[NLA] Discussion: Learning for the Future --Innovation or Wasteful Duplication?

Tue Apr 30 21:35:37 EDT 2002

NLA Colleagues,

I received an e-mail (see below) about a new project  of the U.S. 
Department of Education's Office of Vocational and Adult Education 
(OVAE), a Web-based adult learning and literacy "resource kit."  I 
wonder if others on the NLA electronic list received this e-mail, and if 
anyone had the reaction I did.  

This appears to me to be a duplication of services which are already 
provided by the National Institute For Literacy's LINCS project and its 
partners, such as the American Library Association, Canada's National 
Adult Literacy Database, and others.  

I wonder if the new OVAE leadership is not aware that:

.  the USDE is one of the the three U.S. Government agencies that 
sponsor the NIFL;
.  NIFL's Literacy, Information and Communications (LINCS) project has 
already catalogued and made available the kinds of full-text documents 
this Learning for the Future (LFF) project is seeking and that LINCS has 
powerful search engines and reviewed special collections which make it 
easy to find the best and most relevant documents;  and
.  many of the documents that the LFF  project would like to find and 
catalogue, unfortunately, don't exist in our critically underfunded 
field. (You can't catalogue a lot of solid adult education research and 
proven curricula models if they don't exist.)

Have I missed something here, or is OVAE out of touch with the needs and 
realities of the field? Let me hear what you think.

I have copied this message to Kathy Chernus at MPR, Inc, the person who 
sent me the letter on behalf of OVAE. Perhaps she would like to see your 
reactions, or to join the discussion.

David J. Rosen
NLA List Moderator

[The National Literacy Advocacy (NLA) is an independent electronic list; 
it is not sponsored by any organization. Its nearly 700 subscribers 
include adult literacy/basic education/ESOL practitioners (teachers, 
tutors, administrators, librarians, curriculum developers, researchers 
and others,) adult learners and others who are interested in the field 
of adult literacy education.]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Invitation from the Office of Vocational and Adult Education
Date: 09 Apr 02 10:06:39 -0400
From: Kathy Chernus <kchernus at mprinc.com>
Reply-To: Kathy Chernus <kchernus at mprinc.com>
To: David Rosen <djrosen at world.std.com>

April 9, 2002

Dear Mr. Rosen:

On behalf of the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), U.S.
Department of Education, we are writing to share some information with you
about a new adult learning and literacy initiative, Learning For the Future
(LFF), and to invite you to participate in this effort.

The USDOE's Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), under the
leadership of Assistant Secretary Carol D'Amico, is committed to finding new
ways to expand and strengthen adult education programs to ensure that the
millions of American adults who function at the lowest levels of literacy
have the opportunity to improve their reading, mathematics and problem
solving skills.  Learning For the Future is designed to draw on the
collective wisdom and work of researchers and practitioners in the areas of
building community partnerships, adult learning theory, adult basic education
(ABE), English as a Second Language (ESL), adult secondary education (ASE)
,
GED and workforce development.  MPR Associates, Inc. is partnering with
the Department on this initiative.

Learning For the Future

	LFF's goal is to make quality adult education programs accessible to far
more adults than currently receive services, especially those who perform
at the lowest levels of literacy. The following objectives will guide LFF
in the first year of the initiative:

S( Strengthen the capacity of communities to deliver high quality adult
basic education, GED preparation, and English as a Second Language (ESL)
training;
S( Ensure that the current federal/state-based adult education system is
connected to faith-based organizations, empowerment and enterprise zones,
local literacy councils and other volunteer organizations, library
organizations, and workplaces; and
S( Encourage providers to collect and analyze learner performance data so
they can accurately assess the impact they are having on raising literacy
levels, earning a GED, or 
other goals adults may have, and improve
curriculum and instruction as a result. 
Several products will be developed and activities undertaken to
accomplish these objectives.  The initial step will be to create a set of tools
that will provide support to communities that are eager to meet the learning
goals of adults, especially those with low literacy skills.  These will be
available in a web-based resource kit housed on OVAE's website.  

Web-Based Resource Kit

	There are a number of different ways that you may wish to participate in
Learning for the Future.  Our immediate need is to locate materials, such
as research, toolkits, "how-to's," and websites that would be useful to
communities interested in developing or strengthening their adult
education/workforce development programs.  The kit will include complete articles
or tools if appropriate, the URLs for resources that are available directly
on-line, and links to other websites for those that are either avai
lable
for purchase or in print only. 

Some of the topics for the resource kit that are under consideration
include:

S( Effective community partnerships, including how to form, fund and
sustain them;
S( Recruitment and quality assurance for ABE, ASE, GED and ESL teachers;
S( Learner recruitment, motivation and retention;
S( Adult learning theory and its application to adult basic education;
S( Models of effective teaching methodologies;
S( Strategies for assessment and instruction for low literacy adults,
adults with limited English speaking skills, and those with learning
disabilities;
S( Definitions and examples of quality curricula;
S( Technology-based instruction;
S( Professional development for adult education teachers that enhances
learner achievement;
S( Workforce development; and
S( Program evaluation using learner outcome data.

Plans for the website also include site profiles that highlight both
proven practices and commo
n challenges for a group of community-based adult
education programs.
If you are familiar with any research, user-friendly toolkits, "how-to's"
or websites that you think should be considered for inclusion in the
resource kit, please complete the attached from and return it to: 

MPR Center for Curriculum and Professional Development
Attn: Adult Education Resources
2401 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Suite 410
Washington DC, 20037
Telephone: 202/973-0244
Fax: 202/466-6996

If you prefer, you can e-mail your suggestions to me at
kchernus at mprinc.com.

The resource kit will be a living document that continues to grow and
change with new information and materials. The first edition of the resource
kit will be launched in the next few months.  We will let you know when it
will be available on-line and will send you periodic updates on the
progress of the initiative.

We think this is an opportunity to help adult
 education and workforce
development practitioners meet the special needs of adult learners by making
relevant research and usable tools more accessible.  We hope you agree. 
Thank you for considering this request.  

Sincerely,

Kathy  Chernus

Kathy Chernus
Senior Associate
MPR Center for Curriculum and Professional Development
2401 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Suite 410
Washington, D.C. 20037
202-973-0244 

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