>from Marie Cora, the Moderator of the Assessment Discussion List...


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>Dear List Members:

>

>Please join the NIFL-Assessment Discussion List for a conversation on

>

>Measuring Literacy:  Performance Levels for Adults, Interim Report

>(2005)

>

>Date:  June 20 - 24

>

>Principle Guests:   Judy Koenig and Stuart Elliot, Project Directors

>

>The Full Committee will also be joining us as observers; their comments

>and insights are welcomed.

>

>Full Committee Members:

>

>Chris Edley, University of California at Berkeley, School of Law

>Bob Hauser, University of Wisconsin at Madison

>Judy Alamprese, ABT Associates, USA

>Michael Delli Carpini, University of Pennsylvania

>Vivian Gadsden, University of Pennsylvania

>Andy Hartman, Classroom Teacher, formerly with Bell Policy Center

>Glynda Hull, University of California at Berkeley

>Rebecca Maynard, University of Pennsylvania

>Lorraine McDonnell, National Academy of Sciences, Washington DC

>Larry Mikulecky, Indiana University

>Bob Mislevy, University of Maryland

>Norm Peterson, SPR Center, Minneapolis

>John Poggio, University of Kansas

>Rima Rudd, Harvard University

>Mary Jane Schmitt, TERC, Cambridge, MA

>Heide Wrigley, Aguirre International, CA and Washington DC

>Dave Thissen, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

>

>Suggested preparations for this discussion:

>

>This Interim Report can be read on-line at:

>http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11267.html

>

>Our discussion guests are interested in sharing their thoughts on the

>Interim Report, providing clarification to the field on information

>contained in the Report, and entertaining your questions and comments,

>particularly in the following areas:

>

>*       Questions concerning the lowest and the highest categories of

>the literacy levels; specifically, questions concerning the difference

>between the Non-Literacy in English and Below Basic categories, and

>comparing the percentages of folks falling within these categories

>between the 1992 survey and the 2003 survey;

>

>*       An explanation of the Bookmark Standard-Setting Procedure that

>was utilized in the study;

>

>*       An explanation of the Quasi Contrasting Groups Procedure, that

>was utilized to adjust the cut scores;

>

>*       Why the Committee chose not to determine a level of performance

>as "necessary" or "sufficient" for effectively functioning in life; as

>an example of this, note that the terms used to label the levels are

>purely descriptive, rather than indicating a particular judgment about

>that level;

>

>*       An explanation of how the Committee's process differed from the

>original process for determining the levels and cut scores for the 1992

>results;

>

>*       The recommendations that the Committee puts forth based on its

>research.

>

>Please note that the Final Report is due out in the Fall of this year;

>the differences between the Interim and Final Reports will be

>

>*       the application of the performance levels and cut scores to the

>2003 data, and

>*       the reporting of the percentages of adults in each level based

>on the 2003 results.

>

>Please join us!

>

>marie cora

>Moderator, NIFL Assessment Discussion List, and

>Coordinator/Developer LINCS Assessment Special Collection at

>http://literacy.kent.edu/Midwest/assessment/

>

>

>

>marie.cora at hotspurpartners.com

>

>

>