Return-Path: <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id i5NGftf10223; Wed, 23 Jun 2004 12:41:55 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2004 12:41:55 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <BAY11-DAV118DRe3e2b00004e36@hotmail.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Janice Sapp" <jansapp007@msn.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:1397] Re: The use of testing for workforce development X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: MSN 9 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 3295 Lines: 73 Laura, Day Spring Education Institute is a 501c3; we teach English and use LIFT program materials which are similar to all of the other ESL materials out there. Our materials as well as our test materials are bought from Steck-Vaughn publishers; they are well done and easy to teach so that volunteers who are not professionally trained as teachers can see what needs to be taught, and the students will learn English well enough to get around in this society. The lack of clear pronunciation, however, is still a problem, so while people may learn English and will be able to read and write it, being clearly understood and ready for the American workforce and/or citizenship tests are still problems. At Day Spring our teachers are trained to help students pronounce American English words clearly. Day Spring Ed. Inst. is two months old; if your company is installing new computer systems and you do not know what to do with your old ones, please donate them to us. My cell phone is 469-878-2104. jansapp007@msn.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Laura Chenven" <lchenven@workingforamerica.org> To: "Multiple recipients of list" <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2004 11:11 AM Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:1396] The use of testing for workforce development > Hi all, > I've been trying to get a picture of the use of tests as gatekeepers to > workforce education and training. I'm sending this email around and was > wondering if you had info or could distribute these questions to people > in the field. Let me know. > Thanks > > It has become apparent to many of us in the workforce development and > worker education field that standardized tests are used very widely in > worker training and education programs. In some cases, the tests are > used appropriately to screen workers who would have difficulty in > training programs. But we believe in many other cases, the tests keep > qualified people out of training because of language issues, learning > disabilities, poor test taking skills, and a lack of familiarity and > preparation for the tests. We would like to investigate this issue > further and were wondering if you could provide answers to the following > questions. > > 1 What tests (if any) does your program or local One Stop Center > use as a qualifier or gatekeeper for workforce development program entry > or Individual Training Accounts? > 2 Do any other public or private training programs in your area > also use these or similar tests as qualifiers? What do they use? > 3 Roughly, what percentage of people do not get into programs > because of "failing" these tests? > 4 Do the programs offer test preparation to workers who take the > tests? > 5 Do you suspect or know that people are being kept out of > programs who could be successful in them? > 6 Are there other impacts from the testing that you have noticed, > especially in regard to workforce development or job acquisition? > 7 Is there a particular impact on workers with limited English > proficiency? > > > Laura Chenven > Healthcare Field Specialist > AFL-CIO Working for America Institute > 815 16th St. NW > Washington, DC 20006 > www.workingforamerica.org > Phone: 202 974-8107 > Fax: 202 974-8101 > lchenven@workingforamerica.org > >
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