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

Tue Apr 30 16:56:45 EDT 2002

I am wondering as well who the group is that has been contracted to do
this work and how they got the contract/brief from OVAE.  Was there an
open bidding process? Who is on the board of this organization. Has
anyone in adult education heard of them? What are their ties? Where else
do they get their funding.  I guess I won't ask how many of them are
from Texas.

Elsa Auerbach

"David J. Rosen" wrote:

> 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:
>
> ï  the USDE is one of the the three U.S. Government agencies that
> sponsor the NIFL;
> ï  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
> ï  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 USDOEís Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), under the
> leadership of Assistant Secretary Carol DíAmico, 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 (AS
> E)
> ,
> GED and workforce development.  MPR Associates, Inc. is partnering with
> the Department on this initiative.
>
> Learning For the Future
>
>         LFFís 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:
>
> ? Strengthen the capacity of communities to deliver high quality adult
> basic education, GED preparation, and English as a Second Language (ESL)
> training;
> ? 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
> ? 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 OVAEís 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-toís," 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 eith
> er avai
> lable
> for purchase or in print only.
>
> Some of the topics for the resource kit that are under consideration
> include:
>
> ? Effective community partnerships, including how to form, fund and
> sustain them;
> ? Recruitment and quality assurance for ABE, ASE, GED and ESL teachers;
> ? Learner recruitment, motivation and retention;
> ? Adult learning theory and its application to adult basic education;
> ? Models of effective teaching methodologies;
> ? Strategies for assessment and instruction for low literacy adults,
> adults with limited English speaking skills, and those with learning
> disabilities;
> ? Definitions and examples of quality curricula;
> ? Technology-based instruction;
> ? Professional development for adult education teachers that enhances
> learner achievement;
> ? Workforce development; and
> ? Program evaluation using learner outcome data.
>
> Plans for the website also include site profiles that highlight both
> proven practices a
> nd commo
> n challenges for a group of community-based adult
> education programs.
> If you are familiar with any research, user-friendly toolkits, "how-toís"
> 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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