Return-Path: <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id e9V6hi901134; Tue, 31 Oct 2000 01:43:44 -0500 (EST) Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2000 01:43:44 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <cc.bf94be5.272fc34a@aol.com> Errors-To: rgspacone@worldnet.att.net Reply-To: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Rgspacone@aol.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-4EFF:1232] Processing the Regie Stites Discussion X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Unknown sub 171 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Status: O Content-Length: 2857 Lines: 63 Many thanks to Regie Stites for taking the time to address the 4EFF list and respond to our questions in such a thoughtful detailed way. And thank you Debbie, Amy, Sue, Andy, Mary, and Gloria for sharing your situations and questions on-line. Last weekend, a friend (who is an adult language teacher) and I discussed the messages and wondered what some other subscribers were finding in Regie's postings, NIFL-4EFF: 1224,1225, 1226, and 1230. If you've had a chance to read and reflect on this recent batch of messages, what are you thinking about or discussing? What did these messages suggest to you about your program, your learners and yourself? What did they suggest to you about using EFF to guide instruction and assessment? My friend and I mostly discussed the implications for program and staff development in Regie's comments on "the most pressing public policy issues affecting the implementation of EFF...the first priority should be garnering broad-based support (and involvement) for developing an assessment framework that supports measures of meaningful results in adult learning and establishes reasonable expectations for resources needed to support such results. Beyond this the other public policy supports that need to be in place to make EFF work at the program level include accountability structures that are aligned with learners' goals and program curricula, expanded professional development opportunities for teachers, expanded access to high-quality learning opportunities for students, and the resources and political will to make all this possible." We discussed how we would reform a program and provide staff development if we had a program to reform. I think we were both struck by the idea of "will" and we were reminded of how important that can be -- to put good ideas (like EFF) into action. I liked the fact that Regie began his responses by working down from the systemic level. When I introduce EFF to various audiences, I find myself working up, from the learner and teacher. Therefore, I found Regie's approach helpful in thinking about how I present the big picture -- the foundation that the EFF framework offers for standards based reform of the system. In his final message, Regie wrote: "I think that an assessment expert and policy wonk (like me) is less likely to provide useful guidance in this area [the meaningfulness and use of an EFF standard for planning instruction and assessment for ESOL] than teachers who have worked through this problem in practice." Regie, I wondered if anyone else on the list read this and thought: How super it would be to have a wonk (or two) like you on staff -- to help us work through these problems together! Thanks again, Ronna Ronna Spacone NIFL-4EFF List Moderator rgspacone@aol.com Phone 202.338.2703
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