[NLA] "breaking news"

[SanStr@aol.com]

Art, 
Don't chop my funding just yet :-). Actually, of the 3,000+ adults our 
program will serve this year, the largest segment is low level ESL followed 
by the 0-8 group. Yes, we do have a significant GED program but they tend to 
be in low-intensity satellite classes (interestingly, this is where we have 
the most trouble getting post-tests since our low intensity sites have the 
lowest retention rates). We also served about 400 people in the workplace 
this year. So, my comments were not in relation to any one academic group. 

The testing regimen we've been using has its problems (most having to do with 
the limitations of particular instruments), but learner intimidation isn't 
one of them. I attribute this to the time we spend up front listening to and 
talking with our learners, the way in which assessment is presented as just 
one piece of the puzzle, and the time we spend trying to build small learning 
communities. Look -- I'm not trying to sound like Pollyanna here, but we've 
worked hard to get where we are and we're very proud of our assessment 
record. While no one is ever forced to take a test (I'm not sure how you'd do 
that), our pre-test rate is 98%. It just isn't an issue for most people. 

My point in all of this is -- I take exception with the view of adult 
learners (at any academic level) as too fragile to be treated like any other 
student in any other academic context. That just hasn't been my experience. 

If I had to make a guess about what happened to the million missing learners 
(guess is the operative word), I'd put my money on the possiblity that most 
of these learners never existed to begin with and could well be the result of 
unintentional double-counting. My question would be, what do the 
attendance/retention numbers look like? Are we serving fewer people more 
hours or just fewer people? Enrollment and retention numbers have to be 
looked at together. 

Sandy Strunk
Supervisor of Adult and Family Literacy Education
Lancaster Lebanon IU 13
Pennsylvania


In a message dated 6/14/02 11:04:45 AM, arthur at ellijay.com writes:

<< Sandy,


Hmmm I think my first question would be focused on where the bulk of your 
students are academically located.  It appears that your program may be 
centered in the GED preparation range.  And if that's true then I would agree 
with your statements here.  GED prep students normally don't have a whole lot 
of problem with the 'testing' regimen.  And if your interview processes from 
which you gathered your program improvement data involved mostly those 
students then I would think again that your program is centered in the GED 
prep range and not in the 0-8th skill building ranges, for which the majority 
of funding is dedicated.  That may be an indicator for the reduction in your 
funding. ??


Art >>