This sounds like a good approach. When we were just starting the 
persistence project, we talked with programs about what they did to support 
persistence and we heard lots of good ideas, some of which ended up in our 
report. We need a systematic way to share all this professional wisdom.

>

> Begin forwarded message:

>

>> From: "Lynn Howard" <lmhowardliteracy at hotmail.com>

>> Date: July 10, 2006 1:08:21 PM EDT

>> To: specialtopics at nifl.gov

>> Subject: [SpecialTopics 95] Re: Persistence Discussion questions

>> Reply-To: specialtopics at nifl.gov

>>

>> I am looking forward to this discussion because it is so relevant

>> to our mission...

>>

>> To answer question one:  We have a "Roles and Goals" form that we

>> fill out with our students when they register for services.  We ask

>> them specifically "Why are you here today?  What is your goal?"

>> When they reply to learn to read, write and speak English, we then

>> ask them "Why? What is it you hope to be able to do once you have

>> begun working on these skills?" We then take that information, fill

>> out the form and share that info with the student's  tutor and in

>> our database.  We then ask tutors to let us know quarterly what

>> goals have been met, what new goals have been set and what goals

>> are still in progress.

>>

>> To answer question two:  We let the students know from the

>> beginning that we are aware that life gets in the way of learning

>> sometiimes, and that taking a break to deal with life outside of

>> tutoring is okay...we will contact them again after X amount of

>> time (usually 4 weeks) to see how they are doing and if they are

>> ready to continue.  Our tutors sometimes break at the same time so

>> they can keep their student, and sometimes choose to continue on

>> with a different student.

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>> Lynn M. Howard, CoordinatorWoodland Public Library Literacy

>> Service250 First StreetWoodland, CA  95695530-661-5987530-666-5408

>> FAXWPLLiteracyService at hotmail.com www.ci.woodland.ca.us/library/

>> literacypage.htm

>>

>> From: "Marie Cora" <marie.cora at hotspurpartners.com>

>> Reply-To: specialtopics at nifl.gov

>> To: <specialtopics at nifl.gov>

>> Subject: [SpecialTopics 90] Re: Persistence Discussion questions

>> Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2006 10:02:17 -0400

>> > Dear Colleagues,

>> >

>> > Thanks so much to John Comings for being with us this week to discuss

>> > Persistence. I am very much looking forward to hearing what

>> strategies

>> > folks use out there to try and tackle this issue with their students.

>> >

>> > I actually have two questions for you (and list subscribers): I am

>> > interested in hearing you elaborate a bit on the impact of having the

>> > student set his or her own goals, and how best to help them to do

>> that.

>> > It's quite easy to set a student's goal for her/him - but not so

>> easy to

>> > get a student to determine a goal for her/himself. What are some

>> of the

>> > things that folks do around this issue?

>> >

>> > Second, I heard you speak at a conference last fall in which you

>> noted

>> > that part of what could be helpful in persistence, is to acknowledge

>> > that the student might not persist. In other words, why not explore

>> > with the student the reality that if they do "stop out", this doesn't

>> > have to mean "quit". I found this fascinating and at the same time,

>> > completely logical. This appears to be part of what you intend in

>> your

>> > third area of research based on what I've read.

>> >

>> > Thank you again for your time this week and for the discussion.

>> >

>> > Marie Cora

>> > NIFL Assessment Discussion List Moderator

>> > marie.cora at hotspurpartners.com

>> >

>> >

>> > -----Original Message-----

>> > From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov

>> > [mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of David Rosen

>> > Sent: Monday, July 10, 2006 7:37 AM

>> > To: specialtopics at nifl.gov

>> > Subject: [SpecialTopics 89] Re: Persistence Discussion

>> >

>> > Dear Colleagues,

>> >

>> > Today we begin a discussion about the studies which Dr. John Comings

>> > and others at the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and

>> > Literacy have done on persistence. The discussion will continue

>> > through Tuesday next week, July 18th.

>> >

>> > Please post your questions and comments to John beginning now.

>> >

>> > In John's message below he describes two publications which may be of

>> > interest. Each has a short executive summary. There is also a 30-

>> > minute video panel discussion about the study, with John and two

>> > practitioners, streamed at:

>> >

>> > http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/webcasts/persistence/persistence_cast.html

>> >

>> > You may need to cut and paste the whole web address in your browser,

>> > or you could try this shorter version:

>> >

>> > http://tinyurl.com/s6tcu

>> >

>> > Macintosh users will need to select the Quicktime format for viewing

>> > the presentation, and there are still some bugs to be worked out of

>> > the Mac streamed version.

>> >

>> > David J. Rosen

>> > Special Topics Discussion List Moderator

>> > djrosen at comcast.net

>> >

>> > On Jul 5, 2006, at 4:33 PM, David Rosen wrote:

>> >

>> > > Special Topics List Discussion Colleagues,

>> > >

>> > > John Comings, Director of the National Center for the Study of

>> Adult

>> > > Learning and Literacy, will join us on July 10th to discuss the

>> > > persistence study he has done. John has written an introduction,

>> > > below, and included links to reports of the first two phases of

>> the

>> > > study. I hope you can read these before July 10th. You are welcome

>> > > to submit questions, ideas and comments for John beginning now,

>> but

>> > > these will not be posted until July 10th.

>> > >

>> > > i am looking forward to your joining in on this important

>> discussion.

>> > >

>> > > David J. Rosen

>> > > Special Topics Discussion List Moderator

>> > > djrosen at comcast.net

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

>> > >

>> > > When a group of us at World Education were preparing to write the

>> > > proposal for the funds that have supported NCSALL, we surveyed

>> > > practitioners and policy makers around the country to help us

>> design

>> > > our research agenda. Almost 500 people participated in the

>> survey. We

>> > > asked the survey participants to send us the questions that they

>> > > wanted answered to help them improve practice in ABE, ESOL, and

>> GED

>> > > programs. One question was at the top of the list for teachers and

>> > > second on everyone else's list. One teacher phrased it this way,

>> > > "Just when they begin to make progress, many students leave the

>> > > program. How can I keep those students long enough that they can

>> > > meet their educational goals?"

>> > >

>> > > That question formed the basis of a three-phase study of

>> persistence.

>> > > The first two phases are complete. The first phase surveyed the

>> > > literature, interviewed 150 students in the six New England

>> states,

>> > > and identified ways that programs were trying to support the

>> > > persistence of their students. The report of that first phase

>> can be

>> > > found at:

>> > >

>> > > <http://www.ncsall.net/fileadmin/resources/research/report12.pdf>

>> > >

>> > > In the second phase, 9 library literacy programs were provided

>> with

>> > > funds to implement interventions that might help improve

>> persistence,

>> > > and our study team observed the programs and interviewed their

>> staff

>> > > and students. We also followed a cohort of 180 students for 14

>> > > months. The report of that second phase can be found at:

>> > >

>> > > <http://www.mdrc.org/publications/401/overview.html>

>> > >

>> > > We are prepared to implement the third phase, but NCSALL no longer

>> > > has funding to begin a new research project. This next phase would

>> > > test three interventions. One would add persistence supports to

>> > > existing classroom programs, one would use a wide range of

>> modes of

>> > > learning (in programs and through self study on-line and in other

>> > > ways) that more closely match the way adults manage their

>> learning,

>> > > and the third would combine these two approaches. I believe the

>> third

>> > > approach is a promising way to solve the persistence problem,

>> as well

>> > > as it can be solved.

>> > >

>> > > I'm looking forward to your questions, but I would also be

>> interested

>> > > in practical ideas of how to build support to persistence and

>> how to

>> > > expand opportunities for learning.

>> > >

>> > > John Comings, NCSALL Director

>> > > National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy

>> > > Harvard Graduate School of Education

>> > > 7 Appian Way

>> > > Cambridge MA 02138

>> > > (617) 496-0516, voice

>> > > (617) 495-4811, fax

>> > > (617) 335-9839, mobile

>> > > john_comings at harvard.edu

>> > > http://ncsall.gse.harvard.edu

>> > >

>> > >

>> > >

>> > >

>> > >

>> > >

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

>> > > National Institute for Literacy

>> > > Special Topics mailing list

>> > > SpecialTopics at nifl.gov

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

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

>> >

>> > David Rosen

>> > djrosen at comcast.net

>> >

>> >

>> >

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

>> > National Institute for Literacy

>> > Special Topics mailing list

>> > SpecialTopics at nifl.gov

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

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

>> >

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

>> > National Institute for Literacy

>> > Special Topics mailing list

>> > SpecialTopics at nifl.gov

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

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

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

>> National Institute for Literacy

>> Special Topics mailing list

>> SpecialTopics at nifl.gov

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

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

>

> David Rosen

> djrosen at comcast.net

>

>

>




John Comings, Director
National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy
Harvard Graduate School of Education
7 Appian Way
Cambridge MA 02138
(617) 496-0516, voice
(617) 495-4811, fax
(617) 335-9839, mobile
john_comings at harvard.edu
http://ncsall.gse.harvard.edu