Hello All,

 

I'll weigh in here.  This is a huge issue for our agency.  We have
operated with waiting list for several years now so the pressure to move
students through in order to serve the students who are waiting is
great.  However we are keenly aware of the requirements of both the
workforce and the postsecondary schools that are "next steps" for ours
students. Just passing the GED is not enough in both instances.

 

One thing that we have become very strict about is attendance and
personal responsibility.  We require 100% for the first month and
nothing less than 80%.  We talk with the students about the fact that
the "soft skills" are often as important as the academic proficiencies,
particularly in the workforce.  With funding tied to performance and
outcomes student commitment is critical. Many of our students fall into
the 16-21 age group and were unsuccessful in school due to that lack of
commitment.  Our "tough love" approach results in many being exited.
When they come back onto the wait list, and they usually do, their level
of commitment is much better when they get back into class.

 

Karen Limkemann

Ft. Wayne, IN

 

 

________________________________

From: contentstandards-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:contentstandards-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Kohring, Aaron M
Sent: Friday, September 01, 2006 10:01 AM
To: The Adult Education Content Standards Discussion List
Subject: [ContentStandards 246] Re: Teaching beyond the GED?

 

Donna,

 

You raise some interesting points about the GED and whether the focus of
instruction and assessment should go beyond preparation for the GED.  It
sounds like you believe that metacognitive skills -
reasoning/thinking/analyzing skills- are also very important.  I know
there is some level of tension in the field when you have learners
and/or programs stressing achievement of the GED in as short a time as
possible as the ultimate goal vs. "preparing the adult learner for
today's economy" as you have suggested.  What do others think about
this?  What is our role as instructors?

 

Aaron

 

 

________________________________

From: contentstandards-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:contentstandards-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Donna Chambers
Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 8:53 AM
To: 'The Adult Education Content Standards Discussion List'
Subject: [ContentStandards 239] Re: Questions
onCASASBasicSkillsContentStandards Project

Ajit,

 

Thanks for your very thoughtful response.  You and Jane both clarified
your comment. I see that states who are dealing with adult high school
completion programs should also look at the content standards that must
be measured for K12 requirements for the individual state. These may be
in addition to CASAS standards.

 

As you mentioned, the GED as an goal/outcome for many learners can be
achieved without the learner having mastered skills that are measured by
the Level D CASAS assessment.  This poses a concern when the individual
learner's need is to become more gainfully employed and go to college or
any other  postsecondary training.  Must we then prepare the individual
to go beyond the GED?  This may mean that the focus of instruction and
assessment  be on reasoning/thinking/analyzing skills so that  the
learner understands concepts such as in math, not just manipulating
formulas. 

 

The quandary arises from the definition of "basic skills".  My work in
adult education has always lead me to focus on what adults need to know
and be able to do to survive.  What math, reading and writing skills
must a learner need to adequately function as a parent, citizen and
worker?  However, my recent work has required that I look closer at what
adults need to know and be able to do and this closer look changes the
picture somewhat.  The list of skills I would have come up with five
years ago, today becomes the very basic skills.  What adults need to
know today goes beyond these basics.  When the question  becomes "What
does an adult need to know in order to pass a test that the employer
requires or the Accuplacer Test in order to move into credit bearing
college classes, etc?" the list changes.  Why does an adult GED student
need to know how to demonstrate the symbolic manipulation of polynomial
expressions or analyze properties of three dimensional geometric shapes
when they can pass the GED without knowing this?  The answer is simple,
even if we know that all students are not going to college. Because
developing these concepts helps a student develop necessary
reasoning/thinking skills and positions the student to advance in
his/her education if they so choose.  Looking at and working toward this
big picture better prepares students for success as they exit our
programs.

 

My work in RI and Massachusetts has caused me to look  closely at
current K12 standards and align these standards with ABE/ASE instruction
since both states require competency determination in the K12 standards
to earn a high school diploma.  Rather than focusing on the lower levels
to move forward,  we as instructors are looking at the whole picture.
What understanding of number sense must the student have from the
beginning level that will prepare that student to understand the number
sense concepts at the higher level?   We are looking across all levels
in introducing content standards that begin to develop good thinking
skills  and  integrating all the content areas.  This does not
necessarily change the content standards, but does require that we look
at the instruction differently.  How can we integrate the instruction to
assure that concepts are learned in a way that can be applied to any
life and/or academic situation. If we see our job as preparing the adult
learner for today's economy, we must consider all students at every
level capable of developing the thinking skills necessary to meet
whatever goal they want to achieve.  

 

Thanks, 

Donna Chambers

 

 

----- Original Message ----- 

	From: Ajit Gopalakrishnan <mailto:agopalakrishnan at yahoo.com>  

	To: 'The Adult Education Content Standards Discussion List'
<mailto:contentstandards at nifl.gov>  

	Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2006 11:09 PM

	Subject: [ContentStandards 228] Re: Questions on
CASASBasicSkillsContentStandards Project

	 

	Hi Donna,

	 

	It is nice to hear from you. I can see how my email would have
led to your question. I accidentally hit the send button before I had
fully finished composing my email!

	 

	I said:

	 

	>>I would imagine that many states will adopt them while others
may need to reference 9-12 high school standards especially for their
adult high school diploma programs.

	 

	I would have added "also" after "may" in the above sentence. I
meant to say that reference to 9-12 high school standards may also be
necessary in addition to the basic skill content standards.

	 

	The basic skills of reading, writing, math, listening, and
speaking are the focus of most adult education efforts. In addition to
helping learners improve their basic skills, the adult credit diploma
programs also help learners to earn high school credits toward
graduation. The curricula in these programs tend to mirror that of the
regular high school. Therefore, in addition to the basic skill content
standards, adult credit diploma programs may be expected to have
additional content standards in areas like science, social studies, arts
(visual/performing), world languages, etc.

	 

	I hope this clarifies my comment. The content standards that
CASAS is developing most definitely address the expectations for
secondary levels functioning with respect to the basic skills. CASAS
assessments also measure student abilities well into the adult secondary
levels. The High Adult Secondary NRS level for reading and math begins
at 246 on the CASAS scale. Level D CASAS assessments measure student
performance into the high 250s (may be even a little higher). As an
aside, the GED test which is a goal/outcome for many learners is
attainable to those functioning at lower NRS levels i.e. the ABE High
Intermediate and the Low Adult Secondary levels. Many of these learners
squeak through the GED with minimal pass scores but then face challenges
with postsecondary entrance/success. I would anticipate that students
with higher abilities (i.e. the High Adult Secondary level - CASAS scale
246 and higher) are even better prepared to enter/succeed in
postsecondary situations.

	 

	You raise a whole other topic with high school exit testing. It
raises questions about:

	(i)                 which of the standards are measured on these
exit tests (i.e. just basic skills or also science, social studies,
etc.);

	(ii)               how they are measured (e.g. selected response
versus constructed response; problem solving-applied performance focus
versus non-contextual/abstract academic subcomponent focus); and 

	(iii)             the level of mastery that is expected (10th,
11th, or 12th or even 9th grade standards).

	 

	 Ajit

	Ajit Gopalakrishnan 

	 

	 

	
________________________________


	From: contentstandards-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:contentstandards-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Donna Chambers
	Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2006 8:32 AM
	To: The Adult Education Content Standards Discussion List
	Subject: [ContentStandards 218] Re: Questions on CASAS
BasicSkillsContentStandards Project

	 

	Ajit wrote that states may need to reference 9-12 high school
standards for their adult high school diploma programs.  Does this mean
that CASAS does not align with common 9-12 standards at the low and high
ASE levels?  Is the intention to do so, especially with the math
standards?  This is an important concern for states that are dealing
with high stakes testing for competency determination in issuing
diplomas.  Thanks.  

	 

	Donna Chambers

	 

	----- Original Message ----- 

		From: Ajit Gopalakrishnan
<mailto:agopalakrishnan at yahoo.com>  

		To: 'The Adult Education Content Standards Discussion
List' <mailto:contentstandards at nifl.gov>  

		Sent: Monday, August 28, 2006 8:09 PM

		Subject: [ContentStandards 217] Re: Questions on CASAS
Basic SkillsContentStandards Project

		 

		Aaron asked: 

		>>> Are the Consortium partners planning to adopt a
common set of 
		content standards?  

		Here are some thoughts from a state perspective. 

		Connecticut is a member of the CASAS National Consortium
and the CASAS Policy Council. Several CASAS states have a strong history
of working together on various aspects of the assessment development
process (e.g. competency validation, item writing, field-testing,
assessment research) as well as adopting common standards (e.g. the
CASAS competency list, assessment series, training expectations, and
local/state assessment policies).

		It was the National Consortium of States that requested
CASAS to coordinate the effort to develop these basic skill content
standards. in order to better support teachers to integrate competencies
and content standards into their instruction. 

		For over a year now, the reading and listening content
standards developed as part of this project have been disseminated to
practitioners in Connecticut with the goal of enhancing the teaching and
learning process. 

		I would imagine that many states will adopt them while
others may need to reference 9-12 high school standards especially for
their adult high school diploma programs.

		 

		CASAS is first a consortium of states 

		We hope to adopt the standards that are being developed
here. 

		 

		-----Original Message----- 
		From: contentstandards-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:contentstandards-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Kohring, Aaron M

		Sent: Monday, August 28, 2006 2:00 PM 
		To: contentstandards at nifl.gov 
		Subject: [ContentStandards 212] Questions on CASAS Basic
Skills ContentStandards Project 

		We have over 50 new subscribers to the list- so welcome
to you all. 
		Hopefully to get us started as I know it's not fun to be
the first 
		poster! - I have some of my own questions for the CASAS
team with us for 
		this week's discussion. 

		In addition to the content standards for CA, NY, MA, AZ,
MD, and FL that 
		you mention reviewing as part of this project, can you
tell us what 
		other state and National adult education content
standards were 
		reviewed?  Are the Consortium partners planning to adopt
a common set of 
		content standards?  Based on the outcomes of this
project, will the 
		CASAS assessments need to be updated or modified? 

		Thks, 
		Aaron 

		 

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

		-- 
		No virus found in this incoming message. 
		Checked by AVG Free Edition. 
		Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.6/428 -
Release Date: 8/25/2006 
		  
		
		--
		No virus found in this outgoing message.
		Checked by AVG Free Edition.
		Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.6/428 -
Release Date: 8/25/2006
		  

		
________________________________


		Do you Yahoo!?
		Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail.
<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=42297/*http:/advision.webevents.yahoo.com/ma
ilbeta>  

		
________________________________


		----------------------------------------------------
		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

	 

	--
	No virus found in this incoming message.
	Checked by AVG Free Edition.
	Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.6/430 - Release Date:
8/28/2006

	 

	--
	No virus found in this outgoing message.
	Checked by AVG Free Edition.
	Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.6/430 - Release Date:
8/28/2006

	
________________________________


	All-new Yahoo! Mail
<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=43256/*http:/advision.webevents.yahoo.com/ma
ilbeta> - Fire up a more powerful email and get things done faster. 

	
________________________________


	----------------------------------------------------
	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

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/contentstandards/attachments/20060901/b0e68e71/attachment.html