Andrea, and others,

Early on, in 1994-1995, EFF surveyed adult learners, among others, to  
determine what they thought they needed to know.

The EFF Website

	http://eff.cls.utk.edu/

includes background and history information

	http://eff.cls.utk.edu/fundamentals/about.htm#purpose

 From that Web page:

-----------
•  In 1994-95, NIFL began by surveying adult learners and other  
customers of the adult literacy system to determine what skills and  
knowledge were critical to meeting the National Adult Literacy and  
Lifelong Learning Goal. Our first round of grant making related to  
this project supported nine organizations that worked to validate the  
EFF Content Framework as a starting point for standards in adult  
literacy.


• In 1996-97, NIFL established the foundation for adult literacy  
standards by building broad consensus, across the nation, on what  
adults needed to do to meet their responsibilities as workers,  
citizens, and parents.


• In 1998-99, NIFL defined sixteen Content Standards that comprised  
the core knowledge and skills that support effective action in these  
three adult roles. The standards include a strong foundation of  
reading, writing, and math within four key categories of skills and  
knowledge: those that support effective communication, working with  
others, problem solving and decision-making, and learning-to-learn.


• In 2000, NIFL published the EFF Content Standards: What Adults Need  
to Know and Be Able to Do in the 21st Century and launched a training  
and technical assistance initiative to help states use the standards.  
Work also began on defining an assessment framework for the  
standards. NIFL continues to support these two strands of EFF work.
-----------

It would be helpful to have someone who was directly involved in that  
survey do answer Andrea's questions.


All the best,

David J. Rosen
newsomeassociates.com
djrosen at comcast.net

On Apr 5, 2006, at 10:43 AM, Andrea Wilder wrote:


> Mary--

>

>

> I have done a bit of reading, and have come up with this:  "These  

> three [citizen, worker, parents] are not the only adult roles, but  

> are key ones for public policy."  So the effort started from a top  

> down policy view (goal 6) going by this quotation (p 18, Building  

> the Framework).  I don't mean to make too much of this for others,  

> to me it is important because when I wrote my dissertation I went  

> the final step,  Let the data emerge from the site.  No policy  

> involved. ( I love reading real grounded research, it is fabulous.  

> The classic example is Geertz, "Deep Play:  The Balinese  

> Cockfight." Find it on the web , tap in "Geertz cockfight," take  

> the first selection and there it is.).

>

> I am guessing that there is much that is only referred to in brief  

> notes to the Frameworks report (p. 40, Frameworks)

>

> So EFF is a dance between policy and people, trying to find some  

> workable solution to different agendas.

>

> This is as far as I have gone, perhaps you have more info that I.  

> I'll keep reading.  Thanks for  writing.

>

> Andrea

> On Apr 5, 2006, at 8:19 AM, mschnec at localnet.com wrote:

>

>> I recall that the first President Bush set out six educational  

>> goals in the Goals 2000. The sixth one referred to adults being  

>> prepared to work in the global economy and being prepared to be  

>> good citizens. NIFL was asked to figure out how to measure those  

>> things. When NIFL got involed in the qualitative research, people  

>> around the country who were participating in adult education  

>> programs made it very clear that family was a major motivator for  

>> them in their educational goals. So the first two EFF roles,  

>> worker and citizen, were part of goals 2000 but the third, family,  

>> was derived from the research. However, it is my understanding  

>> that the other two roles were substantiated by the research as  

>> well. I know there are a few people reading this who will verify  

>> this if I am remembering correctly. Mary Schneckenburger, Maine

>>

>> Quoting Andrea Wilder <andreawilder at comcast.net>:

>>

>> > Aaron--

>> >

>> > I'm also not going to do any more talking about EFF until I have  

>> more

>> > knowledge, so I will have to do some reading.

>> >

>> > Andrea

>> > On Apr 4, 2006, at 9:55 AM, Andrea Wilder wrote:

>> >

>> >> Aaron--

>> >>

>> >> All i want to do is bury myself in my reading, guess I  

>> shouldn't do

>> >> that.

>> >>

>> >> The three role maps--activities of adults:  community, work,  

>> family.  I

>> >> think these were given from the beginning.

>> >>

>> >>   i am a proponent of grounded research, I use it everyday like  

>> most

>> >> people, By Geertz it is called something like "Common  Sense as a

>> >> Cultural System."  The common sense approach got kicked up   to

>> >> ethnographic status and  inductive learning was added, and it  

>> became

>> >> rationalized by people who wanted some way to understand those who

>> >> seemed different from themselves--e.g.,--anthropoloigy.came  

>> into its

>> >> own. I' ll get back to this a  bit alter.

>> >>

>> >> Thanks, Aaron.  Back to the printing press.

>> >>

>> >> Andrea

>> >>

>> >>

>> >> On Apr 4, 2006, at 8:50 AM, Aaron Kohring wrote:

>> >>

>> >>> Andrea,

>> >>>

>> >>> Thanks for your thought-provoking questions.  I wanted to make  

>> some

>> >>> clarification on a couple of your points below before others  

>> jump into

>> >>> the

>> >>> discussion.

>> >>>

>> >>> 1) "i am aware that this list serves teachers, administrators,  

>> who use

>> >>> EFF

>> >>> and maybe helped make EFF."

>> >>> --  To clarify, this list serves a broader audience than those  

>> just

>> >>> using

>> >>> EFF Standards. The intent is to include all efforts involved with

>> >>> using

>> >>> Content Standards in an adult education setting.  Some states,  

>> as you

>> >>> mention, are using EFF standards, some are using a subset of  

>> those

>> >>> standards, and others are using other standards which may be  

>> compiled

>> >>> from

>> >>> multiple sources.  So this discussion list hopes to encourage the

>> >>> sharing

>> >>> of what is happening within that larger audience.

>> >>>

>> >>> And this discussion list continues to have a goal to be  

>> inclusive of

>> >>> the

>> >>> system at all levels- we hope to continue the current  

>> discussion of

>> >>> standards work at the State level, but also have future  

>> discussions

>> >>> regarding the use/impact of standards with

>> >>> programs/administrators/teachers/learners.

>> >>>

>> >>> 2) "As i recall, Tom Sticht  mentioned after reading George  

>> D.'s  book

>> >>> that

>> >>> EFF wasn't striclty speaking a fully  grounded approach to data

>> >>> gathering--the categories were  givens, did not emerge."

>> >>> -- In regards to the categories that were 'named' during the EFF

>> >>> research,

>> >>> if this refers to the 'Purposes' learners attend adult education,

>> >>> 'Role

>> >>> Maps', 'Common Activities', 'Standards', 'Performance Continua',

>> >>> etc.--

>> >>> then this was very much data driven.  Qualitative research  

>> methods

>> >>> were

>> >>> used with data collected from the field (from learners, teachers,

>> >>> program &

>> >>> state administrators) in an iterative process in order to name  

>> each of

>> >>> these categories.

>> >>>

>> >>> Andrea, I might need more information from you to know if this  

>> answers

>> >>> or

>> >>> clarifies your points above.

>> >>>

>> >>> Sincerely,

>> >>> Aaron

>> >>>

>> >>>

>> >>> At 11:00 AM 4/1/2006 -0500, you wrote:

>> >>>> Dear David, Aaron,

>> >>>>

>> >>>> Nothing like a top of the head response to engender  

>> controversy and

>> >>>> maybe dismay, but  here goes.

>> >>>>

>> >>>> The story of the early printing press is all about adult  

>> literacy, in

>> >>>> two volumes with very small print, i don't think a "school"  

>> has been

>> >>>> mentioned yet.  Instead I find out how all sorts of adults  

>> used the

>> >>>> press--churchmen, nascent scientists, guild members, small

>> >>>> shopkeepers,

>> >>>> the list is very long.  A "gutter press" emerged.The printing  

>> press

>> >>>> organized knowledge and essentailly broke the guild system, as

>> >>>> knowledge could now be  gotten through a book, not a person.   

>> Without

>> >>>> the printing press we would have been either dead or Catholic.

>> >>>>

>> >>>> I remember seeing a draft of a paper by Sondra Stein in  

>> maybe  1997

>> >>>> and

>> >>>>   having two reactions:  1)  wish somebody had given me role  

>> maps,

>> >>>> they

>> >>>> sure would have helped,  plus 2)        life cannot be   

>> reduced to

>> >>>> role maps

>> >>>> which by their structure and  assumptions are narrow and  

>> ethnocentric

>> >>>> (which I have been charged with being, myself).

>> >>>>

>> >>>> Being a qualititative researcher, I always ask:  can I find  

>> myself in

>> >>>> here?

>> >>>>

>> >>>> What I think the EFF standards are is  an updated guild  

>> system, with

>> >>>> the teacher the master and the adult learner the novice.

>> >>>>

>> >>>> Maybe the EFF standards are an answer to the problem of

>> >>>> attendance--EFF

>> >>>> carries the student over  irregular attendance.  Maybe EFF is an

>> >>>> answer

>> >>>> to the dilemma of what to teach and a common vocabulary for  

>> students

>> >>>> and teachers.  So what I call "narrow" is maybe a way of  

>> organizing

>> >>>> chaos.  EFF is CERTAINLY a tool for acculaturation into   

>> American

>> >>>> norms.

>> >>>>

>> >>>> I understand that Sondra  had many years of teaching adults,  

>> so much

>> >>>> of  EFF is guided by  her experience.  i can't argue with  

>> that, don't

>> >>>> want to.  EFF is a phenomenal effort.

>> >>>>

>> >>>> Do you play Mah Jongg?  That's how i think of David's idea of

>> >>>> thousands

>> >>>> of modules--a universe of little tiles (modules) floating out in

>> >>>> (cyber)space.  By themselves the tiles break free of roles,  

>> you don't

>> >>>> have to fit the tiles into an EFF framework, though it would be

>> >>>> useful

>> >>>> to have an overarching system, like the "curriculum  

>> standards" we as

>> >>>> teachers invented when i was a school teacher.

>> >>>>

>> >>>> I don't want to offend anyone, and i am aware that this list   

>> serves

>> >>>> teachers, administrators, who  use EFF and maybe helped make  

>> EFF.

>> >>>> But

>> >>>> I will just continue--the "Equipped for the Future Content  

>> Standards"

>> >>>> is really hard to get through.  i guess it must have been  

>> written for

>> >>>> multiple audiences.  if I were thinking of using EFF I would  

>> want a

>> >>>> three-holed punched explanation of EFF with a one page executive

>> >>>> summary, maybe, or description of how it was built, then at   

>> most  5

>> >>>> pages (maybe 3) of narrative about how to" do"  EFF.

>> >>>>

>> >>>> So...any "selling"  or "explication" of EFF should focus   

>> first on

>> >>>> the

>> >>>> problems it seeks  to solve.

>> >>>>

>> >>>> What i would really like is feedback  on EFF--from people who  

>> use

>> >>>> it--on my points:

>> >>>>

>> >>>> 1)      ethnocentric (fitting into American culture)

>> >>>> 2)      normative ( idealized American values, e.g., "respect  

>> for

>> >>>> diversity)

>> >>>> 2)      narrow (no mention of basic survival skills)

>> >>>>

>> >>>> As i recall, Tom Sticht  mentioned after reading George D.'s   

>> book

>> >>>> that

>> >>>> EFF wasn't striclty speaking a fully  grounded approach to data

>> >>>> gathering--the categories were  givens, did not emerge.

>> >>>>

>> >>>> So please correct me  on any  of the points above;  skewering is

>> >>>> painful, so leave off the sword play,  I  think.

>> >>>>

>> >>>> Ready to be educated.

>> >>>>

>> >>>> Andrea

>> >>>>

>> >>>>

>> >>>>

>> >>>>

>> >>>> On Mar 31, 2006, at 5:03 PM, Aaron Kohring wrote:

>> >>>>

>> >>>>> Yes, David- I agree with your interpretation.  And I'm also  

>> glad you

>> >>>>> mentioned other areas where the term Content Standards could  

>> apply.

>> >>>>> In

>> >>>>> fact, there has recently been some discussion on the  

>> Technology list

>> >>>>> about

>> >>>>> Standards for using Technology.

>> >>>>>

>> >>>>> Andrea, as regards to print, do you think standards for  

>> Reading &

>> >>>>> Writing

>> >>>>> would apply?  And what about certain applications of print-

>> >>>>> advocating

>> >>>>> for

>> >>>>> a point of view if seen through an EFF lens could also bring  

>> in the

>> >>>>> standard "Advocate and Influence".  What do you think?

>> >>>>>

>> >>>>> Aaron

>> >>>>>

>> >>>>> At 04:28 PM 3/31/2006 -0500, you wrote:

>> >>>>>> Andrea,

>> >>>>>>

>> >>>>>> My interpretation of "Content Standards" is this: this  

>> discussion

>> >>>>>> list used to be called "NIFL-4EFF", and used to be about  

>> Equipped

>> >>>>>> For

>> >>>>>> the Future curriculum standards.  "Content standards" is a  

>> broader

>> >>>>>> name which includes, but is not necessarily limited to,  EFF

>> >>>>>> curriculum standards.  The discussion now includes state- 

>> developed

>> >>>>>> curriculum frameworks and standards, and presumably curriculum

>> >>>>>> frameworks and standards used in other countries.  It could  

>> also

>> >>>>>> include industry-specific skills standards, as they might  

>> be used

>> >>>>>> in

>> >>>>>> developing workplace literacy or workplace basic skills  

>> curricula,

>> >>>>>> although I think no one has brought this up yet.

>> >>>>>>

>> >>>>>> Aaron, is this interpretation correct?

>> >>>>>>

>> >>>>>> David J. Rosen

>> >>>>>> newsomeassociates.com

>> >>>>>> djrosen at comcast.net

>> >>>>>>

>> >>>>>> On Mar 31, 2006, at 4:08 PM, Andrea Wilder wrote:

>> >>>>>>

>> >>>>>>> Well, hello, everyone!

>> >>>>>>>

>> >>>>>>> i am putting together a long written piece on adult  

>> literacy, a

>> >>>>>>> lot

>> >>>>>>> of

>> >>>>>>> work, but there are revelations, too.  The printing press  

>> was an

>> >>>>>>> agent

>> >>>>>>> for standardization in chronology and in data, a general  

>> unifier

>> >>>>>>> of

>> >>>>>>> many manuscripts (by hand!)  that enabled writers to really

>> >>>>>>> communicate

>> >>>>>>> with each other.  With printing:  the idea that progress,  

>> poaitive

>> >>>>>>> change, could be made, as technological changes  expanded the

>> >>>>>>> known

>> >>>>>>> world.

>> >>>>>>>

>> >>>>>>> I am very interested in content standards, a way of  

>> measuring I

>> >>>>>>> guess

>> >>>>>>> the attainment of certain skills and knowledge  through  

>> print.  In

>> >>>>>>> the

>> >>>>>>> world of the early printing press that would have been

>> >>>>>>> impossible:,

>> >>>>>>> "knowledge" was just being assembled.  The idea of "content

>> >>>>>>> standards"

>> >>>>>>> seems very narrow, circumscribed.  first one must agree on  

>> the

>> >>>>>>> content,

>> >>>>>>> ;  how does that happen?  CASAS?  EFF?  A bit of a puzzle.

>> >>>>>>>

>> >>>>>>> Andrea Wilder

>> >>>>>>>

>> >>>>>>> ----------------------------------------------------

>> >>>>>>> National Institute for Literacy

>> >>>>>>> Adult Education Content Standards mailing list

>> >>>>>>> ContentStandards at nifl.gov

>> >>>>>>> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings,  

>> please go to

>> >>>>>>> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/contentstandards

>> >>>>>>

>> >>>>>> ----------------------------------------------------

>> >>>>>> National Institute for Literacy

>> >>>>>> Adult Education Content Standards mailing list

>> >>>>>> ContentStandards at nifl.gov

>> >>>>>> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please  

>> go to

>> >>>>>> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/contentstandards

>> >>>>>

>> >>>>> Aaron Kohring

>> >>>>> Coordinator, LINCS Literacy & Learning Disabilities Special

>> >>>>> Collection

>> >>>>> (http://ldlink.coe.utk.edu/)

>> >>>>> Moderator, National Institute for Literacy's Content Standards

>> >>>>> Discussion

>> >>>>> List (http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/Contentstandards)

>> >>>>> Coordinator, Equipped for the Future Websites

>> >>>>> (http://eff.cls.utk.edu/)

>> >>>>>

>> >>>>> Center for Literacy Studies, University of Tennessee

>> >>>>> EFF Center for Training and Technical Assistance

>> >>>>> Phone:(865) 974-4109 main

>> >>>>>            (865) 974-4258 direct

>> >>>>> Fax:   (865) 974-3857

>> >>>>> e-mail: akohring at utk.edu

>> >>>>>

>> >>>>> ----------------------------------------------------

>> >>>>> National Institute for Literacy

>> >>>>> Adult Education Content Standards mailing list

>> >>>>> ContentStandards at nifl.gov

>> >>>>> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please  

>> go to

>> >>>>> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/contentstandards

>> >>>>>

>> >>>>

>> >>>> ----------------------------------------------------

>> >>>> National Institute for Literacy

>> >>>> Adult Education Content Standards mailing list

>> >>>> ContentStandards at nifl.gov

>> >>>> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please  

>> go to

>> >>>> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/contentstandards

>> >>>

>> >>> Aaron Kohring

>> >>> Coordinator, LINCS Literacy & Learning Disabilities Special  

>> Collection

>> >>> (http://ldlink.coe.utk.edu/)

>> >>> Moderator, National Institute for Literacy's Content Standards

>> >>> Discussion

>> >>> List (http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/Contentstandards)

>> >>> Coordinator, Equipped for the Future Websites

>> >>> (http://eff.cls.utk.edu/)

>> >>>

>> >>> Center for Literacy Studies, University of Tennessee

>> >>> EFF Center for Training and Technical Assistance

>> >>> Phone:(865) 974-4109 main

>> >>>            (865) 974-4258 direct

>> >>> Fax:   (865) 974-3857

>> >>> e-mail: akohring at utk.edu

>> >>>

>> >>> ----------------------------------------------------

>> >>> National Institute for Literacy

>> >>> Adult Education Content Standards mailing list

>> >>> ContentStandards at nifl.gov

>> >>> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

>> >>> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/contentstandards

>> >>>

>> >>

>> >> ----------------------------------------------------

>> >> National Institute for Literacy

>> >> Adult Education Content Standards mailing list

>> >> ContentStandards at nifl.gov

>> >> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

>> >> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/contentstandards

>> >>

>> >

>> > ----------------------------------------------------

>> > National Institute for Literacy

>> > Adult Education Content Standards mailing list

>> > ContentStandards at nifl.gov

>> > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to

>> > http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/contentstandards

>> >

>> ----------------------------------------------------

>> National Institute for Literacy

>> Adult Education Content Standards mailing list

>> ContentStandards at nifl.gov

>> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to  

>> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/contentstandards

> ----------------------------------------------------

> National Institute for Literacy

> Adult Education Content Standards mailing list

> ContentStandards at nifl.gov

> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to  

> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/contentstandards