National Institute for Literacy
 
NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR LITERACY ARCHIVED CONTENT


LINCS Selection Criteria

Policy statementSelection criteriaSubmission criteriaDeselection Criteria
Web publishing guidelinesAuthoring committee


Special Collection Selection Criteria

Assessment Special Collection Selection Criteria

In addition to the General LINCS Selection Criteria, materials included in the Assessment Special Collection are chosen with the following criteria as a guide:

    Audience
    The sites are chosen with the following audience in mind:

    • Practitioners working with adult learners
    • Coordinators and directors of programs for adult learners

    Relevance

    • Sites or materials must relate to assessment or evaluation in some way.
    • Sites or materials must have educational value.
    • Sites or materials must be perceived as useful, interesting, relevant or practical by the intended audience.

    Quality

    • Sites or materials must be accurate in their content.
    • Sites or materials must be clearly written, well formatted, easy to navigate and easy to understand by the intended audience.
    • Where practical, sites or materials are based on current research.
    • Sites or materials must be respectful in tone to the intended audience and free from obvious stereotypes.
    • Sites or materials may be included if they are unique or innovative.
    • Sites or materials must be up to date in their information and methodology.
    • Older materials with proven value to the field may be included.

    References

    • Sites or materials are correctly referenced including author and date created.

    Availability

    • Resources in the collection must be available on the Web or easily obtained through the mail.
    • Resources in the collection should be free or low-cost and not overly commercial.


Correctional Education Special Collection Selection Criteria

  1. The resource will include resources pertinent to adult literacy in a wide variety of correctional settings, including adult prisons, jails, detention centers, and community corrections settings.
  2. The selection will include domestic as well as international resources.
  3. The definition of adult literacy programs will include any programs that provide an adult with the skills necessary to function in modern society, including, but not limited to: ABE, GED, ESL, parenting, life skills, vocational education, and post secondary education.
  4. The collection will include resources for a broad range of learners, including the learning disabled, the ESL learner, and the post-secondary student.
  5. The resources to be included will be of high quality and substantive enough to be of practical use to other practitioners in the field. Items that are out-dated, too brief, or too specialized will not be included.
  6. Items that are research-based, written by recognized authorities in the field, and that have the widest application will be chosen over items on a similar topic.
  7. The collection will appeal to a broad audience, from the general population to administrators and policy makers.
  8. The collection will focus on correctional education rather than general literacy that might better fit into another collection.

English as a Second Language Special Collection Selection Criteria

All sites and materials included in the ESL Special Collection will be useful to literacy practitioners, program administrators, researchers, and adult learners in some aspect of English as a Second Language education. ESL Education is defined to include Civics Education materials useful to ESL learners.

The following criteria will be used when considering a site or material for inclusion in the Special Collection:

    Criteria #1: Quality
    • The site/material must be relevant to the ESL Special Collection.
    • The site/material must be readily understandable and useful to the intended audiences.
    • The site/material must be reflective of current research.
    • In addition, a site/material may be included if it is new and innovative.
    Criteria #2: Longevity
    • The site/material should have lasting value.
    • Seminal materials in the field of ESL education will be included.
    • Older materials with lasting value for research or comparison purposes will be included.

Materials submitted for inclusion in the ESL Special Collection must also meet the General LINCS Selection Criteria and Web Publishing Guidelines.

To ensure high-quality materials are included in the ESL Special Collection, two levels of review apply, and both levels must be passed for inclusion. The first level requires a unanimous vote by the three Partners-Matthew Scelza, Andy Nash, and Tom Mueller. The second level is the approval of the Core Knowledge Group. Please contact Matthew Scelza with questions or recommendations of resources to include in this Special Collection.


EFF Special Collections Selection Criteria

The following criteria are used when considering a site or materials for inclusion in the EFF Special Collection:

  • Resource provides information about the EFF initiative and the EFF model of standards-based system reform and program improvement.
  • Resource provides information about the three main tools of the EFF initiative: the EFF Content Framework, the EFF Assessment framework, and a variety of supports for EFF implementation (training, materials, and technical assistance).
  • Resource clarifies the educational theory and research in EFF.
  • Resource illustrates how programs, organizations, and states have implemented, or could implement, the EFF model in their instructional context and system.
  • Resource describes the impact EFF has had on students, service providers, programs, organizations, and states nationwide, and how EFF is a catalyst for change.
  • Resource provides access to other quality information relevant to the goals of the EFF initiative.

Resources included in the EFF Special Collection must also meet the General LINCS Selection Criteria.


Family Literacy Special Collections Selection Criteria

In addition to the General LINCS Selection Criteria, materials included in the Family Literacy Special Collection are chosen with the following criteria as a guide:

    Audience
    The sites are chosen with the following audience in mind:

    • Family literacy practitioners
    • Program coordinators and directors
    • Parents
    • Adult learners

    Relevance

    • Sites or materials must relate to family literacy in some way.
    • Sites or materials must have educational value.
    • Sites or materials must be perceived as useful, interesting, relevant or practical by the intended audience.

    Quality

    • Sites or materials must be accurate in their content.
    • Sites or materials must be clearly written, well formatted, easy to navigate and easy to understand by the intended audience.
    • Where practical, sites or materials are based on current research.
    • Sites or materials must be respectful in tone to the intended audience and free from obvious stereotypes.
    • Sites or materials may be included if they are unique or innovative.
    • Sites or materials must be up to date in their information and methodology.
    • Older materials with proven value to the field may be included.

    References

    • Sites or materials are correctly referenced including author and date created.

    Availability

    • Resources in the collection must be available on the Web or easily obtained through the mail.
    • Resources in the collection should be free or low-cost and not overly commercial.


Health & Literacy Special Collections Special Collection

    Materials/sites are chosen for the Health & Literacy Special Collection with the following audiences in mind:

    • Adult educators (literacy, ESOL, ABE, etc.)
    • Health Educators
    • Health Care Providers
    • Adults with limited English literacy skills

    The following selection criteria are used to choose materials/sites for the Collection:

    Relevance
    • Materials/sites must relate to health in some way.
    • Materials/sites must be educational.
    • Materials must be perceived as useful, interesting, relevant or practical by the intended audience.
    Quality
    • Materials/sites must be accurate in their content.
    • Materials/sites must be clearly written and formatted, and easy to understand by the intended audience.
    • Materials/sites must be respectful in tone to the intended audience and free from obvious stereotypes.
    • A material/site may be included if it is unique or innovative.
    References
    • Materials/sites must be properly referenced to include who created them and when.
      • Timeliness
    • Materials/sites must be up-to-date in their factual information, and methodology of teaching. (For example, learner-centered or participatory educational methods are preferred.)
    • Older materials with value as teaching models may be included.
    Availability
    • Materials must be available on the Web or possible to order by mail.
    • Materials must be free or low-cost. (What we consider "low-cost" may depend on the intended audience.)

    Materials/sites included in the Health & Literacy Special Collection must also meet the General LINCS Selection Criteria.


Learning Disabilities and Literacy Special Collections Selection Criteria

Materials and web sites in the special collection have been selected with the goal that the collection be comprehensive, research based, and useful to diverse audiences: adults with LD, adult educators, program administrators, researchers, staff of related agencies, and employers.

The information and links on this site are provided for your information and convenience. When a commercial or semi-commercial site is listed, it will be designated as such by the icon dot com. Neither the Center for Literacy Studies, The University of Tennessee nor the National Institute for Literacy endorses any method, curriculum, treatment program, etc. for individuals with learning disabilities.

The following criteria will be used when considering a site or material for inclusion in the Special Collection:
    #1: Quality
    • The site/material must be relevant to the Literacy and LD Special Collection.
    • The site/material must be reflective of current research.
    #2 : Accessibility
    • The site/material must be readily understandable and useful to the intended audiences.
    #3: Longevity
    • The site/material should have lasting value.
    • Seminal materials in the field of Literacy and Learning Disabilities education will be included.

Materials included in the Literacy & LD Special Collection must also meet the General LINCS Special Collection Guidelines. Please contact Margaret Lindop glindop@utk.edu with questions or recommendations of resources to include in this Special Collection


The Program Leadership and Improvement Special Collections Selection Criteria

Process for Selecting Materials
Once a resource is suggested, the Collection Coordinator reviews it for basic relevancy and readability, and checks to insure that it meets the LINCS General Selection Criteria (see below). Then the Coordinator sends it on to a team of 2 reviewers on the Core Knowledge Group, who review it independently using a rubric based on the Program Leadership and Improvement Special Collection Criteria (see below). If both reviewers recommend the document, it is then added to the special collection. In the case of one reviewer recommending the document and the other not recommending it, the document is sent out to a third reviewer who reviews it independently using the same criteria.

Selection Criteria
All resources included in this collection are expected to meet LINCS General Selection Criteria. All resources included in the LINCS Program Leadership and Improvement Special Collection are also reviewed using the following specific selection criteria:

  1. Content is relevant to program leadership and improvement.
  2. Content includes models, tools, strategies, perspectives/beliefs, or other related resources.
  3. Content includes:
    • Rationale for the development of the resource and/or
    • Data that documents the research and development of the resource and/or
    • Data that documents the use and effectiveness of the resource and its impact on improving program outcomes
  4. Document shows a clear indication of the context in which the resource was developed and the contexts in which it might be used. In the case of those resources developed outside the field of adult education, a rationale for applying to the field will be provided by the core knowledge group.

Science and Numeracy Special Collections Selection Criteria

The Science & Numeracy Special Collection was created by Susan Cowles and Nancy Markus. It is compiled and updated by Susan Cowles. She is pleased to have the advice and assistance of the Core Knowledge Group, consisting of research scientists, mathematicians, educators, and administrators. Websites are evaluated according to the National Institute for Literacy Selection Criteria and the Blue Web'n Evaluation Rubric from the Pacific Bell Knowledge Network Explorer. Websites in this collection are chosen for their adherence to and reflection of the National Science Education Standards and the Adult Numeracy Standards.

In order to share only the best applications, we filter our database with the help of the following evaluation rubric from Blue Web'n Site Evaluation Rubric.

    Format

      User Friendly
      Clear scope, easy to understand and use, includes appropriate, clearly labeled links
      Aesthetically Courteous
      Graphics are quickly downloaded and relevant, text is easy to read. Background is subdued and coordinates with text colors and graphics. Someone using a 640 X 480 monitor doesn't have to scroll to the right.
      Aesthetically Appealing
      Attractive and creative use of graphics and colors

    Content

      Credible
      Information is accurate, complete, and maintained
      Useful
      Content is meaningful, difficult to convey, and/or quintessential
      Rich
      Information is rich and likely to be revisited Interdisciplinary Integrates several content areas or disciplines

    Learning Process

      Higher-order Thinking
      Challenges learners to think, reflect, discuss, hypothesize, compare, classify, etc.
      Engaging
      Process engages the learner
      Multiple Intelligences or Talents
      Effectively integrates at least 3 intelligences or talents (language, math, intrapersonal, interpersonal, spatial, musical, physical)

    Scoring Rubrics
    To score a site: each "Poor" rating gets 0 points, each "good" gets 1 point, and each "excellent" gets 2 points, for a total of 20 possible points. Resources, references and tools are not rated on learner process; the score for these types of applications is weighted to yield a total possible score of 20 points.


Technology Training Special Collections Selection Criteria

The criteria used to decide whether to add a site or materials to the Technology Training Special Collection were developed by members of the Adult Literacy and Technology Training Network. Each potential selection is reviewed based on the:

For inclusion of resources in the Collection, a minimum score of 24 out of 32 must be obtained for web sites and a minimum score of 18 out of 24 must be obtained for documents.


Workforce Education Special Collections Selection Criteria

All resources included inLINCSSpecial Collections are expected to meet General LINCS Selection Criteria.

Additional selection criteria for resources included in the Workforce Education Special Collection concern the relevance of the resources to work-related learning experiences and the intended audience of the site.

Relevance:
Resources are selected to demonstrate the value of workforce learning, foster and promote the development of high-quality workforce education programs, provide guidelines for planning and supporting these programs, support ongoing communication and collaboration among stakeholders, and/or enable workers/learners to upgrade their basic skills within the context of the workplace.

Audience:
The intended stakeholders or audiences for the Workforce Education Special Collection are employed or unemployed workers along with all those who seek to aid or encourage workers to upgrade their skills, including workforce instructors, program administrators and Human Resources personnel, employers and case managers, unions, economic developers, state staff, and policy makers.