High quality instruction in a supportive environment is a support to 
persistence. These should be qualities of every program.

The present definition of success works for some students but not others. I 
see no reason why we couldn't have several different
types of success. However, our programs are funded by agencies that want  a 
credible measure of success.

When NCSALL started ten years ago, many people asked me why didn't we have 
a research project on technology, and I said I couldn't think
of  a research question for technology. Now, I believe that technology 
could help solve this problem by expanding the way we measure success
but also by helping us track episodes of participation either in program or 
through self-study.

I don't think government policy makers are going to support the development 
of these new kinds of success. We need a foundation to
help us develop new approaches that employ technology to open up new ways 
to participate in learning and new ways to measure persistence and
achievement. Once these new approaches have been developed and tested, 
policy makers will accept them.

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>> Begin forwarded message:

>>>>

>>>>

>>>>> From: Bruce Carmel <bcarmel at rocketmail.com>

>>>>> Date: July 10, 2006 12:25:49 PM EDT

>>>>> To: specialtopics at nifl.gov

>>>>> Subject: [SpecialTopics 91]  Persistence Strategies

>>>>> Reply-To: specialtopics at nifl.gov

>>>>>

>>>>> Dear John,

>>>>> I've been working in adult literacy since 1989, and student

>>>>> persistence (and retention) has been a challenge in every setting I

>>>>> have known. Students' dropout or irregular attendance makes

>>>>> educational gain difficult and really frustrates teachers. I

>>>>> learned a lot when you and I worked together on the Wallace Funds

>>>>> project, where we focused on persistence among library literacy

>>>>> students.  There are two main strategies I have found helpful:

>>>>> 1) Offer high-quality instruction in a supportive environment

>>>>> (There are many components of this.)

>>>>> 2) Re-define success. Accept that students are going to attend

>>>>> classes in a way that fits into their lives and satisfies their

>>>>> needs.  This might not fit into staff's concept of intensity and

>>>>> duration of instruction--so staff have to accept a new, irregular,

>>>>> sporadic model of participation.

>>>>>

>>>>> What do you think?  What do you think are the key issues,

>>>>> strategies, suggestions for programs and staff struggling with

>>>>> student persistence?

>>>>>

>>>>> From Bruce Carmel

>>>>> Turning Point

>>>>> Brooklyn, NY

>>>>>

>>>>>

>>>>> Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. Make PC-to-Phone Calls to the US (and

>>>>> 30+ countries) for 2¢/min or less.

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

>>>>> 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

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>> 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

>>

>

> 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