I want to preface my remarks that I am in complete agreement with the
desired end of a year of post-secondary education for adult literacy
students. The research is clear and there is no doubt of the economic
benefits of postsecondary education over merely attaining a GED. 

I wonder about the willingness of our nation to provide adequate
resources for an enhanced program when there has never been any sign of
willingness to fund beyond the bare minimum in the past? Is it really
necessary to toss aside an infrastructure and programming that has been
in place and accomplished quite a bit in spite of lack-luster funding
and support? And, given the lack of resources in the past, I am leery
that these proposed "improvements" will provide the necessary funding
and supports to be a real improvement over the current programming. 

I feel very strongly that we need to be cautious and recognize that for
many adult learners merely attaining the GED is nearly an impossible
dream. To establish a higher "standard" as a professional objective is
one thing... to raise the bar when there are so many for which the
current bar seems unattainable seems inhumane.

I strongly advocate for postsecondary education with all of our learners
- the reality is that for too many there are significant barriers
(daycare, transportation, housing, etc.) to pursuing postsecondary
education in the short-term. Yet, many come back to us 2-5 years later
(when the kids are in school?) to inquire and enroll in postsecondary
education - of course there is no recognition of this accomplishment by
NRS since it happens more than 6 months after the program year. 

Jim Schneider
Davenport, IA

-----Original Message-----
From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of
specialtopics-request at nifl.gov
Sent: Friday, June 20, 2008 7:35 AM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: SpecialTopics Digest, Vol 23, Issue 33

Send SpecialTopics mailing list submissions to
	specialtopics at nifl.gov

To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
	http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/specialtopics
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
	specialtopics-request at nifl.gov

You can reach the person managing the list at
	specialtopics-owner at nifl.gov

When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
than "Re: Contents of SpecialTopics digest..."


Today's Topics:

   1. [SpecialTopics 1034] Last day of state content standards
      discussion: please weigh in! (David J. Rosen)
   2. [SpecialTopics 1035] A different state standards issue: the
      end	point of the state adult literacy system (David J.
Rosen)
   3. [SpecialTopics 1036]  Discussion on Professional Wisdom
      (David J. Rosen)
   4. [SpecialTopics 1037]  Regarding CASAS Posting... (Schneider, Jim)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 07:19:27 -0400
From: "David J. Rosen" <djrosen at comcast.net>
Subject: [SpecialTopics 1034] Last day of state content standards
	discussion: please weigh in!
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Message-ID: <2C48A935-609E-48C2-A25B-B38846424E26 at comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Colleagues,

This is our last day of a very rich, two-week discussion on  
implementation of state content standards. If you haven't weighed in  
yet and believe that something else needs to be said, or that an  
important question hasn't been answered, today's the day to add to  
the discussion.

Here's today's question:

What have you learned from this discussion that will be useful in  
your state?

That's it, only one question from me today. I hope some of you who  
are beginning the process of implementation of content standards and  
who joined the discussion today to learn from the (extensive)  
experience of our guests and other subscribers will use this as an  
opportunity to reflect, and to share with us what has been especially  
valuable.

For those who subscribed late, the discussion archives will be found 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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Message: 2
Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:05:44 -0400
From: "David J. Rosen" <djrosen at comcast.net>
Subject: [SpecialTopics 1035] A different state standards issue: the
	end	point of the state adult literacy system
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Message-ID: <CFF3C2C0-7B01-41BB-9ACF-A1CE0B1DE31C at comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Colleagues,

In our discussion about state content standards, one of the issues  
that has emerged implicitly is what the state standard should be for  
the end point of adult literacy education. Should it be the passing  
the GED? Successful transition to higher education? Success in at  
least a year of post-secondary education? In the past, the answer was  
clear: passing the GED.  Now, in many states there is a push toward  
successful transition to higher education, and/or post-secondary job  
training and/or apprenticeship. One state professional association,  
the New Jersey State Association for Lifelong Learning (NJALL) now  
calls for one year of post secondary education and a certificate as  
the new standard. (See the conclusion and recommendations in this  
policy paper below.)

Of course, many students want a GED, and only a GED. They want the  
pride of having earned the credential, or they need it to keep their  
present job. But the earnings research done by John Tyler and others  
( A National Institute for Literacy-sponsored video panel discussion  
on this with Dr. Tyler will be found at http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/ 
webcasts/ged/webcast_ged.html ) shows that if the student's goal is  
to affect his/her earnings through increased education, then more is  
needed, that passing the GED plus at least a year of college and a  
certificate or degree are required.  Has your state been discussing  
this issue? What are the considerations? Has your state made a  
decision on the end point? If so, what?

I did say in my earlier message that I would post only one question  
today, but then I saw the recommendations in the policy paper from  
the NJALL, and I thought it was so interesting and pertinent that I  
couldn't help but raise this in the context of our discussion of  
state content standards, especially as for some states an important  
goal may be to align adult literacy education with successful  
preparation for college.

Your thoughts?

 From the NJALL policy paper:

Conclusion
Considering the available data, the conclusion is inescapable.  If  
adult literacy educators
want to do more than educate our students to become members of the  
working poor, we
must rethink our mission.  Completion of adult literacy must become  
the half-way point
in a trajectory that leads to transition to and success in post  
secondary education. This
will require new partnerships between adult literacy programs and  
post secondary
institutions at both the state policy level and the local operational  
level. If we accept
anything less, are we meeting our professional responsibility?

Recommendations

1. Establish a high-level taskforce between the SETC, the Commission  
on Higher
Education and other stakeholders to study the transitions issue and  
recommend a
state policy response.

2. Accept one year of post secondary education and a certificate as  
the new standard
for completion of adult literacy education and insure that resources  
are adequate
to meet this standard.

The full NJALL policy paper will be found at http://www.njall.org/ 
index.php


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



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Message: 3
Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:07:36 -0400
From: David J. Rosen <djrosen at comcast.net>
Subject: [SpecialTopics 1036]  Discussion on Professional Wisdom
To: The Assessment Discussion List <assessment at nifl.gov>,
	diversity at nifl.gov,	The Adult English Language Learners
Discussion
	List	<englishlanguage at nifl.gov>, 	The Family Literacy
Discussion List
	<familyliteracy at nifl.gov>,	The Health and Literacy
Discussion List
	<healthliteracy at nifl.gov>,	The Learning Disabilities
Discussion List
	<learningdisabilities at nifl.gov>, 	The Adult Literacy
Professional
	Development Discussion List
<professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>,
	specialtopics at nifl.gov,	The Workplace Literacy Discussion List
	<workplace at nifl.gov>
Message-ID: <5E460B91-A34C-4B4F-A3ED-31BF723F9CF9 at comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Colleagues,

We would like to invite you to join us in a discussion about  
professional wisdom that we will be holding on the AAACE-NLA   
discussion list from June 23rd to June 27th.

In November last year,  we (John Comings and David J. Rosen) had a  
series of email exchanges because we believe it is important for our  
field to come to agreement on how professional wisdom might be used  
as part of evidence-based practice. We discussed how our field might  
build a model for achieving a body of professional wisdom that  
teachers and administrators might use to improve basic skills  
teaching, learning and programs for adults.

On June 23rd and June 24th we will post that discussion on the AAACE- 
NLA discussion list in two parts. From June 25th-June 27th we will  
welcome your questions and comments.

Please pass this invitation on to your colleagues who might like to  
join us, too.  To subscribe to the AAACE-NLA Discussion List, go to:

http://lists.literacytent.org/mailman/listinfo/aaace-nla

Once there, scroll down the page and follow the subscription directions.

John Comings

David J. Rosen





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Message: 4
Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 07:31:13 -0500
From: "Schneider, Jim" <jschneider at eicc.edu>
Subject: [SpecialTopics 1037]  Regarding CASAS Posting...
To: <specialtopics at nifl.gov>
Message-ID:
	<208D21E3AC92D449A31336961A46FB870BF867CE at eiccd-exch1.eiccd.net>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"

As was mentioned in another message the CASAS post-test must be
administered to register any learning gain for NRS reporting. 

There is a movement to recognize the official practice tests and GED
test scores as an acceptable pre & post-test measure for the NRS which
would make INFINITELY more sense for those individuals who are focused
on attaining the GED and prevent the current over-assessment nonsense
that must be undertaken for programs to document the progress and
accountability of their efforts. 

Jim Schneider
Davenport, IA 

-----Original Message-----
From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of
specialtopics-request at nifl.gov
Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2008 5:14 PM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: SpecialTopics Digest, Vol 23, Issue 28

Send SpecialTopics mailing list submissions to
	specialtopics at nifl.gov

To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
	http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/specialtopics
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
	specialtopics-request at nifl.gov

You can reach the person managing the list at
	specialtopics-owner at nifl.gov

When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
than "Re: Contents of SpecialTopics digest..."


Today's Topics:

   1. [SpecialTopics 1021] Re: Content Standards: More questions,
      more answers, more discussion-TM (Rinderknecht, Gail A.)
   2. [SpecialTopics 1022] Standards - Response to Questions by
      Allan	French (Anderson, Philip)
   3. [SpecialTopics 1023] Re: Content Standards: More questions,
      more answers, more discussion-TM (Rantapaa Linnell L)
   4. [SpecialTopics 1024] Re: Content Standards: More questions,
      more answers, more discussion (Rinderknecht, Gail A.)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:40:44 -0500
From: "Rinderknecht, Gail A." <garinderknecht at dmacc.edu>
Subject: [SpecialTopics 1021] Re: Content Standards: More questions,
	more answers, more discussion-TM
To: <specialtopics at nifl.gov>
Message-ID:
	
<F942B8D193CE904C99D572746AB987E72B80A3 at ANVEX01.campus.dmacc.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

We are in the process of doing just that.  Evidently "they" do not think
it is irrelevant.  They want it for statistical purposes to show growth
when the GED is completed.


-----Original Message-----
From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Nancy Markus
Sent: Thu 6/19/2008 11:20 AM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 1019] Re: Content Standards: More questions,more
answers, more discussion-TM
 
Why not contact your state leadership and ask why the CASAS is required?
If
it really is irrelevant then advocate for change.

Nancy


On 6/19/08, Rinderknecht, Gail A. <garinderknecht at dmacc.edu> wrote:

>

> We use TABE to determine the 6.0 grade level for the Dept. of

> Corrections.  It's quick, easy and non-threatening.

>

> The CASAS is required by the State Department of Education.  No one

seems

> to know the rationale for requiring the students to take the CASAS

after

> completing their GED.  It's one of those mandated things that happens

when

> the State is instituting "Standards".  None of the GED teachers that I

know

> of like the idea, but at the same time we are required to re-CASAS.  I

> suppose it is supposed to show growth in the reading and math, but as

I said

> before, most of the men do not see a reason to try very hard on this

test

> and just view it as another hoop that they are required to jump

through.

>

> Gail Rinderknecht

> garinderknecht at dmacc.edu

>

>

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

> From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Kelsee Miller

> Sent: Thu 6/19/2008 9:41 AM

> To: specialtopics at nifl.gov

> Subject: [SpecialTopics 1013]   Re: Content Standards: More

questions,more

> answers, more discussion-TM

>

> Question for Gail: Why does your state use both the TABE and CASAS?

What is

> the rationale for testing CASAS again after the GED?

>

> I have found this discussion very insightful!

> Thank you,

> Kelsee

>

>

>

> Kelsee Miller

> Casper College

> Adult Basic Education/GED Instructor

> 125 College Dr.

> Casper, WY 82601

> 307-268-2895

> 307-268-2230

>

>

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

> 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 garinderknecht at dmacc.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

> Email delivered to nancy.markus at gmail.com

>

>


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Message: 2
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:37:21 -0400
From: "Anderson, Philip" <Philip.Anderson at fldoe.org>
Subject: [SpecialTopics 1022] Standards - Response to Questions by
	Allan	French
To: <specialtopics at nifl.gov>
Message-ID: <96E135649F1AD048AA6FF8CBC598C23E18E1E761 at MAIL1.FLDOE.INT>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

This is a response from Phil Anderson, Florida DOE Adult Education
Program Specialist to the questions posed by Allan French, ESL
Instructor, Assessment Coordinator, Norming Project Coordinator at South
Seattle Community College:

 

This statement made by Allan resonates strongly:  "The new state
standards were brought into the project to inform and suggest
(especially in terms of language), not to limit and control."  This is
the intention of Florida's standards as well.

 

Allan's questions:  "I see standards as not just a guideline for a
lesson, but a destination (after all, they define what we expect our
students to know and be able to do as they exit a particular level).  I
am concerned with how we get to that destination, especially given the
multitude of standards and indicators, the need for multiple types of
assessment, and the time limitations.  So I would like to ask all of you
out there who have worked some time with standards, (1) how do you
determine that a student is ready for the next level of an integrated
ESL class, using standards? 

 

Florida has several adult ESOL courses that are funded only with state
dollars, and are not reported to the NRS.  Literacy Skills for the Adult
ESOL Learner is one of these. In 1999-2000, this course was developed by
a group of adult ESOL experts that included a University of Florida
researcher in adult ESOL literacy, Dr. Edwidge Crevecoeur-Bryant,
consultants with years of adult education experience in Florida,
teachers, and Dr. Edwina Hoffman, a Miami-Dade program administrator of
refugee programs.  This course is designed for students that have low
levels of education and literacy in their home language(s).  Most
students are Haitian, or from various language groups in Mexico and
Central America, such as Mixteco, Tarasco, Quechua, and Kanjobal.  This
course has been put through implementation and revision stages in
several schools around the state, and it has been tweaked almost yearly
since its inception.  It has a set of benchmarks that are divided into
three levels, A, B, C.  Last year, the state database shows that 13,794
students were enrolled in this course.  We developed a "User Guide" for
this course to explain to teachers how it is used and suggestions on how
to teach the course.  Documents related to this course can be found on
the Florida Adult Education website,
http://www.fldoe.org/workforce/adult_ed.asp. 

 

(2) How do you determine what constitutes satisfactory performance of
any one standard/indicator, and that such performance has in fact been
achieved? 

For the present, the only method the state prescribes is that the
teacher of the course and the program administrator must sign off on a
state-created "Progress Report" that indicates the student has
"satisfactorily" mastered the benchmarks shown in the Progress in the
standards.  What is deemed "satisfactory" is left up to those two
persons, the teacher and the program administrator.  The state expects
local programs to establish a written procedure for how the teachers
will determine progress, i.e., portfolio, teacher-designed tests,
textbook tests, worksheet samples, documentation of group projects, etc.
After the teacher and administrator sign off on the student's Progress
Report, the program sends notification to the state that the student
mastered the standards.  The state then records this in its database and
assigns payment to the program accordingly.  The local program is
required to retain the records showing documentation of the progress
report for auditing purposes.  The state sends out monitors to all
programs to check on the documentation of the progress reports.  Since
the Florida legislature funds this course through its adult education
funding, the FL DOE, for now, uses this method of holding the program to
a certain level of accountability.  

 

(3) How do you create the assessment tools to evaluate said performance?

The state is in the process of exploring the development of a
standardized procedure/assessment that can give us a reliable and valid
way of measuring progress on the course standards.  Hopefully within the
next two years, this standardized procedure/assessment will be ready for
use. 

 

(4) Can you cover all standards/indicators for the level in a single
quarter or how much time is needed?  Another way of asking this is how
do you grapple with the, at times, mind-boggling complexity of all that
we are endeavoring to do.

Since the standards are "to inform and to suggest," teachers are not
expected to cover 100% of the standards within an instructional period
of time, but to judiciously select those that are relevant.  Maxine
McCormick, a Florida trainer, often exhorts us, "Take your students to
MMU!  Teach them what is meaningful, memorable and useful!"   Several
Florida programs are piloting short terms of 8 weeks in a "managed
enrollment" system with some of their classes.  In these classes,
students are assigned to a class by level, the class is "closed" after
the second week, and kept at 25 students maximum.  The first week is
assigned to orientation topics (how to study, what the students want to
cover in the course from a list of suggested topics from the standards,
the teacher's methods), and the last week is assigned to testing.  No
teacher can teach all the benchmarks in 8 weeks, but the intention of
the "managed enrollment" classes is to meet the needs of students who
desire to achieve competency in work and life skill areas more
efficiently and effectively that in the "open entry - open exit"
classes.  So far, evaluations of these classes is showing that students
and teachers are satisfied with the results.  The project in Miami Dade
School District is called "Intensive English Academies" and can be
reviewed at the Florida Adult ESOL task force website,
www.floridaadultesol.org <http://www.floridaadultesol.org/> .  Look for
the pencil under "New Initiatives."

 

 

CONTACT INFORMATION

Philip Anderson

Adult ESOL Program Specialist

Division of Workforce Education

Florida Department of Education

325 W. Gaines Street, Room 644

Tallahassee, FL  32399

Tel (850) 245-9450

Fax (850) 245-0995
 

Please take a few minutes to provide feedback on the quality of service
you received from our staff. The Department of Education values your
feedback as a customer. Commissioner of Education Dr. Eric J. Smith is
committed to continuously assessing and improving the level and quality
of services provided to you.Simply use the link below.  Thank you in
advance for completing the survey.
 

http://data.fldoe.org/cs/default.cfm?staff=Philip.Anderson@fldoe.org|12:
37:22%20Thu%2019%20Jun%202008
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Message: 3
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 09:53:05 -0700
From: "Rantapaa Linnell L" <Linnell.L.Rantapaa at doc.state.or.us>
Subject: [SpecialTopics 1023] Re: Content Standards: More questions,
	more answers, more discussion-TM
To: <specialtopics at nifl.gov>
Message-ID:
	
<286FDFA48BE5AF4CA0641A8AE10A9B047044B8 at docmail4.ds.doc.state.or.us>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"

CASAS postesting was required after the Feds via the Title II National
Reporting System did not allow an official GED test to proxy for a
posttest to measure skill level gains.  Progress on the NRS "Educational
Gain" performance must be measureed by a pre and posttest of the same
type. If GED completers are not posttested they have no "opportunity" to
demonstrate progress on this performance measure.  In Oregon, we have
the same difficulties getting valid posttest results from those who have
already completed the GED.  We try to catch them before they take their
last GED test, but it's a struggle.  


Linnell
Phone: 503-934-1006
Fax: 503-378-5815


-----Original Message-----
From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Rinderknecht, Gail
A.
Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2008 9:14 AM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: RE: [SpecialTopics 1013] Re: Content Standards: More
questions,more answers, more discussion-TM


We use TABE to determine the 6.0 grade level for the Dept. of
Corrections.  It's quick, easy and non-threatening.

The CASAS is required by the State Department of Education.  No one
seems to know the rationale for requiring the students to take the CASAS
after completing their GED.  It's one of those mandated things that
happens when the State is instituting "Standards".  None of the GED
teachers that I know of like the idea, but at the same time we are
required to re-CASAS.  I suppose it is supposed to show growth in the
reading and math, but as I said before, most of the men do not see a
reason to try very hard on this test and just view it as another hoop
that they are required to jump through.  

Gail Rinderknecht
garinderknecht at dmacc.edu


-----Original Message-----
From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Kelsee Miller
Sent: Thu 6/19/2008 9:41 AM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 1013]   Re: Content Standards: More
questions,more answers, more discussion-TM
 
Question for Gail: Why does your state use both the TABE and CASAS? What
is the rationale for testing CASAS again after the GED?

I have found this discussion very insightful!
Thank you,
Kelsee



Kelsee Miller
Casper College
Adult Basic Education/GED Instructor
125 College Dr. 
Casper, WY 82601
307-268-2895
307-268-2230


-------------------------------
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 garinderknecht at dmacc.edu



------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:22:30 -0500
From: "Rinderknecht, Gail A." <garinderknecht at dmacc.edu>
Subject: [SpecialTopics 1024] Re: Content Standards: More questions,
	more answers, more discussion
To: <specialtopics at nifl.gov>
Message-ID:
	
<F942B8D193CE904C99D572746AB987E72B80A4 at ANVEX01.campus.dmacc.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

You decry the use of rewards, but for kids to take a test seriously,
they need a reward.  In regular classes, the reward is a grade.  They
often need something tangible to strive for other than the test score.
Standardized tests do not provide a reward for someone who is not
internally motivated.  Even if the reward is "real pizza" for lunch
instead of the school pizza or passes to the local movie theater, it may
be enough to motivate some students to take the test more seriously than
they otherwise would have.

Gail


-----Original Message-----
From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Federico Salas
Sent: Thu 6/19/2008 9:02 AM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 1010] Re: Content Standards: More questions,more
answers, more discussion
 
To me the obvious problem with rewarding results on the test is that you
are teaching test taking skills.  Then the standard is determined by the
test, not by your instructional content standards as determined by
students and colleagues.  Students may have a phenomenal passing rate on
the test but be completely unable to actually use their skills and  in a
practical application at work or as tap their knowledge  base as a
springboard to learn more at college or the university.  Then programs
that "offer rewards for improved test scores" have improved test scores
but have they improved the proficiency of those test takers in their
ability to succeed in life?  I am afraid not.  That is one of the most
insidious problems of public education today.  Schools are ranked and
rewarded on the performance of their students on standardized tests but
nobody pays attention to whether the students have really learned their
materials or simply learned to ace a test.  I believe the issue is with
making the standardized test the focus of education.  If we focused on
the content standards for instruction instead our success rate would
over time improve. 

To me, focusing on the test is warranted only when the student has
obtained sufficient command of the skills and knowledge and a few weeks
before the test you pay attention to the form of the test, test
strategies, etc.  But to devote your adult education program to the test
skills rather than teach with a carefully considered set of academic and
work related standards is a true disservice to our students.

You should know I am an avowed enemy of standardized tests; I don't
understand them, I don't like them, and I don't believe the scores tell
us much about a student.  I also don't believe we are going to fix any
of the problems in education if we continue focusing on "the test"
instead of teaching.  Of course I went through my whole elementary,
secondary, and a couple of years of university work in two other
countries without ever once facing a standardized test.  Tests of my
ability to explain scientific facts, yes; tests of my ability to relate
knowledge from one field to knowledge from another, yes.  Tests that
asked me to look for evidence in XX century culture of events that
happened in the renaissance, yes.  But standardized tests? The first
standardized test I ever took was the TOEFL to come to this country. But
that's another story...

federico



Federico Salas-Isnardi, Assistant State Director
Texas LEARNS
6005 Westview Dr.
Houston, TX 77055
Direct: 713-696-0719
Toll Free: 866-696-4233
Fax: 713-696-0797
 
The State Office of Adult Education and Family Literacy
-----Original Message-----
From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Rinderknecht, Gail
A.
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2008 7:56 PM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: RE: [SpecialTopics 996] Content Standards: More questions, more
answers,more discussion

So I knew I shouldn't have started writing in response to this topic
because I have such strong opinions about the matter.  

Iowa has instituted standards and benchmarks in the public schools and
tests the daylights out of the students.  Personally, I believe that the
success of the test often relies on the attitude of the teacher giving
the test.  I can see this in the high school where I used to teach when
I volunteer to read high school essays in the summer to evaluate
reading.  The teachers whom I know emphasize the importance of the test
have much better results than the teacher who says, "Hey, we have to do
this.  I don't like it. You don't like it, Your parents don't like it.
Just do it and get it over with."  Schools that offer rewards for
improved test scores have improved test scores.  There are many
variables when doing any kind of standardized testing to "evaluate
teaching results".  And as far as getting the federal government
involved in adult literacy, please, no.  Talk to any special education
teacher ( me included) to find out about the results of federal mandates
in education.  IEP's went from a simple three or four page document to
over 12 pages listing standards and benchmarks that were to be worked on
for each student.  If I had 20 students on my roster, most of whom I
never saw but for whose educational programs I was still responsible,
then I had 20 IEP's with massive amounts of bi-monthly or weekly testing
to determine if progress was being made.  Charts had to be kept up on
each goal, and I had very little time to teach let alone get to know my
students.  Several times I introduced myself to a student at his IEP
meeting because he was not available when I had a planning time.  When
it got to the point where a graduation goal was deemed inappropriate and
secondary to meeting the standards and benchmarks, I knew it was time
for me to get out of special education in a high school.

But that's beside the point, you might say; however, it isn't because at
the prison I currently have at least 50 students.  If I had to show
growth along prescribed standards and benchmarks, then I would be back
to nothing but paperwork.  Oh, you should know, that I keep a running
informal individual education plan for each of my men.  I have to for me
as well as for them; otherwise I would forget who was doing what in
which book.  

All I'm saying is, about the time you have mandated standards from the
federal government, then you're going to have to prove that you're
meeting those standards.  The fact that the men I work with in prison
pass their tests would have little to do with it.   (Oh, and my 96%
passing rate probably has something to do with my "captive" audience who
are clean, well-fed, well-rested and required to be in class.)  I take
very little credit for their success.  I am there;  they have the GED
prep workbooks from several different companies.  I give assignments,
and they work independently and ask questions when they have them.  They
are in a safe, non-threatening atmosphere which for some of them is a
first.

Back to testing.  We TABE all offenders upon arrival to get a general
reading level.  Then we give CASAS reading and math tests to establish
deficits.  Every six months each man who has been in education classes
is required to re-take the CASAS.  When a man completes his GED, the
State also requires us to CASAS him again.  Usually the poor guy has
been through the CASAS so many times and is so happy to have his GED
that he scores his lowest scores on his last CASAS test.  This, of
course, reflects poorly on me as a teacher.  I can motivate a student to
complete his GED, but I cannot motivate him to try his hardest on a test
that essentially means nothing to him.  Oh, and if he is released before
he has completed his GED, which happens a lot, I have to CASAS him
before he leaves.  And believe me, a man who is on his way home is not
likely to try too hard on a test when all he can think about his
home-cooked meals and the family and friends waiting for him.

And we were also discussing planning time.  I plan on the run.  I walk
around the room and look over shoulders and if someone is struggling,
then perhaps a different book or some one-on-one time is warranted.  I
might have 50 men to teach, but my room only has chairs for 15, so it's
a constantly rotating group of guys from noon until 8 pm. Most of the
men have jobs either within the prison or off-grounds, so I need to be
there to catch them when they're available.  At the medium security site
where I work from noon til 3 pm, class times are assigned.  At the
minimum security site, I maintain a welcome mat approach:  come when
you're well, willing and able, as long as you find five hours per week
for class.  Like I said, I have a captive audience.

Gail Rinderknecht
GED instructor/ Des Moines Area Community College
Newton Correctional Facility
Newton, IA  50208

And this has nothing to do with the topic, but our site is called
"Riverview", but with the floods, it's been Lakeview.  We are all fine
here, but have had to make room for some men where the jails were
flooded.  The water here in central Iowa is thankfully receding, but
it's heading downriver towards some of you.

-----Original Message-----
From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of David J. Rosen
Sent: Tue 6/17/2008 8:50 PM
To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
Subject: [SpecialTopics 996]  Content Standards: More questions, more
answers,more discussion
 
Colleagues,

Our Content Standards discussion continues through Friday.  I have  
some more questions (see below) for guests and subscribers. I wonder  
if there are some people with questions that they feel are "too  
basic" such as "How do I find out what my state's Content Standards  
are, or if my state even has them?"  No question about content  
standards is too basic. This is the place to ask it.

I want to hear from teachers and administrators who are (or are not)  
implementing content standards. Jon Engel (Thank you, Jon) spoke for  
teachers who might be skeptical. Perhaps there are some teachers who  
are skeptical that would be willing to speak for themselves now that  
Jon has broached this.

Here are three more questions that were sent to me, for our guests  
and others :

"Part-time teachers and planning time:  Teachers tell us that  
developing lesson plans from standards takes more time because they  
have to spend time learning the standards, aligning their activities  
to those standards, and filling out more paper work to demonstrate  
compliance.  What are states implementing standards doing to  
alleviate the pressure on already burdened adult education teachers  
(low wages, low job security, part-time, no benefits, little or no  
prep time, etc.)?"

"National standards: As a standards writer, I was struck by the wide  
diversity of approaches to adult education content standards across  
states (ranging from the very prescriptive and specific to the very  
broad and general).  While I understand we live in a federal system  
in which states can do whatever they deem best for their students,  
isn't there a value in having a broader national discussion about  
what our adult students should be able to know and do in order to be  
successful members of society or, at a very minimum, shouldn't we  
have a common understanding about how content standards are going to  
be used?"

"Assessment:  While states have been encouraged to develop widely  
different content standards, the majority continue to use a very  
limited set of approved standardized assessments that may or may not  
be very closely aligned to those standards.  If due to increasingly  
tight financial constraints states are generally unable to develop  
NRS-approved standardized tests that are aligned with their  
standards, is it reasonable to expect that their content standards  
will have an impact on instruction and student performance?  Do  
teachers really have an incentive to teach from those standards if  
what they are teaching is not going to show up in the TABE or BEST  
Plus or CASAS?  Are there plans to develop such tests?"

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



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