Letter from the TCALL Director
Spring is always a busy season for Texas adult education and family literacy educators. Particularly in these difficult economic times, local literacy programs are stretching their resources to meet increasing demand for adult basic education and English as a Second Language services.
TCALL is bustling with selection processes underway for two sets of doctoral research fellows. The Barbara Bush Fellows in Family Literacy for the 2009-2010 academic year will be announced at the Houston Celebration of Reading, a major annual fundraising event for The Barbara Bush Texas Fund, on April 23 at Houston’s Hobby Center. Applications for 2009-2010 TCALL Fellowships for doctoral research in adult literacy are due on June 15, 2009. Some potential areas of research for TCALL Fellows include transitioning English Language Learners into adult basic or secondary education or postsecondary or vocational training programs; the potential application in Texas of Washington State’s I-BEST model (Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training), which pairs adult education or English with workforce training; persistence strategies for adult literacy learners - both learner and program strategies; and the relationship between learner retention and successful transition. Fellowships at TCALL are available to doctoral students at Texas A&M University in College Station.
Moving to the national scene, President Obama used his first address to a joint session of Congress in late February to call for every adult in the United States to commit to at least one year of education or training beyond high school and to set as a national goal to have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. President Obama said, “This can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma. And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It’s not just quitting on yourself, it’s quitting on your country ─ and this country needs and values the talents of every American.”
The White House also recently released data that will assist states and localities as they prepare adult learners with the basic literacy or English skills training that adults will need for jobs being created or saved through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). State-by-state estimates of employment impact by Congressional district estimate that Texas should gain or save approximately 269,000 jobs in industries ranging from clean energy to health care, with over 90% in the private sector.
Another prominent theme of the Obama administration is that government decisions should be based on the best-available, scientifically-valid evidence. This issue of Texas Adult & Family Literacy Quarterly is centered on the theme of Professional Wisdom, one of the “three legs of the stool” of evidence-based education, along with empirical evidence and educational theory. Ken Appelt of TCALL contributes an article that provides a thorough overview of the concepts entailed in evidence-based educational practice and professional development. In his article, Federico Salas-Isnardi of TCALL looks at professional wisdom from the teacher’s perspective and reviews a variety of electronic resources for sharing and accessing professional wisdom. Beth Thompson, Assistant State Director and State Even Start Coordinator at Texas LEARNS, contributes an article on strategies for program improvement that confirm current professional wisdom developed out of necessity, particularly in the turbulent context of Even Start family literacy programs. An article by Michelle Janysek, Mary Helen Martinez, and Emily Miller-Payne of the Texas Adult Education Credential Project demonstrates the potential impact on instructional and programmatic outcomes due to growth in professional wisdom through the Credentialing process.
Other articles in this issue describe the experiences of a teacher-researcher, tips for churches that aim to promote literacy in their communities, and examining the usefulness of GED test results as a predictor of college success. We hope this issue will support Texas literacy educators in their professional growth and successful program practice.
Harriet Vardiman Smith, TCALL Director
Sisters Push Each Other to Do the Extra Lap by Dora Espericueta The most rewarding teaching experience that I have had was the opportunity to teach two sisters that enrolled at the Pharr Adult Learning Center. While both sisters started at the pre-lit level, I did not start working with them until they were at the Pre-GED level. I started working with Elia first. She came to the Center with a very low self-esteem. She could barely make eye contact with me or anyone else. She was very soft spoken and shy. As her GED instructor, I was able to work with her on a one to one basis. Elia was able to express herself through her essays providing me the opportunity to feel her pain and depression. As time went by, it was obvious to everyone around her that she was gaining inner confidence. Her way of dressing, communicating, and physical appearance was so visible that you could see the metamorphosis from a cocoon to a beautiful butterfly. Her written thoughts and ideas helped me understand her more and allowed me to interact with her more freely. Working with her individually, allowed her to feel more comfortable in speaking or asking questions. Once she overcame her shyness, she became very determined to get her GED and set a goal to further her education. Eventually, Elia encountered transportation problems. Her only ride to class was her sister. Elia motivated Veronica to enroll so that she wouldn’t waste gas needlessly. By both of them attending, they could benefit from the program and better themselves at the same time. When her sister was promoted from the Pre-GED class to my GED class, I felt like this gave Elia more of an initiative or more self confidence. When her sister, Veronica, came into my writing class, it was like lighting a flame under both of them. I could see that they would work together and encourage and motivate each other. It was apparent to me that Veronica was different from Elia in many ways. She was more interactive, more sociable, and more approachable. This allowed me to use Veronica’s attributes to make Elia a stronger person. It was exciting to see that no matter what obstacles came their way, they both showed determination and dedication. Veronica was Elia’s only means of transportation and it was wonderful to see the family unity when it came to them having each other for support. I can honestly say that these two young ladies had to make many sacrifices and overcome many obstacles to achieve what they had set as their goal, to obtain their GED and enroll at South Texas College. Through perseverance they were able to achieve what they had both set out to do. They are both currently in their third semester at South Texas College and are well on their way to successful careers in Nursing and Education. About the Author Dora Espericueta is a native of Monte Alto, Texas. She is married to Robert and has three children. She has taught all areas of the adult education program. She holds a certification in Interdisciplinary Studies and Generic Special Education and has taught adult education for thirteen years. She is currently the Lead Instructor for the Pharr Adult Learning Center. Her passion is working with adults and motivating them to succeed.
