Ronna and All,

I am weighing in.  I have been doing a lot of work with content standards 
over the past few years, specifically, with adult standards and how they 
align with k12 standards.  I believe that there is a commonality with most 
of what I have seen.  In other words being able to read (and all that this 
involves)  is being able to read, no matter which state is proposing the 
reading standards.  That said, there is some disconnect between the states' 
k12 standards (including the national standards) and the adult standards 
that have been written in terms of content and level.  For example in ELA, 
k12 expects students to be able to read within the context of literature; 
while adult standards focus on contextual readings for workplace; life 
documents, etc.  I believe that this is the way it should be, however, it 
does pose  a problem when the adults we are working with need to know 
figurative language and the elements of literature in order to move forward 
to post-secondary  testing and all its requirements. We want our learners to 
have the basic skills compete in today's world. and what basic skills are 
needed has changed.  The times are changing and our ABE must keep up in 
order to best serve our learners.  What an adult needs to know today goes 
far beyond what they needed to know ten years ago. I believe what they need 
to know should be dealt with in our ABE programs so that they are better 
prepared for college if that is where they are headed.  This thought crosses 
over to the previous discussion of teaching beyond the GED.

As many of you know, aligning k12 with adult content standards is difficult 
when we look at low and high ASE Math levels. What k12 requires for discreet 
math concepts go far beyond what we require of the adults.  Although Algebra 
and Geometry appear on the GED test and the External Diploma Program 
Assessment; these topics are not assessed anywhere near to the level that 
the k12 system content standards.  Most adult programs that I am familiar 
with concentrate on the minimal basic skills of math  to get by.  This 
works; except when the adult needs to go beyond the high school level.  How 
do we prepare the adult for this?

I am currently working with Massachusetts to develop a competency based 
system to assess the k12 Grade 10 standards  using adult contextual 
materials and application to meet high stakes testing competency 
determination to be able to receive a traditional high school diploma.  It 
is not easy, but we are moving forward.  In order for this work to succeed, 
however, the classroom instructors must be ready to instruct to these 
standards at the  ASE level.  The Massachusetts ABE Curriculum Frameworks 
does align with much of these standards. By doing this  we are preparing our 
students, not just to get their GED, but to be ready to move forward in 
whatever postsecondary goal that they wish to achieve.

I am THRILLED that OVAE is looking at and will fund ways for us to translate 
standards into classroom instruction and curriculum.  How do we make the 
necessary changes?   How do we assess the implementation of standards to 
guide instructional improvement and program practice?  This is SO necessary. 
To me this is "where the rubber meets the road".   Ronna, thanks for being 
on top of this and I look forward to OVAE's official word on this next 
month.

Donna Chambers


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Spacone, Ronna" <Ronna.Spacone at ed.gov>
To: "The Adult Education Content Standards Discussion List" 
<contentstandards at nifl.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, September 26, 2006 6:37 PM
Subject: [ContentStandards 286] Re: Support for State Implementation 
ofStandards-Based Education



> Hi Aaron,

>

> As I said in my introductory message, OVAE's new project, Support for 

> State

> Implementation of Standards-Based Education, will focus on the

> implementation of standards: how to translate standards into classroom

> instruction and curriculum and how to assess the implementation of 

> standards

> to guide instructional improvement and program practice. Unfortunately,

> there is little more I can say about the project until it's official

> beginning next month. Then more information will be made available

> describing how the three-year project is expected to unfold and how states

> might benefit from particpating in the pilot activities.  All state

> directors will receive detailed information about the project at the

> National COnfeence of  State Directors of Adult Education, November 14-17,

> 2006. I expect information will also be shared via the various discussion

> lists.

>

> Ronna

>

> Ronna Spacone

> Education Program Specialist

> Office of Vocational and Adult Education

> U.S. Department of Education

> Ronna.spacone at ed.gov

> (202) 245-7755

>

>

>

>

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