NLA Discussion: Advocates' talk

[Bickerton, Robert P]

Dear Colleagues,

There are many items in Mary Ann's posting that I'd like to comment on
and agree with -- but I'd like to save that for another day, content to
sit back and "hear" from others on the list for now.

What I DO very much want to share is my appreciation of the
contributions that Mary Ann Corley has made during her tenure as
director of the National ALLD Center -- she's been responsible for major
improvements in the content and the accessibility of the Center's work.


Thank you Mary Ann,
bob bickerton, MA director of adult ed

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Mary Ann Corley [SMTP:mcorley at smtp.aed.org]
> Sent:	March 13, 1999 9:48 AM
> To:	nla at world.std.com
> Subject:	Re: NLA Discussion: Advocates' talk
> 
> 
> 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
> 
> 
>