Hi, Jon and others - I think developing sustainability indicators and
then measuring change along various dimensions is an excellent idea. In
the evaluations for AmeriCorps, we looked at the contributions that
literacy providers made to the overall health of a community, since
literacy couldn't very well take credit for all positive changes in a
community. 

In the last few years, we've been working with the California Community
Development Matrix (developed in Minnesota originally, I believe). This
matrix offers a scale continuum along which which community members may
fall. The continuum ranges from "in crisis" to "thriving" with various
points in between (vulnerable, stable). The matrix addresses various
dimensions (health, housing, employment)and contains a matrix with
descriptors for each level. While "education" is included, literacy (or
English language proficiency is not). 

I think scales and rubrics of this sort can be adapted to include
literacy and English proficiency and your example of the social
indicators are a great example of how literacy can be made visible as
one factor that contributes to community health 

Cheers 

Heide

Heide Spruck Wrigley
New Mexico  

-----Original Message-----
From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Jon Engel
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2007 11:20 AM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 414] Re: What would be required to measure
CommunityLiteracy Impact?

Good Afternoon,

Measuring literacy levels across communities is indeed difficult.  I
know of
no other resources other than thee census and NALS/NAAL.  However,
Austin
and Central Texas has a really great project that I wonder if other
communities might have.

It is called the Central Texas Sustainability Indicators Project, and it
releases a data report every other year.  The report has developed
"sustainability indicators" across several domains such as public
safety,
education and children, social equity, civic engagement, economy,
health,
environment, and land use and mobility.  The report utilizes hard data
sources and a locally designed phone survey. 

The 2006 reported that 30% of the population reported that they felt
limited
"a great deal" by their lack of English proficiency in their day to day
activities.  The report stated that the trend was "worsening" and that
the
community needed to "take action".

You should be able to see the report at www.centex-indicators.org

Jon Engel
 

-----Original Message-----
From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov]
On Behalf Of Janet Isserlis
Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2007 8:11 AM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 394] Re: What would be required to measure
Community
Literacy Impact?

David and all,

Interesting question.  Without rehashing the complex arguments and
elements
of the 'validity' of the NALS or NAAL, I'm wondering if folks working
in,
say, health or community development/housing - have formal or informal
measures of the literacy strengths of their constituents.

In other words, does the fact that service providers/community workers
might
proactively utilize plain language (because plain language, like
universal
design, is just good for everyone),  multiple languages (brochures,
posters,
etc) and otherwise might be thinking about literacy and communication
issues
-- does all of this indicate a sense of communities' literacy abilities
AND
a sense of the critical need to be mindful of literacy/communication
across
service provision areas?

I realize this is not gold standard science, but I am curious to see if
there has been any shift in communication by service providers.  As
well,
how does literacy happen all the time away from literacy provision?
(Think
New Literacy Studies - Hamilton, Barton; think  (Arlene) Hannah
Fingeret's
social networks, think community literacy itself.

Community literacy maybe encompasses communities' strengths and
abilities so
that communities themselves have access, options, and (?) degrees of
power?

This, of course, is difficult to measure.

Janet Isserlis


> From: "David J. Rosen" <djrosen at comcast.net>

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

> Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2007 07:48:23 -0400

> To: <specialtopics at nifl.gov>

> Subject: [SpecialTopics 393] What would be required to measure

Community

> Literacy Impact?

> 

> Community Literacy Colleagues,

> 

> Since we are looking at outcomes and impact of community literacy

> today, let's consider what a city would need to measure the impact of

> a major citywide community literacy effort.  One important measure

> might be the literacy level of city residents.  At present, the only

> ways I am aware of to measure that for adults are:

> 

> 1) Census data,  and

> 2) The NALS or NAAL

> 

> The census, however,  measures the years of school completed, not the

> adult literacy level. The NALS, NAAL, and the next national

> assessment, each measure a scientific sample of adults, but so far

> this assessment has not been conducted in cities, only in a handful

> states, and it is costly -- several hundred thousand dollars, I

> believe.  Are there other adult literacy assessments that we should

> be aware of that measure a random sample residents -- not just those

> enrolled in programs? Are there plans for a new -- or modified

> assessment -- a new urban NAAL, for example -- that could meet this

> need?

> 

> David J. Rosen

> Special Topics Discussion Leader

> djrosen at comcast.net

> 

> 

> David J. 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

> Email delivered to janet_isserlis at brown.edu


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-------------------------------
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Email delivered to heide at literacywork.com