[AAACE-NLA] Questions/answers

[Debbie Yoho]

Andrea, I have a question and wonder if there is anything out there that addresses it:  

There appears to be widespread belief among practitioners that adults functioning at the lowest levels of literacy, ( for example the two lowest levels of the NRS or at GE scores of 4.0 on the TABE or below,) require more resources, including more time, to achieve measurable gains in reading proficiency compared to adults already functioning at higher levels.

The NRS itself implicitly assumes that "progress" ought to occur at the same rate among these learners compared to higher learners, because accountability measures require an improvement of 2 grade equivalents or more in one year's time in order to "count" as having "achieved gains".

What research/science/qualitative studies have addressed this issue, and is there any proof that this widespread belief is accurate?

"Turning Pages into Possibilities", Debbie

Deborah W. Yoho
Executive Director, Greater Columbia Literacy Council
2728 Devine Street, Columbia, SC 29205
803-765-2555 Fax 803-799-8417 dwyoho at earthlink.net

GCLC is a community service of Volunteers of America of the Carolinas.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.literacytent.org/pipermail/aaace-nla/attachments/20060106/1a2581f8/attachment.htm