Return-Path: <nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id f7NM59f21847; Thu, 23 Aug 2001 18:05:09 -0400 (EDT) Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2001 18:05:09 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <5DCA49BDD2B0D41186CE00508B6BEBD005B4EC44@wdcrobexc01.ed.gov> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Crawford, June" <jcrawford@nifl.gov> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-LD:3600] Grade Levels X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: multipart/alternative; X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2653.19) Status: O Content-Length: 6235 Lines: 134 This message is in MIME format. Since your mail reader does not understand this format, some or all of this message may not be legible. ------_=_NextPart_001_01C12C1F.27BE0F20 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" The argument about grade levels has been around as long as there has been adult education, I suspect. If my personal goal is to be able to play golf and get a score under 100 on nine holes, and I do that, I still will never be invited to participate in any golf games with people who play well. I know that a good golfer would only be happy with a score that is just one-third my number of golf strokes. Even if I met my goal, I would still have a long way to go and it would take me many practice games to get good at golf. And that, it seems to me, is the issue with grading. Adults ask what grade they are on because they know this world measures people. Whatever you call it, there must be some standard measurement that a person can understand in relationship to something else. Whether it is a grade equivalent or a NALS level, or some other measure of academic ability, many adults (and kids) want to know "where they stand." Grade equivalent levels are difficult to estimate when working with adults because there is often such a scatter of ability; sometimes referred to as the "swiss cheese effect." As a standard against which to measure one's performance, they may not be as useful for adult learners as they are for children, but they are a standard, and worrying about the terminology doesn't seem to be worth it. As several people have indicated, a test score at least gives you a starting point for instruction. Then a really in-depth diagnostic workup on a student would be the way to get good teaching information for that particular student. If you think of the word "grade" in its meaning as a slope up a hill, perhaps that would give your adult students a better perspective. If the grade has no steps - just opportunities to climb to the top - then a scattergram of discrete abilities could be developed and that would provide a good foundation for a discussion about where the adult is and where s/he needs to be to achieve good academic skill levels. (It also provides an opportunity to talk about sliding backward when bad things happen in life without it being an embarrassment!) June Justice Crawford Learning Disabilities Program Director Program Officer for Bridges to Practice National Institute for Literacy 1775 I Street, NW Suite 730 Washington, DC 20006 202-233-2064 Phone 202-233-2050 Fax ------_=_NextPart_001_01C12C1F.27BE0F20 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <META HTTP-EQUIV=3D"Content-Type" CONTENT=3D"text/html; = charset=3Diso-8859-1"> <META NAME=3D"Generator" CONTENT=3D"MS Exchange Server version = 5.5.2654.45"> <TITLE>Grade Levels</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <P><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial"> </FONT> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">The argument about grade levels has = been around as long as there has been adult education, I = suspect. </FONT> </P> <P><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">If my personal goal is to be able to = play golf and get a score under 100 on nine holes, and I do that, I = still will never be invited to participate in any golf games with = people who play well. I know that a good golfer would only be = happy with a score that is just one-third my number of golf = strokes. Even if I met my goal, I would still have a long way to = go and it would take me many practice games to get good at golf. = </FONT></P> <P><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">And that, it seems to me, is the issue = with grading. Adults ask what grade they are on because they know = this world measures people. Whatever you call it, there must be = some standard measurement that a person can understand in relationship = to something else. Whether it is a grade equivalent or a NALS = level, or some other measure of academic ability, many adults (and = kids) want to know "where they stand." </FONT></P> <P><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">Grade equivalent levels<U> are</U> = difficult to estimate when working with adults because there is often = such a scatter of ability; sometimes referred to as the "swiss = cheese effect." As a standard against which to measure one's = performance, they may not be as useful for adult learners as they are = for children, but they are a standard, and worrying about the = terminology doesn't seem to be worth it. As several people have = indicated, a test score at least gives you a starting point for = instruction. Then a really in-depth diagnostic workup on a = student would be the way to get good teaching information for that = particular student.</FONT></P> <P><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">If you think of the word = "grade" in its meaning as a slope up a hill, perhaps that = would give your adult students a better perspective. If the grade = has no steps - just opportunities to climb to the top - then a = scattergram of discrete abilities could be developed and that would = provide a good foundation for a discussion about where the adult is and = where s/he needs to be to achieve good academic skill levels. (It = also provides an opportunity to talk about sliding backward when bad = things happen in life without it being an embarrassment!)</FONT></P> <P><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">June Justice Crawford</FONT> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">Learning Disabilities Program = Director</FONT> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">Program Officer for Bridges to = Practice </FONT> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">National Institute for = Literacy</FONT> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">1775 I Street, NW Suite = 730</FONT> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">Washington, DC 20006</FONT> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">202-233-2064 Phone</FONT> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">202-233-2050 Fax</FONT> <BR><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial"> </FONT> </P> </BODY> </HTML> ------_=_NextPart_001_01C12C1F.27BE0F20--
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Fri Jan 18 2002 - 11:28:01 EST