[NLA] TESTING AND RESEARCH

[Mary Lynn Carver]

Emma -
You are so right! We have an adult learner on our staff and I can't say enough
about the great effect her work has on other students.  She is their voice,
their shoulder and an ear to listen when they need her. She helps the rest of us
on staff think about how things we want to do will affect students in the
program.  She speaks to the students from their own experience and our students
stay and keep trying because she won't let anyone slip away quietly.  She is an
asset in every way.
If she testified in front of Congress, Literacy would become a forefront issue
and be fully funded forever!!
Mary Lynn Carver
Waukegan Public Library
Lake County Adult Learning Connection
(847)623-9261 x223

Emma Torrez wrote:

> That is way literacy programs should have adult learners on staff. Adult
> learners feel better coming into a program when some one can say "I know how
> you feel I am a learner in the program"  I am on staff. Meet with a learner
> first, do an orientation with the learner about the program.
>
> Emma Torrez
> Learner Advocate
> Vision Literacy
> (408)262-1349
> www.visionliteracy.org
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nla-admin at lists.literacytent.org
> [mailto:nla-admin at lists.literacytent.org]On Behalf Of Archie Willard
> Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2002 6:41 PM
> To: _NLA LISTSERV
> Subject: [NLA] TESTING AND RESEARCH
>
> Last week I attended my state’s Literacy Council meeting. I have been a
> member of this council for a few years. At these meetings, among other
> things, we used to talk about little things that adult learners had said
> and their success stories. These were positive meetings. Things have
> changed. We now talk about how short our state is of money, how many
> state jobs have been cut, and how long some of the members on the
> council have until retirement.  At last week’s meeting we were told
> about the state reporting system and the testing that is required of
> people before they can get into a literacy program. The state has every
> right to feel good.  I don’t think any other state has a better system.
>
> Testing can tell many things.  It can tell us at what level the new
> student is when they enter a literacy program. Other tests can determine
> what method this new student needs to use to learn to read and if they
> are LD.  Doing these things make sense to policy makers and others.  For
> the adult who struggles with reading, however, filling out forms and
> being tested is the last thing he/she wants to do. This may not be a big
> deal to a lot of people, but it is for people who are thinking about
> coming into a literacy program for the first time. I think we need to
> slow down and first let the people get acclimated instead of seeing how
> fast we can get them in and out of a literacy program and then into the
> workforce. As adult learners we can only learn at our individual pace.
> All this testing will not tell us everything we need to know about this
> adult student. I think that any testing could be done after the new
> student has settled in and become comfortable in his/her program.
>
> In my travels I have had the opportunity to speak to many program
> directors around the country about the reporting and testing.  Most
> don’t have any positive things to say about either the reporting or the
> testing. I feel glad that I went into a literacy program when I did. If
> I needed literacy help today I don’t think I would go for help because
> of the things you have to do just to get into a literacy program. Other
> adult learners that I have spoken with all agreed with me. It’s a
> traumatic experience to walk into a literacy program for the first time
> and it’s hard to make yourself go through that door to get literacy
> help.  All the frustrations you have inside of you (because you are a
> low-level reader) go in with you.
>
> The policy makers have the power to give us the privilege to learn to
> read.
> Do they ever talk to the adult students who need literacy help to find
> out what they have experienced?  What we need is a second chance in
> life. If we are going to get that second chance they will have to
> understand why adults who need literacy help are the way they are and
> then be there for us. Facts and figures will not teach us how to read.
>
> I have heard that only 8% of the people who need literacy help ever seek
> help. Tom Sticht has talked about research and who is doing it and who
> should do it. Has any researcher wondered about the percentage of people
> with literacy problems who don’t go into a literacy program because of
> fear of all the paperwork and testing? I think a good research project
> would be to find out that number.
>
> Archie Willard
> Adult Learner
>
> --
> Archie Willard
> millard at goldfieldaccess.net
> URL - http://www.readiowa.org/archiew.html
>
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