[AAACE-NLA] Equipped for the Future

[David Collings]

Dear Colleagues,

Because of the eccentricities of HTML, Diane Gardner's message below was 
hidden for some. I am re-posting this message in a "text-only"
format to allow all to see it. Be advised that this version of the 
message will not have the advantage of Diane's original formatting (bold 
text, etc.).

David C.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Equipped for the Future
Date: Sun, 01 Nov 2009 01:04:07 -0500
From: David Collings <david at collings.com>
To: AAACE-NLA <aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org>
CC: Gardner, Diane P <dgardner at utk.edu>

Colleagues,

The following message is sent on behalf of Diane Gardner (dgardner at utk.edu).

David C.

David Collings
AAACE-NLA Moderator
david at collings.com

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Equipped for the Future
From: Gardner, Diane P <dgardner at utk.edu>

I am responding to a post from George Demetrion pertaining to the 
discussion on NIFL’s future, dated October 17, in which he wrote:


The agency has that capacity still even as significant reforms may well 
be needed, including, I would argue, partnering with the Center for 
Literacy Studies in bringing EFF [Equipped for the Future] back into its 
aegis, which still represents the single best national framework for 
giving shape to adult literacy education even as additional work is 
clearly needed on this important project. On this even, we don't hear 
very much about even as EFF was a major NIFL initiative in which a great 
deal of work by the agency was invested in the 1990s.


George, thank you for your mention of the Center for Literacy Studies 
and your affirmation and acknowledgement of the EFF framework and the 
contribution that this body of research and knowledge has provided to 
the adult literacy field. I am providing a summary/update of some of the 
more current and ongoing work that builds on this knowledge base at the 
Center for Literacy Studies.

EFF has been managed by the Center for Literacy Studies (CLS) since 
October, 2002, and currently works with youth and adult basic education 
and literacy providers and workforce development systems across the nation.

EFF at the Center for Literacy Studies (CLS) has supported a number of 
state standards initiatives, in some instances by facilitating a process 
that included the development, piloting, and implementation of their 
state standards, and in other instances through a collaborative process 
in the development or modification of the EFF curriculum frameworks to 
support the integration of their state’s adopted standards. A partial 
list of the states we have worked with in the past three years in this 
capacity are Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Washington State, Oregon and 
Massachusetts.

In addition to these initiatives, we have, in the past year, conducted 
multi-year professional development events in Vermont and with the New 
York City adult education system.

In 2006, with support from the Dollar General foundation and the 
National Youth Employment Coalition, EFF produced Preparing for Work, a 
standards-based, contextualized, integrated course designed to teach the 
skills and knowledge necessary to prepare adults and youth to enter the 
workforce.

Since 2006, we have disseminated this curriculum through 4 nationally 
advertised trainings and have a fifth one scheduled December 2-3, 2009 
in West Palm Beach, Florida (for more information click here). In 
addition to these “open” trainings, we have provided the Preparing for 
Work training for literacy and workforce programs or state agencies in 
the following locales: Texas, Florida, Washington, DC (the UPO and the 
DC Professional Development Center), New York City, Tennessee, New 
Jersey (DOE and SETC - 2 trainings), Indiana (2 trainings for the Dept. 
of Education), Illinois, Washington State (2 trainings), New Jersey 
Corrections, Connecticut, Buffalo EOC, IMPACT in Columbus, Ohio, and 
Oklahoma State (2 trainings).

Also in 2006, in collaboration with JA Worldwide, EFF co-developed the 
JA Success Skills curriculum.

EFF has continued to provide the professional development and materials 
to support the Preparing for Sales and Service Curriculum and the 
Preparing for Careers in Health Care Curriculum.

In addition to the onsite professional development, EFF has developed a 
number of online courses - including an introduction to EFF and a series 
of “mini” courses, focused on instructional strategies for teaching 
reading and math. Click here for more information.

Other new resources developed specifically to support the professional 
development we provide are:

o EFF Curriculum Frameworks that align with EFF Standards - Read With 
Understanding, Use Math to Solve Problems and Communicate, Convey Ideas 
in Writing, Speak So Others Understand, and Listen Actively

o Preparing for Work - A Guide for Business

These are the just the highlights over the last 3 years. The EFF 
initiative continues to provide resources and professional development 
to support standards-based, contextualized instruction and assessment.

For more information on the resources and services available from EFF 
and the Center for Literacy Studies, you can contact me at 
dgardner at utk.edu or Anna Bogle at abogle at utk.edu. The EFF website is 
http://eff.cls.utk.edu/


Diane P. Gardner
Associate Director
Center for Literacy Studies
University of Tennessee
600 Henley Street, Suite 312
Knoxville, TN 37996
865-974-9949