[AAACE-NLA] "Success" thresholds revisited

[AWilder106@aol.com]

Hi Debbie,

I can't provide  you with a full answer, but I can think of ways of being straight forward with your funders.

Say something like:  "I can provide a superb curriculum and well trained teachers;  this will hold some of  my adult students, but realize there is no mandated attendance for adults.  This is not just an adult literacy problem.  In the city of Boston, for example, where schooling is compulsory, as it is in all states, there is 40% attrition of students in individual schools due to moving, going to other schools in and out of the city and to other places in the country, or out of the country. And new students come in.

Adults are no different.  The high school drop out figures show...(whatever they show).  Because I can't guarantee attendance, I control what I can, the curriculum, teacher training and student assessment.  You are helping me with this by providing money (and space, computers, whatever)."

THEN I would scour the list servs for ways to make a superb curriculum, training, and so on. Over the years on the nifl list servs there have been a PLETHORA of  proven methods presented, from home visits to...almost everything. or just ask, here, for "What works."  In my experience, this is a very educated crew, I have learned a lot from teacher wisdom, your wisdom, for example.

I would also get a representative batch of stories, or people with stories, to help put your points across with  funders. This is mentioned many times on the AAACE-NLA list serv.  Stories are used to back up or give examples in research situations; I have noticed  that most big newspaper stories start with a personal and representative anecdote to illustrate a main point. With funders, stories have a different purpose, education.   

I'm really interested in your problem, it must show up in 
many programs.

Andrea