Paul,
I think when people have been doing somethng for a long time, and having "relative" success - they're students are happy, they "know" more than when they first came to you, there could easily be resistance and the question of "why mess with a good thing".  Over the years I have found that if you explain the "why" of a task or a process to people, even if it's unpleasant, they will go along.  As for standards, the sooner you get the users involved in the process, the better.  And it is also inportant for them to know that the standards" are not written in stone".  I think Arizona proved this to the field when, in 2004, we said we needed to revise our standards.  This was as a result of feedback from the field as well as some other factors, and the revisions are products of the field.

-Miriam

Miriam A. Kroeger
Education Program Specialist
Arizona Department of Education
(602)364-2703
Miriam.kroeger at azed.gov


-----Original Message-----
From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of JURMO at ucc.edu
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2008 9:00 AM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 964] Re: Implementing State Adult EducationContentStandards: Louisiana

Thanks to everyone so far for the informative discussion about the Why's and How's of standards as a tool for reforming adult basic education at the state level.  My guess is that some readers who are new to the notion of "standards" might be wary of being forced to use some standards developed by others.  (Or some might have had a bad experience with "standards.")

Rather than seeing standards as a framework of content and best practices that programs can adapt to the particular learners they serve, some might feel that standards are something rigid and irrelevant or too cumbersome.  Several people in this discussion have mentioned "resistance to change" as a challenge in the development of standards- based systems.  Does anyone want to comment on what the sources of such resistance are and strategies for responding to this resistance?

Paul Jurmo
Union County College
New Jersey

-----Original Message-----
From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of David J. Rosen
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 10:43 PM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 961] Implementing State Adult
EducationContentStandards: Louisiana

Colleagues,

Please continue to post questions for Judy Franks, Pam Blundell and Miriam Kroeger. Don't be shy now : - )

Thursday I would like to welcome Raye Nell Spillman who will report on her experience in implementing adult education content standards in Louisiana. Raye Nell will answer the same questions I asked Pam, Judy and Miriam to address and perhaps, if she wishes, add other information based on the questions we have asked other guests .

For those who have just joined the discussion, and others, you will find the messages already posted in the discussion archives at

http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/specialtopics/2008/date.html


David J. Rosen
Special Topics Discussion Moderator
djrosen at comcast.net






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