Special Populations

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Adult Education for Native Americans. Imel, Susan (2001). Historically, most adult education for Native Americans was tied to the goal of assimilation and was aimed toward individual economic improvement. In recent years, adult education for Native Americans has reflected broader goals and has been concerned with playing a role in preserving native language and culture rather than encouraging assimilation. This ERIC Trends & Issues Alert addresses several trends related to adult education for Native Americans.

Considering Culture in the Selection of Teaching Approaches for Adults. Ziegahn, Linda (2001). This ERIC Digest examines the different dimensions of culture that are relevant to the adult learning context in the U.S., including both the personal cultures of learners and educators and the culture of the larger social/political environment. Ziegahn explores how cultural values permeate instruction and looks at several approaches that take culture into account.

Toward a New Pluralism in ABE/ESOL Classrooms: Teaching to Multiple 'Cultures of Mind'. Kegan, Robert, et al (August 2001). 34-page Executive Summary of a 770-page monograph available through NCSALL http://www.ncsall.net/index.php?id=29. [Scroll to Report #19 (August 2001): Full Monograph] The study focused on internal meanings for adults participating in ABE/ESOL programs, beyond the aquisition of skills and content learning. Major findings are grouped in three categories: varieties of change for ABE/ESOL learners; the power of the cohort in adult learning; and varieties of meaning systems among adult learners.

Project Metamorphosis: A Corrections Curriculum Integrating Basic Skills, Job Skills, and Cognitive Skills: Volumes 1 through 8. Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (1998). Eight-volume, 100-hour curriculum integrates life skills with basic skills for inmates. Resources and reading are included for each session, as well as software recommendations and correlation with work, academic, and personal goals. Learners keep personal portfolios of assessments including learning style; inventories of personal values, interests, and aptitudes; and math and reading assessments. FREE hard copies available IN TEXAS ONLY. Also available online at: http://www.doe.state.la.us/slrc/proj_meta/index.html

Reading Tips for Parents: Consejos prácticos de lectura para los padres. Partnership for Family Involvement in Education (November 2001). With text in both English and Spanish, sections of this 15-page booklet include: How Can I Help My Child Be Ready to Read and Ready to Learn? How Do I Know a Good Early Reading Program When I See One? Simple Strategies for Creating Strong Readers; and The Five Essential Components of Reading. Packet of 10 Booklets is FREE IN TEXAS ONLY. Requestors outside Texas can order free copies from U.S. DOE at edpubs@ inet.ed.gov or 877-4ED-PUBS.

School Readiness: Helping Communities Get Children Ready for School and Schools Ready for Children. Emig, Carol and Moore, Amber, Editors. (October 2001). Child Trends developed this Research Brief "to help communities invest wisely in school readiness initiatives... this framework not only considers the factors related to the child, but also to the child's family, early childhood care and education, schools, neighborhood, and the larger society." Also available online in pdf format at: http://12.109.133.224/Files/schoolreadiness.pdf

Building a Level Playing Field: The Need To Expand and Improve the National and State Adult Education and Literacy Systems. Comings, Reder, and Sum (December 2001). This NCSALL Occasional Paper provides updated information that can be used to brief legislators and policy makers on the purpose and status of adult literacy education. The data would be useful for supporting grant proposals and research as well as for advocacy purposes. Sections include: How Many Americans Lack the Foundation of Basic Skills and Education They Need? Why are Basic Skills Important? How Are Services Provided to Adults? How Many Adults are Receiving Basic Skills Services in WIA-Supported Programs? and How to Start Leveling the Playing Field.

Library Literacy Programs for English Language Learners. McMurrer, Eileen and Terrill, Lynda (September 2001). This ERIC digest summarizes the history of public libraries and library literacy programs; describes current delivery models; and discusses initiatives in library literacy, profiling one successful public library program that serves adult English language learners and their families.

Planning Literacy and Language Services for Texas' Limited English Proficient Workers: The Devil is in the Details. Tondre-El Zorkani, Barbara (2001). Texas Workforce Commission funded this guide to planning, implementing, and sustaining effective workforce-related education programs. Primarily targeted at Texas' Spanish-speaking dislocated workers, the tips and strategies can also be applied to workers participating in TANF, Welfare-to-Work, and WIA's adult education, language, and literacy initiatives. The guide is designed as a technical assistance tool for local economic and workforce development networks, Texas communities, and stakeholders committed to excellence in workforce development.

Results That Matter: An Approach to Program Quality Using Equipped for the Future. Bingman, Beth and Stein, Sondra (August 2001). This National Institute for Literacy publication is designed to help state agencies and local programs to better answer the questions: What does EFF implementation look like in action? What kinds of outcomes can we expect for students, teachers, and programs as a result of EFF implementation? Document is based the EFF Quality Model that makes explicit the vision and process of system reform using EFF Standards. PDF version is also available online at: http://eff.cls.utk.edu/resources/eff_publications.html.

Texas Adult Education Soaring Into the 21st Century: An Adult Education Administrators' Guide for Continuous Improvement and Evaluation. Dunn, Yvette and Seaman, Don, Editors (August 2001). Developed in collaboration with staff of the Texas Education Agency's Division of Adult and Community Education and other adult education professionals, this manual is an aid to the adult education administrator in the pursuit of continuous excellence and quality improvement in adult education programs in Texas. FREE copies available IN TEXAS ONLY. Also available in full text on the TCALL website: The 2005 Adult Education Administrator's Manual.

The El Paso Collaborative Health Literacy Curriculum. Staff of El Paso Community College/Community Education Program (2001). These lessons were developed by staff at the EPCC/CEP to meet the educational and health needs of students attending EPCC classes - in other words, for a specific context. Some may be replicable in their entirety in your community, while others may serve as models for creating your own lessons appropriate to your setting. FREE copies available IN TEXAS ONLY. Also available online at http://www.worlded.org/us/health/docs/elpaso/index.htm#introduction.

Ethics: The Role of Adult and Vocational Education. Wonacott, Michael E. (2001). Concerns about increasing antisocial behavior and declining civility have heightened discussions about ethics, including cheating in school and business, ethical dilemmas in teaching, and the ethics of technology and Internet use. This ERIC Trends & Issues Alert investigates the trends and issues involved in teaching social responsibility in adult and vocational education.

LLA Puzzles, Sets 2-10, 13 and 14. Iulo, Emma (1998, 2000). Syracuse, NY: Laubach Literacy Action. Distributed by Laubach Literacy Action, each of the eleven puzzle sets includes reproducible masters and answer sheets for six word game puzzles (crosswords, word search, word scrambles, etc.) for use with adult literacy students.

Taking a Closer Look at Teaching and Learning in Adult Education Classrooms: ILRDC News & Views. Illinois Literacy Resource Development Center (October 2001 Issue). Describes the ILRDC classroom observation study, in which nine multi-level adult education classes across Illinois were observed and teacher interviews were conducted. Newsletter summarizes challenges to teaching and learning in these classrooms; multilevel teaching strategies that were observed; and teaching, learning, practice, and policy implications of the study's findings. FREE copies available IN TEXAS ONLY. Also see ILRDC website: http://www.ilrdc.org.

Teaching Reading With Adults. Sticht, Thomas G. (January 2002). This paper discusses literacy as the mastery of graphics technology. Topics include The Power of Permanent Thought, Information Processing in Space, and The Guiding Light. Each topic is developed to show how the basic elements of the graphic medium - its relative permanence, its ability to be arrayed in space, and its use of the properties of light - work together to permit literates to generate and access massive collections of knowledge; to analyze and synthesize discrete information into coherent bodies of knowledge; and to perform complex procedures with accuracy and efficiency."

Tennessee Adult ESOL Curriculum Resource Book. Sawyer, Patricia, Editor (June 2001). The culmination of a yearlong action research project in Tennessee, this resource book includes information about the National Reporting System, competencies, and student lesson plans for all levels of ESOL students. Lesson plans are in three sections: general ESOL competencies incorporating conversational and life skills; English Language/Civics Competencies; and Workplace Competencies. All lessons are correlated with Equipped for the Future Content Standards (a separate item available free from the Clearinghouse). The 365-page pdf document is FREE on CD-ROM to TEXAS requestors ONLY. Curriculum may also be downloaded from the Internet at: http://slincs.coe.utk.edu/about_slincs/showcase/showcase.html.

Using Music in the Adult ESL Classroom. Lems, Kristin (December 2001). According to the author, "Music can be used in the adult English as a second language (ESL) classroom to create a learning environment; to build listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills; to increase vocabulary; and to expand cultural knowledge. This ERIC digest looks briefly at research and offers strategies for using music in the adult ESL classroom."

Reversing Reading Failure in Young Adults. (Curtis, Mary E. and Longo, Ann Marie, 1997) is a featured article of the May 1997 issue of Focus on Basics (published by NCSALL/World Education). Other featured articles include "Learning to Love Reading"; "Models of Reading and the ESOL Student"; and "Reconceptualizing Roles: Mathematics and Reading". FREE copies available IN TEXAS ONLY. Also available online at http://www.ncsall.net/?id=167.

Staff Development: Understanding Our Youngest Students: A Revision of the 1994 Project. Diller, Ilsa Powell and Diller, Michael E. (1999). This manual provides the structure and content for a series of three workshops: 1) Adolescent Development: Working With At-Risk Youth in the ABE Classroom; 2) Curriculum-Based Assessment and Instructional Strategies; and 3) Applied Experiences (incorporating discussion of difficult case histories). FREE copies available IN TEXAS ONLY. Loan copies are available for out-of-state requestors.