[AAACE-NLA] NIFL LINCS has achieved major accomplishments

[Merle Ayres]

I suppose all the research and data is good on how to attain helping adults 
grow in learning. Be they are behind in reading ,writing and comprehension 
most will attain some literacy to function in society. I do feel some 
reluctance from some of academia to be inclusive. We tend to sort out the 
immigrants and not let them particpate unless they come under strict 
adherence to the law. I find this puzzleling.  I would ask a candidate like 
our governor from Iowa running for the president if all could be included in 
the funding formulas. Be they be here for a short while to return and come 
back. Someday they may get formal training to be better learners. Those that 
want to learn the language should be given the opportunity to participate. 
Then its is up to them to grow.I know I may get put down on this but its the 
way I feel. Funding should be inclusive.

Merle Ayres
412 8th st. North
Humboldt,Iowa 50548
Tel.1-515-332-4630
Fax 515-332-1738




>From: tsticht at znet.com
>Reply-To: National Literacy Advocacy List sponsored by 
>AAACE<aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org>
>To: aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org
>Subject: [AAACE-NLA]  NIFL LINCS has achieved major accomplishments
>Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2006 08:10:55 -0700
>
>Aaace-nla Colleagues:
>
>In an earlier posting entitled "Has the NIFL Failed Us?"
>(http://lists.literacytent.org/mailman/private/aaace-nla/2006/004260.html) 
>I
>stated  "One way that the NIFL may possibly have strengthened the AELS is
>the development of an internet communication system that greatly increases
>the ability of AELS educators and adult learners to communicate with one
>another."
>
>My conclusion was based on a report by the RMC company in September 2005 in
>which the RMC, under contract with NIFL, studied NIFL’s LINCS system. The
>Executive Summary states "The Literacy Information and Communications
>System (LINCS) is a project of the National Institute For Literacy (NIFL).
>NIFL developed LINCS in response to legislation requiring that NIFL
>establish a national electronic database of resources for the adult
>education/literacy community, disseminate the resources collected, and
>provide assistance to other government entities and the adult literacy
>field for the improvement of literacy policy and programs."
>
>David Rosen recently posted a message on the aaace-nla list entitled "NIFL
>LINCS has achieved major accomplishments".
>(http://lists.literacytent.org/mailman/private/aaace-nla/2006/004272.html)
>Here David notes that the RMC report concluded that "LINCS has achieved
>major accomplishments in its more than ten years  of service to the adult
>education/literacy field. " The report then lists some of these
>accomplishments. But then, in following sections that David did not cite,
>the report makes statements that led to my qualifying comment that the
>LINCS "MAY possibly have strengthened the AELS." The RMC report says:
>
>"[The] vision and direction for LINCS have evolved and are still evolving.
>The organization’s goals and intentions have become unfocused and broad.
>Emphasis has been on process and technology, not outcomes. Program
>monitoring has not been systematic; there has been no formal evaluation.
>Consequently, the value of LINCS is difficult to assess. The Special
>Collections program needs specificity in purpose, goals, and standards; and
>the LINCS web site architecture is not conducive to successful navigation 
>or
>searches.
>
>NIFL needs to resolve these issues and move LINCS forward. However, RMC
>believes that resolution will be facilitated by first structuring a
>long-range planning effort. This effort should address the organization and
>management structure of LINCS, make key decisions on the information to be
>collected and disseminated, confirm the most appropriate dissemination
>system, and resolve the purpose and organization of technical assistance."
>
>Based on these comments from the RMC study, I could only speak in a
>qualified manner as to the value of the LINCS in accomplishing what the
>NIFL said was its purpose of the "improvement of literacy policy and
>programs ".  So far, there is no evidence to conclude that the LINCS has
>led to such improvements.
>
>Tom Sticht
>
>
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