NLA Discussion: Advocates' talk

[Mary Ann Corley]

David and other NLA subscribers:

The National Adult Literacy and Learning Disabilitiles Center, located at 
the Academy for Educational Development under funding from the NIFL, has 
just completed its first round of training on its new resource guide, 
Bridges to Practice.  The purpose of the training and the accompanying 
materials is to initiate systemic reform of adult literacy programs so 
that the services provided are more responsive to the needs of persons 
with learning disabilities. 

The state teams which have attended this training have been overwhelmingly 
open to the suggestion that we need to initiate  change in the ways we 
deliver services--but we're just beginning  this dialogue.  We need others 
who are interested to join us in addressing the needs, which, loosely 
stated, go something like:

1.  To be successful, persons with learning disabilities need much more 
intense instruction than most of our programs currently are able to 
provide.  This means that, for most persons with LD, it's difficult to see 
progress if they are attending literacy instruction for only 4 hours a 
week.

2.  Many persons with LD have had poor experiences in school and are 
hesitant to enter our programs.  Many of those who do enter our programs 
often do not stay beyond a few classes because, according to some learner 
testimony that we've heard, their learning experiences are similar to 
their earlier poor experiences, given that staff do not always know the 
best ways to serve adults  with LD.

2.  For programs to be successful, they need to build networks within 
their communities of service providers who can address many of the needs 
of persons with LD.  For example, literacy programs may need to make 
student referrals to agencies which can conduct diagnostic evaluations of 
learning disabilities at a reasonable cost; they may need referrals to 
audiologists and optometrists for vision and hearing screening of 
learners;  they may need to refer learners to employment and training 
programs;  they may need to refer learners to legal aid services, 
protection and advocacy services, etc.  The list goes on.  Our underfunded 
literacy programs don't always have the people and time resources to make 
these connections;  the little funding we have primarily goes in to direct 
instructional services, as it should.

3.  For teachers and tutors to be successful, they need a lot more 
information about learning disabilities and appropriate instructional 
strategies.  This training does not consist of quick overviews about 
materials available.  It means modeling and coaching teachers and tutors 
in new methods. 

4.  Our field depends largely on teachers and tutors who, although deeply 
commited to their work, belong to a part-time profession which often is 
not viewed as a profession at all by those outside the field;  this lack 
of identity as a true profession makes it hard to get the resources we 
need to provide the very best services to our students.  And, also because 
of the part-time nature of the profession, a significant proportion of our 
staff turns over each year, meaning that professional development must 
start at Square One again for the newly hired staff.  That fact alone 
makes it hard for literacy programs to provide ongoing professional 
development that builds on previous experiences.   

5.  Research is needed on adults with learning disabilities.  We have 
information about learners in the K-12 arena and in the community college 
arena.  We need to replicate many of these studies on the adult literacy 
population before we can say with certainty what best practices are for 
serving adult with LD.  As a literacy administrator remarks in our newly 
produced video, "Bridges to Systemic Reform," ""There is no lack of caring 
and commitment in this field;  what there is is a lack of good, hard 
information about learning disabilities."
 
I could go on, but, I'm sure, so could a lot of subscribers to this list.  
Please feel free to add your comments.  What we are trying to do at the 
National ALLD Center is begin to build a national agenda related to adult 
literacy and learning disabilities.  This may result in a white paper or 
some other means of making a statement about the needs of the field to 
provide improved services and greater accountability.  Please add your 
comment to this list--we would like to gather as much input from the field 
as possible to be able to structure this white paper.  And thanks, David, 
for giving this opportunity to us through your prompt--it struck a chord 
with me.  

-Mary Ann Corley, Ph.D.
Director, National ALLD Center
Academy for Educational Development
1825 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20009-5721
voice:  (202) 884-8178
fax:  (202) 884-8422
mcorley at aed.org

>>> David J Rosen <DJRosen at world.std.com> 03/12/99 08:19PM >>>

NLA Colleagues,

Some of you are advocates.  You work with groups of like-minded people on
issues you care deeply about.  You subscribe to this list in part to
learn more about what advocates in other places in the U.S. -- or
elsewhere  -- are struggling for, and how they are working on these
issues.

If you are an advocate, tell us what the issue is (or issues are) that you
are working with others to address.  Tell us what community/ies you are
working with, how you are organized, and what you may have accomplished.
Are you working on reforming welfare reform or welfare rights?  Are you
advocating for adult literacy or ESOL services in your community or state?
Are you working for immigrant rights?  Are you part of a movement for
plain English?  Are you a learning disabilities advocate?  Are there other
issues you are working on?  Let us know.  Tell us what you are trying to
accomplish. Tell us what you would like to know about or learn from other
advocates.

David J. Rosen
NLA List Moderator