/vol13/13rosenthal.htm
>
>http://www.sabes.org/resources/adventures/vol13/13fisher.htm
>
>marie cora
>mariecora at hotspurpartners.com
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: aaace-nla-bounces at lists.literacytent.org
>[mailto:aaace-nla-bounces at lists.literacytent.org] On Behalf Of
>AWilder106 at aol.com
>Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2004 3:43 PM
>To: National Literacy Advocacy List sponsored by AAACE
>Subject: Re: [AAACE-NLA] using data, is it research?
>
>Marie,
>
>Could you expand a little on what you mean about the use of data?
>
>I came to my list from following emails and doing reading.  Grounded
>research, the categories just easily sorted themselves out.  I felt that
>while these were goals, how they would be  realized would be up to staff
>members of a program.  As I recall, your post was headed in the
>direction of these quality program attributes.  Hmmmm.  I may have
>misunderstood your question.
>
>Here's a question for you:  Do you have any strong feelings about
>substantive reading content?
>
>Thanks.
>
>Andrea
>
>
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