Return-Path: <nifl-assessment@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id iAO2a0Q15416; Tue, 23 Nov 2004 21:36:00 -0500 (EST) Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2004 21:36:00 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <BAY4-F7E2A86DD645F3349631F7C5B80@phx.gbl> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-assessment@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-assessment@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-assessment@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "George demetrion" <gdemetrion@msn.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-assessment@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ASSESSMENT:764] RE: 2nd-3rd GE plateau for ABE? X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Status: O Content-Length: 2564 Lines: 66 Hi Jean, That depends on the level and range of students you are working with. On the 1990 NALS, Hartford is listed as having a 41% adult population rate at Level I. The vast majorityof students in our program test at a 210 or below on the CASAS and word recognition and oral reading ability of level 4 and below on the DAR. A smaller proportion of our students (all in the pre-GED category) are at a higher level, and for them progress is much more extensive. Growth does happen, but it is a subtle process that gradually influences adults in various ways in the cognitive, social, and emotional realms. There is, often modest improvement on reading test scores, but for many of our students (if one were to use such a standard) 3rd grade reading level would be a plateau that many would have difficulty crossing. Fingeret and Drennon's Literac for Life is a very instructive text on this score. Of course3rd grade is an arbitrary boundary and doesn't at all get at what in fact students do learn regardless of reading gains, regardless of levels attained. I sought to track something of the ineffably rich adult literacy experience in Motivation and the Adult New Reader: Becoming Literate at the Bob Steele Reading Center, 1990-1995. That report can be accessed here: http://www.nald.ca/FULLTEXT/George/Motivate/cover.htm Regards, George Demetrion From: PHCSJean.2163953@bloglines.com Reply-To: nifl-assessment@nifl.gov To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-assessment@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ASSESSMENT:763] 2nd-3rd GE plateau for ABE? Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2004 21:04:23 -0500 (EST) Hi colleagues. Last night I was reading an article by a tutor who commented "People who can't read well consistently test at the second or third grade level regardless of age or schooling." Do you see validity in that? Have you seen that in your centers? I know as a past elementary teacher that there's a huge step up in that level. I'm wondering what the barrier could be for our students if this is indeed the plateau they hit the wall at. The article isn't from a scholarly publication, but one I found on a database (maybe even Google Scholar--check that out if you haven't yet) so I'm not sure who validated this besides the author, but it does seem to be a plausible hypothesis. I'd love to know what you think. The article: McKinney, Martha. At a loss for words: The desperate world of adult non-readers. ETC. Summer 2001, p 168-171 Thanks! Jean Marrapodi Providence Assembly of God Adult Learning Center Providence, RI
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