[NLA] 1999-2000 OVAE Report

[Condelli, Larry]

Over the last few days there have been posts by Dave Speights, Tom Sticht
and others regarding the 1999-2000 OVAE report on the adult education
program. Writers have stated that this report is " ... the first report on
the use of the National Reporting System (NRS) to obtain performance data"
(Sticht). and "..the Department imposed the National Reporting System (NRS)
in 1999" (Speights).

This is a factual error.  The NRS went into effect July 1, 2000 and the
states sent the first NRS data to OVAE by December 31, 2001.  The report of
these data has not yet been released.

What the 1999-2000 report does represent is the first year of implementation
of WIA requirements for states to set performance standards for outcome
measures.  

I think it is important to be accurate about what is being discussed,
especially since so many implications are being inferred from the 1999-2000
report.  This report may say something about the effect of setting
performance standards.  It does not say anything about the NRS, since those
requirements were not yet in place at the time these data were collected.

Larry Condelli

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