Colleagues,
The U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences would like to hear from adult educators about what research is needed by their two research centers: the National Center for Education Research (NCER) and the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER). They say they will use this feedback to help them plan their future work. This is an important opportunity for adult educators who believe that research is needed, for example in the use of technology with adults, on adult learning disabilities, or in other areas.
They say they welcome responses to the following questions:
- What are the characteristics of education and special education studies that have had the most influence on policy and practice during the past 10 years? What lessons can we draw from these studies to inform NCER’s and NCSER’s future work?
- What are the critical problems or issues on which new research is needed?
- How can NCSER and NCER target their funds to do the most good for the field?
For more information, and to learn where to respond, go to http://ies.ed.gov/pdf/2014-NCERfeedback.pdf
David J. Rosen
djrosen123@gmail.com
Comments
Hi David,
Thanks for advising group members about this. It is so encouraging to know that there is interest in new research related to adults with learning disabilities,
Let's do some brainstorming about this here.
What does our field need? What would improve services to adult students with LD? What critical issues/problems can be addressed through research?
Thank you for considering this as an 'opportunity' for us.
Rochelle Kenyon, SME
Hi Rochelle and David. I presented a research paper at the Lindenwood Adult Education Research Conference that was well received. I am currently redeveloping this research paper for publication. Comments from the field about this paper support my beliefs that this information is critical and must be addressed in how we redesign our services for greater impact at all levels.
Readers have stated that the issues identified in the research are the underpinnings of what needs to be addressed to significantly increase persistence and learning gains, as well as prepare individuals for success in postsecondary and employment. The identified learner challenges are so consistent across our partner organizations that they present significant barriers to the success of our current efforts re: implementation of CCRS and Career Pathways. If adult education programs can bring solutions to addressing these challenges, they can play a powerful role in interfacing with our larger and more heavily funded partners by offering a 'value-added component' to increase the success of all of our partners. Without addressing these challenges we will continue to achieve the less than the desired outcomes sought in WIOA, noted in PIAAC, and presented in CLASP's Beyond Basic Skills.
Here is the link to the research paper: http://www.lindenwood.edu/r2p/docs/Weisel.pdf
Any and all comments and questions are welcomed.
How can we access the screening tools?
What are the specific remedies or accommodations?
Hi Edna,
Can you be more specific in your questions, please? Are you saying that you suggest research on tools that can screen for learning disabilities?
In my opinion, instituting a process to screen for LD in certain adult education classes would be highly effective. I suppose that this premise would be the basis for a powerful research study. Such research questions as "would LD screening lead to GED accommodations and passing the GED Tests" could be a suggestion for David Rosen's question about research by the two research centers: the National Center for Education Research (NCER) and the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER). .
Rochelle Kenyon, SME
Sorry, I was referring to Laura's article. II was looking for more detail on her research study. I thought my comments would attach directly to her message.
Thanks for the clarification, Edna.
I hope that Dr. Laura Weisel responds to your message and gives us more details about her research study.
Rochelle Kenyon, SME
Hi all,
I checked out the two sites mentioned in David's post. One site was strictly for k-12. The other was for all educational research. I looked at the research funded last year and the various categories possible for funding. Not one was stated as being associated with disabilities in the general categories or the individually funded projects. That combined with our other discussion on clear lack of appropriate GED testing products makes me sad. Here is what I am interested in seeing:
A large scale review of research to date and bringing to scale any processes that were found to be supported by the research.
I would be interested in comparing educational practices and accommodations for individuals with low IQ and those with LD. The two groups have been lumped together and both have been hurt by that combination. Having my new program, I have seen learning results that any educator could misinterpret as Low IQ that is actually LD. In the same environment many with low IQ have improved so drastically that educators assume that they were "misdiagnosed". That confusion often cause changes in accommodations and curriculum presentation.
Research on which accommodations actually work both in k-12 and adult education then.develop ways to use them in both settings. Most accommodations in adult education are based on very old information. It would be good to update the material with more researched material.
Those are my first thoughts.....
Hello Robin and others,
It is important for those in this CoP to respond to the IES request with compelling arguments about why adult learners with disabilities should be included in research sponsored by The National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER), that its "comprehensive program of special education research" designed to expand knowledge and understanding, is not comprehensive if it includes only "infants, toddlers and children with disabilities." I would be interested in seeing your comments posted here so we can all learn from them.
David J. Rosen
djrosen123@gmail.com
When I wrote my paper on "Diagnosis and Assessment in Adult ESL" in 2004, the only comprehensive resource was “Bridges to Practice: A Research-based Guide for Literacy Practitioners Serving Adults with Learning Disabilities. Guidebooks 1-4. Preparing to Serve Adults with Learning Disabilities. The Assessment Process. The Planning Process. The Teaching Learning Practice.” National Adult Literacy and Learning Disabilities Center. Washington DC 1999. As was the case with most of the material on Teaching Reading to Adults at the time, it was basically appropriated from research with children or young adults.
Suggesting we need research when OCTAE & all states refuse and fail to provide funding for Disabled students is , shall I say inappropriate. I do not know if research is needed for adults due to there needs. What I do know is that there are a VAST number of adults in need of special services to learn and our federal and state governments fail to provide them although we have some case law in the US to mandate it. Why not do what is right and provide the funding and services necessary for all our disabled students. Yes I have personally worked with ELL students that are in need of services but no funding stream to provide for services. Since so many of you are in a position to speak with force perhaps it is time to do that.
Hi, all.
I agree that this it important to provide services for adult learners who may have learning disabilities. My question, however, is how do we know those who cannot speak, read, understand, and write in English have learning disabilities or not? Is it fair to test them in English? And what if they don't have literacy in any language? I am not denying that some adults learning English have learning disabilities, but other factors might be contributing to their difficulties in learning . For example, in addition to the language issues, there may be unresolved physical and emotional problems, lack of previous education, recent trauma, and so on.
I went to the LINCS research portal to see if there was any recent literature on learning disabilities and adults and if issues around English learners were being addressed. I found one mention of English learners in this report from 2012: Screening for Learning Disabilities in Adult Basic Education Students (available at http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ994285.pdf)
The single mention of adult learners whose first language is not English was this:
"There are other learning disability screening instruments available that can be used to screen Spanish-speaking adults (e.g., the Empire State Screening) but Ohio has decided not to screen students in ESOL classes because of the cultural and linguistic issues surrounding screening and diagnostic assessment (see McCardle, P., Keller-Allen, C., & Shuy, T, 2008; Peer & Reid, 2000; Shulman, 2002, for discussion)."
Has anyone used the Empire State Screening? Does anyone have a links the articles cited above? (See http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ994285.pdf for link to LINCS article and full references.) I would like to read them to see what they say about "the linguistic and culture issues surrounding screening and diagnostic assessment.”
Thanks,
Miriam Burt
SME, Adult ELL CoP
Hi Miriam and all,
In response to the comments around determining if a non-native speaker has a learning disability, there is of course no easy answer. I wanted to share an online resource developed here in Minnesota that may be helpful, however. An online learner intervention from PANDA, the MN ABE Disabilities specialists, can be useful in teasing out language issues from other types of issues that may be challenging a learner's progress. You'll find the link to that learner invention in the center of the screen here: http://mn.abedisabilities.org/ , plus there is a great deal of other excellent information on this site!
Best,
Patsy Vinogradov, ATLAS
www.atlasABE.org
Hi Bob,
There is most probably a large number of group users who share your thoughts. Let's be proactive and turn that into research topics that might further our hopes for the field.
What research topics can you suggest that would match the need for disability services to supplement adult education instruction?
Thanks for participating in this discussion strand.
Rochelle Kenyon, SME
Hi Robin,
Your comments on low IQ vs. LD are so appropriate. I have experienced situations where teachers use all the same strategies, tools, instructional methods, and accommodations for students with a variety of disabilities rather than individualizing what works best for each student and his/her specific learning deficits.
To David Rosen --- do you plan to take the suggestions that have been posted and submit them to the research organizations - - or should those of us that made suggestions send them directly to the National Center for Education Research (NCER) and the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER)?
Thanks,
Rochelle Kenyon, SME
Hi Rochelle and others,
It is important that IES hear directly from as many adult education practitioners as possible about what we think are research priorities. I will not be summarizing them and sending them myself. Individuals who believe that research in adult education is important need to send their comments directly to IES. It would also be interesting -- to me at least -- to see those comments posted here. I would like to know what my colleagues believe is important for us to have research on.
David J. Rosen
djrosen123@gmail.com
Colleagues,
Here's the information you will need to send your comments on the focus and work of the Institute of Education Science’s two
research centers: the National Center for Education Research (NCER) and the National Center for SpecialEducation Research (NCSER):
They wrote that they " welcome your responses to the following questions: What are the characteristics of education and special education studies that have had the most influence on policy and practice during the past 10 years? What lessons can we draw from these studies to inform NCER’s and NCSER’s future work? What are the critical problems or issues on which new research is needed? How can NCSER and NCER target their funds to do the most good for the field?" You can address any or all of the questions.
They wrote: "Concrete suggestions that reflect the mission and goals of the two research centers will be most helpful. Please send your comments to Comments.Research@ed.gov by October 31, 2014. Also, please share your comments here!David J. Rosen
djrosen123@gmail.com
From my little corner of the world, I would love to see research to show what kinds of "computer learning" work with folks with learning disabilities. Many of my students benefit from thinks like repetition and assessments as they go along... but often the material is concentrated text and/or symbols... and math instruction is symbolic and procedural, when it could be more visual and conceptual. I'd love to know whether or not students might be better served with conceptual, visual resources.
Hi Susan,
Good to hear from you - - and thanks for jumping into this conversation.
You research suggestion of "what kinds of computer learning including conceptual or visual resources will work best with students with LD" was a good one!
Rochelle Kenyon, SME
I sent comments to the effect that I feel research on the implementation of research findings and best practices in actual adult learning classrooms is a crucial need. We are a field with an ongoing tradition of volunteer instruction and, in my experience, most paid teachers are part-time. Are the good ideas we already have getting used in most classrooms now? Will new research just sit on the proverbial shelf collecting dust?
My big questions: What mechanisms effectively allow paid and volunteer adult education instructors to access research findings and best practices appropriate to their immediate instructional needs? And, what mechanisms enable them to effectively implement what they've learned?
One great mechanism: LINCS forums!
As a shift happens towards a more data-driven adult education classroom, it might be very helpful to mine the current big data sources like NRS and other State-wide databases and find ways to use the data collected from individual programs and develop technology-based tools to track student attendance, learning progress, scoring and grading etc.
I admit that my thinking on this issue is just forming so other inputs on this topic will be very helpful.
~ Priyanka Sharma
Colleagues,
Here's the information you will need to send your comments on the focus and work of the Institute of Education Science’s two
research centers: the National Center for Education Research (NCER) and the National Center for SpecialEducation Research (NCSER):
They wrote that they " welcome your responses to the following questions: What are the characteristics of education and special education studies that have had the most influence on policy and practice during the past 10 years? What lessons can we draw from these studies to inform NCER’s and NCSER’s future work? What are the critical problems or issues on which new research is needed? How can NCSER and NCER target their funds to do the most good for the field?" You can address any or all of the questions.
They wrote: "Concrete suggestions that reflect the mission and goals of the two research centers will be most helpful. Please send your comments to Comments.Research@ed.gov by October 31, 2014. Also, please share your comments here!David J. Rosen
djrosen123@gmail.com
Hi all,
I attempted to find some place on the IES websites to review past comments in an attempt to not be repetitive. I could not find a place to review past comments, so I followed David's suggestion and commented. I hope others commented as well. I would invite all who did to post their comments for discussion. Here is mine:
The LINCS, Adult Education Community of Practice areas of Disability and English Language Learners were asked to send comments on needed research for adult education needs. Specifically in the area of Adult Learners with Disabilities. The lose of productivity, social and financial contributions of our adult population has become more apparent in times of economic difficulties and needed economic transition. Educational practitioners and policy makers need up to date research to provide to best guidance to the field. Adult education in general, adults with disabilities specifically, have not seen any significant updates in research based practice in years. To date, one thing is very clear, research based on k-12 has not made a positive transition into adult education practice. Based on the above, I would suggest several research projects: What k12 successful methods can be applied in the adult education classroom. What adult education research exists? Review of current adult education research and if valid, can it be brought to scale? Since the goal of adult/post-secondary education is employment (unlike-12) how does that relate to research? Does the k12 categorization of disabilities have an effect on adult/post-secondary education, if so, describe the effect and suggest policy/practices that would increase student success. That seems to be some food for thought….. There are obviously many more research possibilities. I hope you have gotten additional comments form the adult education field. Thank you for the opportunity contribute. I did not go into all the CoP's involved in the discussion. I think that might have been a mistake, They need to know that many of our CoP's have an interest. I suggested very basic and general things that I thought were needed at lest for a foundation of information gathering. I would strongly encourage members in other CoP's, if interested, to contribute. What does the group think?... I think a little repetition would be a good thing; if they're wanting the opinions of folks out in the field, they're going to be interested in opinions that more than one people hold.
I'm thinking that perhaps we should ask whether and/or what modifications should be made to K12 models so tat they can be successfully applied in adult classrooms. Sometimes pretty much the same methods can be applied to the same content; sometimes changing the content makes sense. In things like math, I think some serious revisions in content and process are necessary. (And, by the way, my app-in-progress lives at http://www.resourceroom.net/math/722IntroIntegers/integerApp2.apk tho' if you are brave enough to try to download it you'll have to tell your Android device to accept "non-Google Play Store" devices...)