[NLA] David's model and teacher certification

[Eileen Eckert]

David's proposal includes, "Develop or agree on a state-approved adult 
education license or certification."

How does requiring teacher certification or licensure affect student 
outcomes? (How is it intended to improve them? What might be some unintended 
outcomes?)

Why "state-approved"? Do states have some special expertise in determining 
teacher quality (as opposed to an independent accrediting organization or 
professional organization, like, for example, the ad-ed equivalent of 
lawyers' Bar Associations)?



>From: "David J. Rosen" <DJRosen at theworld.com>
>Reply-To: nla at lists.literacytent.org
>To: nla at lists.literacytent.org
>Subject: Re: [NLA] Where should the AELS "reside"? (for some, a long 
>message)
>Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2002 12:44:36 -0400
>
>Deborah Yoho, Kelly Bruce, Art Ellison, and other NLA colleagues,,
>
>Thanks for your contributions to this discussion thread.  The question, 
>"Where should the AELS reside at the state level?" is alive in some states. 
>  Over the past few years some states have moved adult education into the 
>higher education or community college system, and at least two have moved 
>it into the workforce development system.  I am not advocating this, but I 
>believe it would be useful for us to think about the pros and cons of each 
>of these options.  If you have an opinion on the pros and cons of the adult 
>education and literacy system being sponsored by a state department of 
>education, community college system, employment and training department -- 
>or other state agency -- let's hear it!
>
>I want to reply to Kelly's points:
>
>Kelly Bruce wrote:
>
>>For instance, my assumption is that each major "umbrella organization" (a 
>>Department of Ed., a workforce cabinet, or a community college system), 
>>has a particular bureaucratic structure and culture--how does this affect 
>>the organization of the adult education system, down to the local level, 
>>for things like hiring practices, facilities, and professional 
>>development? Are there differences in the perceived "purpose" for adult 
>>education from system to system (i.e. a state in which AE resides in the 
>>K-12 system sees AE as remediation; in a workforce cabinet as economic 
>>development; in the community college system as creating a base of 
>>community college students)? If there are differences, how do they affect 
>>advocacy efforts?
>
>I would like to know if states where adult education resides in K-12, 
>community colleges or employment and training/workforce development differ 
>in:
>
>1) teacher salaries and benefits; and
>2) number of full-time teachers.
>
>Is this public information? Has someone on the NLA list looked at this? Is 
>someone interested in looking at it?
>
>>Are states in which AE resides in K-12 or a community college system more 
>>likely to hire certified teachers? More likely to conduct research?  More 
>>likely to be open to practitioner research?  More likely to provide 
>>professional development? Are states in which AE resides in a workforce 
>>cabinet moving toward providing services through one-stops?  Do they place 
>>a greater emphasis on data collection and data matching (with employment 
>>figures, public assistance figures, and the like)?
>
>
>All good questions.  Any answers?  Anyone interested in doing some research 
>on these?
>
>
>Finally, I would like to suggest a state model to work toward (Or does it 
>exist in some state?)
>
>Since in 80% of the states the AELS resides in the state department of 
>education (according to Art Ellison's estimates) , and since a state 
>department of education can (but not necessarily does) encompass a broad 
>mandate of adult education purposes including: workforce, family literacy, 
>corrections, health-related, and others,   I think the state department of 
>education should be the lead agency. But leadership must mean working 
>closely with other state agencies which have funds to support adult 
>education and literacy.  Working closely would include bringing those 
>agencies together, and meeting regularly to:
>
>1) agree on a common set of curriculum and outcome standards; regardless of 
>funding source, the expected outcomes would be the same -- but for any 
>funding source the expected outcomes would differ depending on the 
>student's goals ( learn English, get a GED diploma, improve basic skills to 
>enter a job, would all have different expected outcomes across the system, 
>regardless of funding source;
>
>2) implement a common funding cycle, perhaps 5-years, as we have in 
>Massachusetts. This would provide stability for all the providers in the 
>AELS system, regardless of public funding source;
>
>3) Create a shared staff and program development system, supported with 10% 
>of the funds from every state agency with funds for adult education and 
>literacy;
>
>4) Develop or agree on a state-approved adult education license or 
>certification;
>
>5) Agree on a common set of standards for teacher salaries and benefits, at 
>least equivalent to those in K-12 for those who obtain a license or 
>certification.
>
>6) Agree on a common rate system for services provided -- one which 
>supports a high intensity of services (minimum of 150 hours), counseling, 
>staff development time for teachers and other staff, MIS time, and other 
>support services which are essential to deliver high quality services.
>
>There may be other important elements, but the key idea is that this would 
>be a publicy-supported adult education system including all the state, 
>federal and local funding streams -- and which had a common set of 
>standards, measures, and other features of an adult education and literacy 
>system.  One agency -- I think it should be the state education department 
>-- must take the lead in bringing together all the agencies to build this 
>system.
>
>Not an easy task, of course.  But that's the direction I think we should be 
>headed.   I haven't dealt with the question of where private sector funding 
>fits in, but in my view this should be supplementary. I think adult 
>education and literacy, like K-12, and higher education, are primarily a 
>public sector responsibility. I also think that the public sector must 
>include a diverse range of providers, including voluntary, library-based, 
>union-based, community-based, corrections, faith-based, and other 
>organizations.  In some states the education departments have a lot of room 
>for growth in developing a system of diverse providers.
>
>I would be interested to hear your views on this model.
>
>David J. Rosen
>DJRosen at the world.com
>
>
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