[AAACE-NLA] evidence based research

[John Comings]

The findings from the NCSALL Persistence study are exploratory, that is we 
are trying to understand this critical issue and then suggest a way to 
address it. Once we get to that point, later this year, we will suggest a 
series of experiments that would test these approaches to supporting 
persistence. At that time our advice would move from "things for you to 
try" to "practices that we have evidence for."

On quality, the measure is per-student cost that manifests itself as 
trained teachers, smaller class size, class grouping based on  student 
needs and goals, managed enrollment, and other instructional components 
that only become possible when per-student cost is high enough. We found 
that persistence can increase when programs are improved and provided with 
sufficient funding, but they also need to provide support services, such as 
counseling and referral to social services.  However, there is a limit to 
what increasing quality can do for persistence. We found that sometimes 
increasing quality inputs leads to greater intensity (hours per month) but 
not duration (months of engagement). So we will suggest two experiments. 
One that adds a specific set of support services to programs and one that 
redesigns the approach to participation.  That is, our research suggests 
that a program that allows students to put together episodes of program 
participation and facilitated self-study might lead to greater persistence 
and greater learning gains.

Once these experiments are completed (or even now since that will take many 
years), programs can look at this advice (the best available empirical 
evidence) and employ their professional wisdom to make this advice work in 
their program.  NCSALL would like to have a way to document and share that 
professional wisdom.  Rather than thinking about the medical model as a 
pill, I feel the way for our field to think about is as surgery.  Two 
surgeons using the same evidence-based practice can have two very different 
outcomes (a patient who is dead rather than alive, for example).  Good 
surgeons get together with their peers and share experiences of putting 
research evidence into practice, and this sharing of experience has led to 
improved patient outcomes.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure the Department of Education or any of the 
National Foundations are willing to spend the money to implement the 
experimental studies that could benefit our field nor to spend the 
additional funds needed to train practitioners to use that research. 
However, I think the DOE would be willing to support a limited number of 
experiments, and a good discussion on this list might be what questions are 
most important to answer.

John Comings, Director
National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy
Harvard Graduate School of Education
7 Appian Way
Cambridge MA 02138
(617) 496-0516, voice
(617) 495-4811, fax
(617) 335-9839, mobile
john_comings at harvard.edu
http://ncsall.gse.harvard.edu