Hi Everyone,
Imagine attending classes knowing you would have to do things you are not good at and having to do so in a public forum where others would witness your challenges. How often would you attend?
My almost 92-year-old Mom takes Tai Chi classes. She considered giving it up since the last hour of class involved performing new moves that she struggled to learn. She hated looking bad in front of the other students. I encouraged her to keep with the classes, and she did.
Like Mom, our adult foundational skills students are brave. They come to class knowing they will be tasked with reading, writing, and math activities that prove daunting. Some come with baggage, having been told they are dumb, stupid, or unmotivated during their younger years. All face the challenges of adult life like earning a living or raising a family
According to the LINCS resource Persistence: Helping Adult Education Students Reach Their Goals, “[Researchers] identified approximately 100 hours of instruction as the minimum needed by adults to achieve an increase of one grade-level equivalent on a standardized test of reading comprehension” (Comings, 2007).
How do you help learners persist in your programs long enough to make gains in their reading skills?
Thanks for your thoughts,
Steve Schmidt, Moderator
LINCS Reading and Writing Group
Comments
Hi Everyone,
Policies require us to give students reading assessments when they enter our programs and posttest them periodically. A frequent source of frustration is when students take post tests and do not show growth. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to interview someone from a major adult education assessment provider about this. Here is what they had to say. (My questions are in bold and their answers follow in normal print. I will not identify the company/interviewee since OCTAE does not permit us to promote materials.)
You recommend that students take post-tests after 70 to 100 hours of instruction in a subject area but no fewer than 40 hours. What is the reason behind this?
There are three main reasons:
1. To avoid over testing. We want students to be motivated to take the test and take it seriously. If they test too often, they may feel they have not learned enough to warrant taking another test. Over testing is not going to get the best results from our students.
2. To avoid over exposure to the test items. If you test your students more often than what is recommended, they will see the same test items over and over which compromises the validity of the test. (Test validity means that a test measures what it is supposed to measure.)
3. Research supports this practice. Research shows 70 to 100 hours of instruction is the point where we see increases in reading levels as measured by standardized tests. (CLICK HERE to see supporting information from researcher Dr. John Comings.)
If you know students are leaving your program and have had at least 40 hours of instruction, definitely test them so they can show what they learned before they leave.
Also consider the intensity of the program where your students learn. If they spend six hours or less per week in class, their instructional hours will be spread out. If students spend 10 to 12 hours or more per week in class, they will accumulate hours more quickly. If we test students every 70 to 100 hours in classes where students are spending many hours per week, a student will be eligible to post-test more often. This will result in very frequent post-tests. In situations where students spend many hours per week in class, wait more than 70 to 100 hours to post-test.
I’ve heard it said that we should not teach toward an assessment but teach the standards behind the assessment. Do you agree?
Absolutely!
Getting our students to post-test is always a challenge. You recommend telling students, “You are getting a scholarship that pays for your classes. To earn that scholarship, all we ask is that you post-test before you leave the program.” Do you have any other tips for helping programs get students to take post-tests?
Be sure to share test results with your students and really educate them on what they can learn from their test results. Once students are tuned into the good information they can get from assessment reports, they gain motivation when they can see their progress over time.
A teacher’s attitude about testing also plays a big role. A bad attitude toward testing can be a joy killer for their students.
To avoid test fatigue (students getting tired and losing focus during testing), would you recommend students take reading and math assessments on different days?
Yes, if your program policies allow for this.
How do you ensure students have adequate instructional hours before post testing?
Thanks for your thoughts,
Steve Schmidt, Moderator
LINCS Reading and Writing Group