[AAACE-NLA] News and Notes from the National Institute for Literacy

[Maralit, Mary Jo]

February 12, 2008

 

News and Notes from the National Institute for Literacy

 


Dr. Sandra L. Baxter, Director


 


 


WHAT'S NEW AT THE INSTITUTE


 

 

*                     LINCS Regional Resource Center to Convene Three
Health Literacy Summits: 

The National Institute for Literacy through its LINCS Regional Resource
Centers is convening adult literacy practitioners and healthcare
providers in three locations in February and March to share information
about the research on health literacy and resources for implementing
health literacy programming. 

Health literacy is often defined as the ability to read, understand, and
act upon health-related information. Understanding and creating
awareness about health literacy may improve the health status and
quality of life of America's adults, especially those with marginal
literacy skills. The National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL)
reported the extent of low health literacy in The Health Literacy of
America's Adults: Results from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult
Literacy. According to the NAAL, about 22 percent of adults had Basic
health literacy skills and 14 percent had Below Basic health literacy
skills.

The LINCS health summits will share information on the state of health
literacy in the nation and address how partnerships among adult literacy
and healthcare providers can help eliminate literacy barriers in
accessing quality health care. Summit dates and locations:  February 28
in San Francisco; March 5 in Atlanta; and March 25-26 in Indianapolis,
IN.

For contact information and registration, please visit:
http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/news_events/02-08-08.html 

 

_____________________________________

 

*                     Institute to Convene Final Meeting of Adult
Literacy Research 

            Working Group: 

 

The Adult Literacy Research Working Group will meet at the Institute on
Friday, Feb. 15 to wrap up its work and to discuss its major
deliverable, an update on the Institute's earlier literature review on
adult reading. The literature review will be peer reviewed and submitted
to the Institute's Interagency Group prior to release. 

 

As you may recall, the Institute convened the Working Group under the
auspices of Institute contractor, Dr. John Kruidenier, who developed a
report on scientifically-based research in adult reading.  This research
has served as the basis for much of the Institute's work in the area of
adult reading and has informed the development of the Office of
Vocational and Adult Education's Student Achievement in Reading program
or STAR.

 

_____________________________________

 

*                     Highlights of January Advisory Board Meeting:   

 

Strategic Direction: Board members devoted much of its scheduled two-day
meeting in Washington, DC on January 30 and 31 to a review and
discussion of the Institute's draft Strategic Directions Plan. The
document, which is not intended to be a detailed operations plan,
explores the strategic direction of the Institute over the next several
years as well as the underpinnings that will inform the prioritization
of the agency's work. 

 

Literacy in Post-Katrina New Orleans: Restoring literacy programs and
post-Katrina workforce priorities were the focus of presentations by Dr.
Petrice Sams-Abiodun, director of the Lindy Boggs National Center for
Community Literacy, at Loyola University in New Orleans; and Dr. Michael
Cowan, special assistant to the president of Loyola and a member of the
Boggs Center Board. Drs. Sams-Abiodun and Cowan shared sobering literacy
statistics and the need for coordination and funding to re-build the
capacity of adult education and workforce programs in the New Orleans
Parish and in the region. To learn more about the Boggs Center, visit: 
www.boggslit.org <http://www.boggslit.org/> 

 

_____________________________________

 

*                     NCL Members Hear from Institute Director:   

Dr. Sandra L. Baxter provided an update on the Institute's many projects
and activities during the National Coalition for Literacy's (NCL)
February 7 membership meeting in Washington, DC. The mission of the NCL
(www.national-coalition-literacy.org
<http://www.national-coalition-literacy.org/> ) is to advance adult
education, English language learning, and literacy in the U.S. 

 

________________________________________________________________________
____________________ 

For more information, visit: http://www.nifl.gov/, email: info at nifl.gov,
or call 202-233-2025.

 

 

 

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.literacytent.org/pipermail/aaace-nla/attachments/20080213/c6f2da84/attachment-0001.html
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/gif
Size: 73 bytes
Desc: image001.gif
Url : http://lists.literacytent.org/pipermail/aaace-nla/attachments/20080213/c6f2da84/attachment-0002.gif
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/gif
Size: 1230 bytes
Desc: image002.gif
Url : http://lists.literacytent.org/pipermail/aaace-nla/attachments/20080213/c6f2da84/attachment-0003.gif