Well said, Barbara.  

Building community in the classroom is very important and the ideas you list support this development.  I also call students immediately when they miss class without letting me know or I ask a classmate to do so.  Sometimes having a conversation about the barriers helps to manage them.  For example, a student may say he missed class because he had to go to work early or he had a doctor's appointment.  By asking if the boss is aware of the student class schedule, I may discover that the student never mentioned that fact.  We can practice a potential conversation to, at least, reveal the fact.  By sharing that I ask that my appointments be made at a different time, I can help the student see that he or she is in fact a "customer".  Recently, a young pregnant woman started to miss class every Thursday to go to the doctor.  After our talk, she told me she could not change the day but she was able to change the time.  It allowed her to come for most of the class.  (I also tell them it does not always work.)  Our students do not have a lot of "flex" time, I am very much aware of that.  

Nicole B. Graves
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Barbara Wookey 
  To: specialtopics at nifl.gov 
  Sent: Monday, July 10, 2006 1:33 PM
  Subject: [SpecialTopics 99] Re: Persistence Strategies


  I agree with the accountability and importance of number of hours a student attends being a major focus of adult basic education programs.  It's a necessary component for funding.  

  However, there are ways to keep students coming back by making them feel that they are an essential part of the class, that they will be missed by the group when they are not there. I find that by doing a lot of group work and encouraging them to work together helps them get to know each other.  I teach in an ESL adult class and I stress that they are all in the same boat.   I also think providing a course outline at the beginning of the school year, having continuity in lessons, putting the lesson plan on the board, etc. helps students see a pattern and a structure. We are also becoming more "academic" because this is what the students want.  

  We are constantly looking for more ideas to attract and keep students, knowing that their lives do interfere with their attendance.  This year Ohio has started an adult ESL distance learning class and we are one of the pilot programs.  This becomes another option for students.

  I'm glad to be a part of this discussion.
  Barbara Wookey
  wookey.4 at osu.edu


    To: specialtopics at nifl.gov 
    Sent: Monday, July 10, 2006 12:42 PM
    Subject: [SpecialTopics 92] Re: Persistence Strategies


    Hello Bruce,

    Thank you for sharing the two strategies that you have found helpful when dealing with persistence. A comment I have about the second strategy relates to funding and accountability. We as teachers and administrators understand our learners' barriers to participate. However, accountability has become a major barrier for some programs in recent years. The performance-based approach and funding measured by contact hours can have a major impact in our programs. 

    Renata
      -----Original Message-----
      From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov]On Behalf Of Bruce Carmel
      Sent: Monday, July 10, 2006 11:26 AM
      To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
      Subject: [SpecialTopics 91] Persistence Strategies


      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 



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