Program Management

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Adult Literacy and the American Dream. Chisman, Forrest P. (February 2002). Chisman makes a case for placing a high priority on adult education and literacy in the United States by describing the history of two national literacy movements in America. The first was the effort to provide education for former slaves after the Civil War. The second was the interest in adult literacy that took root in the late 1980s, resulting in the National Literacy Act of 1991.

Federal Role in Adult Literacy: FY 2002. CAAL Bulletin - Issue No. 1. Murphy, Garrett and Heitner, Bess (May 2002). This bulletin is a compilation of federal programs from which funding for adult education and literacy programs was available for the period ending September 30, 2002. Each entry includes information about the enabling legislation, eligibility requirements, program purpose(s), funding level, and federal contacts. FY2003 funding levels will not be known until Congress passes its appropriations bill in late summer or fall of 2002.

Making the Case: Adult Education & Literacy: Key to America's Future. Spangenberg, Gail, et al (April 2002). This advocacy tool is a collection of essays prepared by fourteen adult educators, with an introduction by Gail Spangenberg. Essayists make the case for an increased federal funding commitment to adult education and literacy.

Accelerated Learning in Adult Education and Training and Development. Imel, Susan (2002). In adult education, the term accelerated learning is usually associated with programs designed to meet the needs of adult learners.

The Balancing Act of Adult Life. Kerka, Sandra (2001). Life in the 21st century seems more complex than ever, as adults cope with the demands of multiple roles, the stresses of a fluid workplace, and the pressures of child and elder care. This Digest describes a selection of adult education approaches to helping individuals negotiate the curriculum of life challenges.

Critical Perspectives on Mentoring. Hansman, Catherine A., Editor (2002). The chapters in this volume explore emerging viewpoints, issues, and trends related to mentoring and adult learning and the potential of mentoring to enhance as well as hinder learning in adulthood. FREE hard copies available IN TEXAS ONLY.

A Decade of Family Literacy: Programs, Outcomes, and Future Prospects.Padak, Nancy, Sapin, Connie, and Baycich, Dianna (2002). Family literacy has been the focus of research and practice for at least the past 2 decades. This paper reviews and synthesizes reports about family literacy programs and practices, focusing on outcomes for adult learners. The emphasis is on resources available in the ERIC database from 1990 to the present. FREE hard copies available IN TEXAS ONLY.

Learning Technologies in Adult Education. Imel, Susan (2001). Newer learning technologies, such as computers, the Internet, video and television are changing the shape of the landscape in adult education. Distance education is burgeoning and web-based training opportunities abound. In many circles, learning technologies have been adopted uncritically. This Myths and Realities explores beliefs about the newer learning technologies that are being used to extend and enhance adult learning and education.

Somatic/Embodied Learning and Adult Education. Kerka, Sandra (2002). Somatic or embodied knowing is experiential knowledge that involves senses, perception, and mind/body action and reaction (Matthews 1998). This Trends & Issues alert provides an overview of somatic/embodied learning, along with a list of resources to learn more.

Built to Last: Why Skills Matter for Long-Run Success in Welfare Reform. Martinson, Karin and Strawn, Julie (May 13, 2002). Washington, DC: Center for Law and Social Policy and the National Council of State Directors of Adult Education. This review of recent research on welfare-to-work strategies shows that the most successful programs have focused on employment but made substantial use of education and training. In particular, postsecondary education and training appear to be key to obtaining higher-paying jobs. This report has important implications for the current debate over reauthorization of the federal welfare program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

What Makes Distance Learning Effective? Support Mechanisms to Maximize the Impact of Distance Learning in Adult Education. Porter, Paul and O'Connor, Liz (2001). Cambridge, MA: Mass Interaction. Massachusetts researchers have examined how technology can expand access to ABE and how adequate support systems can form an infrastructure for distance learning (DL). Report offers thirteen principles to guide the planning and development of DL programs, and a set of recommendations to agencies that want to support the development of quality standards and criteria for these programs. FREE copies available IN TEXAS ONLY. Out-of-state requestors may borrow a loan copy.

The book and packet of 10 parent booklets are available FREE to TEXAS requestors ONLY. They are also available free through the National Institute for Literacy at ED Pubs (800-228-8813 or e-mail: edpuborders@edpubs.org).

Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read: Kindergarten Through Grade 3. Adler, C. Ralph, Editor (September 2001). Washington, DC: The Partnership for Reading. Developed by the Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA) and funded by the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL), this book describes the findings of the National Reading Panel Report and provides analysis and discussion in five areas of reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension. Each section defines the skill, reviews the evidence from research, suggests implications for classroom instruction.

Put Reading First: Helping Your Child Learn to Read: A Parent Guide: Preschool Through Grade 3. This brochure emphasizes that success in school starts with early reading. It includes sections on what teachers should be doing to help young children, how parents can help at home, and how to make reading part of every day.

Building Services and Systems to Support the Healthy Emotional Development of Young Children: An Action Guide for Policymakers. Knitzer, Jane (2001). New York: National Center for Children in Poverty. The early life of some young children fails to provide the parenting practices, stability of care, and healthy emotional experiences required for them to develop emotional and cognitive abilities appropriate to their age. These children are at risk educationally and behaviorally. This guide is a resource for those who want to develop policies and programs to help foster healthy emotional development in these at-risk children.

Transition to Kindergarten: Research/Policy Brief and Fact Sheet , Vol. 2, #2. Pianta, Robert and Cox, Martha (Winter 2002). Chapel Hill, NC: National Center for Early Development and Learning, UNC at Chapel Hill. This four-page NCEDL Policy Brief addresses the underlying issues, asks the question, "How do US schools support the transition to kindergarten?", proposes policy changes, and suggests direction for further study.

NCLE resources are also available on their website: http://www.cal.org/ncle/

Picture Stories for Adult ESL Health Literacy. Singleton, Kate (2001). Four reproducible picture stories are designed to help ESOL instructors address topics that affect the health and well-being of their beginner and low-literacy students. Newcomers to the United States and adults with lower literacy tend to have the least awareness of and access to health care services, thereby running the risk of more serious and chronic health outcomes.

Each short paper discusses trends and issues and best practices relating to the subject, and suggests resources for further information.

Assessment with Adult English Language Learners. NCLE, Center for Applied Linguistics (January 2002). The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (Title II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998) requires each state to report educational gains of learners in terms of level descriptors defined by the National Reporting System (NRS) document. This requirement has intensified the debate among practitioners, researchers, and policy makers as to what constitutes success and how to measure it.

Beginning to Work with Adult English Language Learners: Some Considerations. Florez, MaryAnn Cunningham and Burt, Miriam (October 2001). A new adult ESL teacher may have taught native speakers before, or may have taught children, but may now have a class of 20+ adult learners from Somalia, Bosnia, Mexico, Iraq, China, Vietnam ... all wanting to learn English. Such a teacher might like to know how the principles of adult learning apply in ESL contexts, whether second language acquisition theory has anything to offer, what in the world should he/she know about culture, and which instructional approaches and techniques support language development in adults.

Family Literacy and Adult English Language Learners. NCLE, Center for Applied Linguistics (January 2002). Family literacy programs have been recognized as a way to help children become successful in school while adults develop literacy skills. The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, Title II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, reflects this dual goal. The law also mentions helping adults to "become literate and obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and self-sufficiency."

Health Literacy and Adult English Language Learners: ERIC Q and A. Singleton, Kate (February 2002). This Q&A defines health literacy and its importance in the United States and discusses implications for adult English language learners, instructors, and programs. It also offers a few recommendations for addressing health literacy in the ESL classroom.

Issues in Accountability and Assessment for Adult ESL Instruction. Van Duzer, Carol (February 2002). For adult education, new federal and state accountability requirements have intensified the debate as to what constitutes success and how to measure it. This Q&A describes current accountability requirements for ESL programs, the issues involved in testing level gain, and critical questions whose answers can lead the field forward.

Uses of Technology in Adult ESL Instruction. NCLE, Center for Applied Linguistics (January 2002). Adult ESL educators continue to explore and develop new uses of technology as an instructional tool in the classroom, as a delivery system for learner instruction and teacher training, and as instructional content itself (e.g., learning word processing programs or building Web pages).