| NCL Membership Meeting - Thursday, May 8 The National Coalition for Literacy will hold its quarterly Membership Meeting on Thursday, May 8, at the Hall of States, 444 N Capitol Street, NW in DC, starting at 9 am. A panel on national service programs such as Learn & Serve America and AmeriCorps, where many participants work in literacy, will follow the public policy committee meeting. After lunch, Sylvia Robinson, Assistant Vice President and Executive Director of the GED Testing Service, American Council on Education, will present on the GED. For more information, please contact Jennifer Maloney at Jennifer.maloney@ncldc.net. NCL and Dollar General NCL
and Dollar General Literacy Foundation in partnership with the South
Carolina Office of Adult Education sponsored the fourth meeting
in the Dollar General Presentation Series in Spartanburg, SC in
February. Drawing the largest audience to date Denine
Torr, The
afternoon opened with comments by Lynn Selmser, NCL Public Policy
Director, on the importance of educating your legislators and their
staff, and John Segota, The
next Dollar General Presentation Series will be held in Houston,
Texas on May 29, 2008. NCL Members Hear about Forces Changing our Nation’s Future Irwin
Kirsch, This report from ETS's Policy Information Center looks at the convergence of three powerful socioeconomic forces that are changing our nation's future: (1) substantial disparities in skill levels (reading and math); (2) seismic economic changes (widening wage gaps); and (3) sweeping demographic shifts (less education, lower skills). There is little chance that economic opportunities will improve among key segments of our population without change. National test results show no evidence of improvement over the last 20 years. Scores are flat and achievement gaps persist. To date, educational reform has not been sufficient to solve the problem. Hope for a better life — with decent jobs and livable wages — will vanish unless we act now. We must raise our learning levels, increase our reading and math skills and narrow the existing achievement gaps, or these forces will turn the American Dream into an American Tragedy — putting our nation at risk. Read
the full report and review Dr.
Kirsch’s presentation by clicking here.
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Literacy In the News ABC News featured a two-part story on illiteracy in the US the last week of February and provided a wealth of resources on the ABC News website, including a link to NCL’s Health Literacy page. See the full story here NCL and Dollar General focus attention on the economic impact of low literacy in South Carolina at meeting in Spartanburg. The Herald Journal covered the event, in Teachers: Adult illiteracy dragging down nation. “We are in a crisis,” noted Becky Godbey, manager of work force development for the Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce, who led a panel of local business leaders. From amednews.com, the newspaper for America’s Physicians, an article on the Health Literacy Act of 2007 Visit the website of the Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy who today released PATHWAYS & OUTCOMES: TRACKING ESL STUDENT PERFORMANCE, a longitudinal study of adult ESL services at the City College of San Francisco (CCSF). The report will help those who plan and design ESL programs at community college and in other settings assess and develop effective services. See item ESL5 of the ESL section of the Publications page Gaps
in critical home conditions and experiences of young children
mirror achievement gaps that begin early in life and persist through
high school, according to a new report from the Educational Testing
Service. The Family:
America’s Smallest School examines the family and home
experiences that influence children’s learning. The National Commission on Adult Literacy released Workplace Education: Twenty State Perspectives. The report describes workplace education programs in 20 states, how states measure outcomes, key elements to success, and more. To view the report, a presentation by Marc Tucker, president of the National Center for Education and the Economy, visit the newly launched website. According to the American Medical Association, 90 million Americans struggle with health literacy, see article in the Chicago Tribune. Migration Policy Institute issues report that finds approximately 5.8 million lawful permanent US residents need about 277 million hours of English language instruction per year for six years to become proficient. Adult Education in America: A First Look at Results from the Adult Education Program and Learner Surveys Educational Testing Service releases comprehensive report on federally funded adult education programs and the skills of participants enrolled in those programs. Forces Changing our Nation’s Future compares the performance of American adults and youth on international literacy assessments, the importance of literacy and numeracy proficiencies for success in the job market, and the outlook for literacy proficiency among adults in the U.S. The report was released by the National Commission on Adult Literacy www.caalusa.org The Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy released TORCHLIGHTS IN ESL: Five Community College Profiles, a supplement to PASSING THE TORCH: Strategies for Innovation in Community College ESL. The report profiles the ESL programs of the five colleges at the heart of CAAL's study- Bunker Hill Community College, MA, City College of San Francisco, CA, College of Lake County, IL, Seminole Community College, FL, and Yakima Community College, WA. The report is available in PDF at www.caalusa.org. DARE TO DREAM: A Collection of Papers from a Resource Group of 102 Adult Education and Literacy Professionals The National Commission on Adult Literacy released this material which reflects the ideas, insights, cautions, and recommendations of 102 education and literacy leaders. The group was challenged to "think outside the box," of how to expand adult education and literacy service and to do so to a high standard of quality. Visit the CAAL website at www.caalusa.org for the report. The
Condition of Education 2007 According to Lumina Foundation report, “Our nation is at a crossroads. With a committed and informed approach, we can help realize the vast educational potential of America’s adult learners and thus substantially benefit individuals, families, communities and the national economy.” To see the report, visit the Foundation website. Passing
the Torch: Strategies for Innovation in Community College ESL State
Education Agency finds that one-third of residents of the District The
ESL Logjam:Waiting Times for Adult ESL Classes and the Impact on
English Learners Touch
Choices, Tough Times America’s
Perfect Storm: Three Forces Changing Our Nation’s Future. Recommendations
concerning the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act
focus on improving accountability and standards and making sure
teachers and administrators are effective. |
,
adult educators, program directors, business leaders, and more heard
panelists discuss trends in adult education and the impact of low
literacy.
Senior
Manager, Community Initiatives, Dollar General Literacy Foundation,
described Dollar General’s mission as a call-to-action that
frames the way they do business. Literacy is a cure for many of
society’s social ills. In order to maintain global competitiveness,
the nation must address this silent epidemic and the pipeline of
adults coming into the adult education system. K-2 reform is not
enough. 
Becky
Godbey of The Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce noted that
workers must be trainable, flexible, and adaptable.
Advocacy
and Professional Relations Manager from Teachers of English to Speakers
of Other Languages, on trends in immigration. He noted that South
Carolina has the second fastest growing foreign-born population
in the US, reflecting the dramatic growth in the percentage of the
workforce born outside the US. Art Ellison, New Hampshire State
Director of Adult Education, and Jackie Taylor of the Association
of Adult Literacy Professional Developers, led a workshop on models
for advocacy at the federal and state levels and continued with
ideas for educating legislators and staff about adult literacy issues.
of
the Center for Global Assessment at Educational Testing Service,
and co-author of “America’s Perfect Storm: Three Forces
Changing Our Nation’s Future”, spoke at the NCL Membership
Meeting in February. Kirsch noted that our nation is in the midst
of a perfect storm, according to ETS researchers — and the
forecast is grim — unless we invest in policies that will
change our perilous course. Read about NCL achievements and events in the NCL Annual Report 2006-07
Learn more about the mission and vision of NCL in the NCL Overview.