[NLA] Practitioner research - Just do it!

Tue Jul 23 14:14:07 EDT 2002

Doesn't sound like it to me either, Art.  In the real world of tight budgets
in a state (with less population and per capital dollar to spend) it
definitely shocked me at the amount spent for the project detailed in this
thread.  There isn't any way that in my state where I am that kind of $$
would be spent for research, when salaried personnel is in such short supply
and a higher need than identifying helpful information.

Nancy Hansen

----- Original Message -----
From: "Art LaChance" <arthur at ellijay.com>
To: <nla at lists.literacytent.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 23, 2002 6:51 PM
Subject: Re: [NLA] Practitioner research - Just do it!

> The problem Sherry, is not finding teachers who want to do this, the
problem is finding state folks to support the evolutions.  I participated in
three years of practitioner research with no additional funding, we did our
own interviews, we did our own data, we did our own printing, etc.  We
didn't get the equivalent of a years salary to do our projects.  What you
spent on your project would have paid the salary for at least three part
time teachers.
>
> Doesn't sound like "just do it" to me.
>
> Art
>
>
> Art LaChance
> Gilmer Learning Center
> Ellijay, GA
>
>
> roycesj at netscape.net wrote:
>
> > The answer Debbie is: "Just do it!"
> >
> > I had a one-year 353 grant from the PA Dept. of Education, Bureau of
ABLE.  Cheryl Keenan of USDOE/DAEL was our state director and approved the
funding. Ella Morin, our Division Chief of Special Programs, arranged for
social security numbers to be shared with the Bureau of Transportation so we
could track down long lost participants. Without this sharing of information
the project would have been impossible.  On our side, we promised that no
one would be identified by name in the study.
> >
> > The project was funding from July 1999 - June 2000 at a cost of $43,200
We received a three month extension to September 30, 2000 but no extra
money.  Actually, we only spent $38,700.
> >
> > No participants in the study were paid; they volunteered their interview
time.  The eight research assistants were paid $40 per interview plus travel
expenses. The data analyst was paid $3000 for work on the Impact Study and
the Quality of Life Inventory that comprise Chapter III. The Descriptive
Study. The assistant who transcribed the interviews was paid $450.
> >
> > I received $19,675 for my FY1999-2000 work which included the usual
Success Stories Recognition activities and annual Success Stories Booklet in
addition to planning, overseeing and writing "Learning for Life. It took me
an additional 15 months without salary to complete the project by December
2001.
> >
> > The cost of producing 2500 Executive Summaries and the contents of 50
Learning for Life complete reports in May 2002 was born by the Bureau of
ABLE's communications project (about $1200 more or less).
> >
> > As all of us "old-timers" in adult education know, with will, there is a
way. I am pleased with the results and feel my time was well spent but am
very concerned with getting out the word and having other states follow up
on this type of research.
> >
> > Sherry Royce
> > email sjroyce at comcast.net
> >
> > "Debbie Yoho" <dwyoho at earthlink.net> wrote:
> >
> > >from Sherry Royce, Author of "Learning for Life":
> > >
> > >"...We have confirmed a 90% drop in unemployment and food stanp usage,
a
> > >27% increase in salaried employment, 73 percent home ownership, and 59
> > >percent computer ownership.
> > >
> > >When counting the highest educational level attained by the 207
children of
> > >high school age or older, 22 are in high school; 14 are HS dropouts, 12
> > >have GEDs; 76 are HS graduates; 43 are in college or have taken college
> > >courses; 31 have college degrees, and nine have advanced higher
education
> > >credits or degrees.
> > >
> > >Learning for Life participants' satisfaction with 16 areas of their
lives
> > >as assessed by a stardardized test was considerably above average when
> > >compared with the sample population.  Furthermore, participants
explained
> > >how their lives were changed by ABLE participation and what it has
meant to
> > >them, their families and their communities.
> > >
> > >This is what practitioner research can reveal if it is planned and
carried
> > >out with the care that a graduate student might give to a disseration
or a
> > >professor might give to an article for Adult Education Quarterly."
> > >
> > >Sherry, could you share how you went about getting the resources to get
> > >this study done, particularly funding?  Thanks, Debbie
> > >
> > >Deborah W. Yoho
> > >Co-moderator, NIFL-Health  and
> > >Executive Director
> > >Greater Columbia Literacy Council
> > >921 Woodrow Street, Columbia, SC  29205
> > >803-765-2555   Fax  803-779-8417   dwyoho at earthlink.net
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >_______________________________________________
> > >NLA mailing list: NLA at lists.literacytent.org
> > >http://lists.literacytent.org/mailman/listinfo/nla
> > >LiteracyTent: web hosting, news, community and goodies for literacy
> > >http://literacytent.org
> > >
> >
> > __________________________________________________________________
> > Your favorite stores, helpful shopping tools and great gift ideas.
Experience the convenience of buying online with Shop at Netscape!
http://shopnow.netscape.com/
> >
> > Get your own FREE, personal Netscape Mail account today at
http://webmail.netscape.com/
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > NLA mailing list: NLA at lists.literacytent.org
> > http://lists.literacytent.org/mailman/listinfo/nla
> > LiteracyTent: web hosting, news, community and goodies for literacy
> > http://literacytent.org
>
> _______________________________________________
> NLA mailing list: NLA at lists.literacytent.org
> http://lists.literacytent.org/mailman/listinfo/nla
> LiteracyTent: web hosting, news, community and goodies for literacy
> http://literacytent.org
>
>

_______________________________________________
NLA mailing list: NLA at lists.literacytent.org
http://lists.literacytent.org/mailman/listinfo/nla
LiteracyTent: web hosting, news, community and goodies for literacy
http://literacytent.org