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Youth in Adult Education

TAESP Status Update

The Texas Adult Education Standards Project (TAESP) is more than half way through the third phase of the project, which began in July 2005 and will continue until June 2006. Here is what we have accomplished to date and what we hope to achieve in the coming months.

The three writing teams formed from 26 adult education practitioners from all across Texas succeeded in developing the draft benchmarks for the standards they were assigned. The listening/speaking team developed the benchmarks for the standards listen actively and speak so others can understand; the reading/writing team developed the benchmarks for the standards read with understanding and convey ideas in writing; and the math team developed the benchmarks for the standard use math to solve problems and communicate.

Currently, 12 adult education teachers, again from all across Texas, are trying out the benchmarks in a controlled field test. The goals are to collect preliminary data from teachers on how effective the benchmarks are in the field and what types of professional development will be needed in order to teach with benchmarks.

After the field test completes in mid-March, the TAESP project staff will analyze the data collected and present the findings to the writing team members when they convene once more in May 2006. The findings will guide the teams in determining if and how to modify the benchmarks in order to produce a more robust set ready for the statewide field test in fall 2006.

On a related note, in January this year, the TAESP staff members were invited to participate in the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) needs assessment of future technical assistance to states. The TAESP staff and writing team members were also invited to help evaluate the Content Standards Warehouse website.

As we look ahead, our goals for the next phase will be to conduct the second and final statewide field test in fall 2006 and modify the benchmarks as needed in spring 2007 for implementing them in the future. For more information about this project, please go to http://www-tcall.tamu.edu/tscf/index.htm.