Improving literacy/numeracy outcomes

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Improving literacy/numeracy outcomes

• Presenter Diana Jackson
• Executive Director, Youth Workforce Solutions
• dianajackson_at_youthworkforcesolutions.com
• www.youthworkforcesolutions.com

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Basic skills deficiency remains a challenge

• In PY 2009, 55 of all WIA youth exiters were
  basic skills deficient
• 70 of out of school exiters were basic skills
  deficient
• 50 of out of school exiters who had diplomas or
  GEDs before participation were still basic skills
  deficient when they exited

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• In PY 09, the national target for meeting the
  literacy/numeracy measure was 28.7
• One-fourth of states did not meet the measure

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Overcoming the challenge 5 strategies

• Understand the measure
• Report accurately
• Design programs to improve engagement and
  retention
• Use youth-friendly assessment principles and
  practices
• Use instructional strategies that are effective
  for at-risk youth

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Understanding the Performance Measure
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Literacy or Numeracy Gains

• Of those out-of-school youth who are basic skills
  deficient
• Number of participants who increase one
  or more
  educational functioning levels
• Number of participants who have completed one,
  two, or three full years in the program plus the
  number of participants who exit before completing
  a full year in the program

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Who is in the measure?

• Youth who are
• Out of school AND
• Basic skills deficient

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Who is in the measure Definitions

• Out of school
• School dropout or has received a diploma but is
  basic skills deficient, unemployed, or
  underemployed
• Basic Skills Deficient
• Reads, writes, or computes at or below 8th grade
  level OR cannot read, write, compute, or speak
  English at a level necessary to function on a job

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Who is in the measure length of participation

• Youth who do not post-test or who exit before
  completing a year of programming are INCLUDED
• Youth who are participants for two or three full
  years, as measured from date of youth
  participation, are INCLUDED in the measure as
  long as they remain basic skills deficient
• Youth who continue participation beyond three
  years are EXCLUDED the measure

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Important to Note

• Gains are needed in one area (literacy OR
  numeracy) to meet performance
• Unlike ABE, WIA youth programs are not required
  to show gains in the participants lowest
  scoring category
• Youth who remain participants for over a year are
  not included in the measure again for a full
  second year.
• Out of school youth who are NOT basic skills
  deficient are excluded from this measure.

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What is Successful Performance A Recap

• Increase in one EFL level per year of
  participation

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Report accurately
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Reporting

• Sometimes low performance can be attributed to
  inaccurate reporting

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Accurate reporting is critical

• If its not in WIASRD, it didnt happen
• (with thanks to Bob Haas, ODJFS!)
• Be sure to record the correct score (the scale
  score)
• Train personnel who enter data in the system
• In the system itself
• In WIA youth programs

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Timing is everything

• If you miss testing a youth before their one,
  two, or three-year anniversary, it is a negative
  outcome, even if the youth shows a gain on the
  test
• Use strategies like tickler files to make sure
  you dont lose out just because you missed that
  deadline!
• But dont retest too often just to make sure you
  have a test score
• Remember that literacy/numeracy is a real-time
  measure exit cohorts are not relevant to this
  measure

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Design programs to increase engagement and
retention
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Why worry about engagement?

• Some research indicates that the level of youth
  (or student) engagement has more impact on
  educational outcomes than instructional methods

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Understanding who you serve needs of out of
school youth

• Many already have taken on adult roles, such as
  parent or primary wage-earner
• An immediate, sustained income is often required
• Lack of basic skills make immediate, steady
  employment, esp. at a living wage, unrealistic
• Family/other responsibilities make attendance at
  school or employment training difficult
• Multiple years of programming to prepare for work
  and life are required

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Understanding who you serve Characteristics of
discouraged learners

• Impatient with routine, sitting a long time, or
  learning environments with little variety
• Practical learners
• Externalizersdo not see a relationship between
  effort and achievement

• Believe that results are beyond their control and
  so do not take personal responsibility for
  success or failure

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Characteristics of Discouraged Learners

• Basic skills deficient
• Parents and family members often have same
  characteristics, which makes involving them
  difficult
• Often prefer peer relationships to adults
  attempts to engage them in positive (from the
  adults perspective) social activities
• Source At-Risk Students Reaching and Teaching
  Them by Richard Sagor and Jonas Cox

• Low self-confidence, have deep feelings of
  helplessness
• Avoiders
• Distrustful of adults and adult institutions
• Dont see a future, so planning may be irrelevant
  to them

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• Disconnected youth are often
• Without hope
• Without dreams
• Without trust
• Reconnection can happen through
• youth-focused
• recruitment, engagement, retention

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What does it mean to be youth-focused?

• Youth Involvement engaging youth in shaping and
  designing program offerings
• Positive Peer Influence harnessing the influence
  of youths peers through group activities and
  lessons to encourage youth to take part in
  program offerings
• Youth Popular Culture utilizing young peoples
  music, fashion, creativity, language and
  entrepreneurial spirit to engage them
• Source Youth Development Research Fund, Youth
  Cultural Competence Program Manual

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Ten Tips for Youth Friendly Programming

• Even those these tips are not necessarily about
  teaching literacy or numeracy, they are about
  keeping at-risk youth engaged
• If youth arent engaged, if they drop out of your
  program, it doesnt matter how great your reading
  instruction is
• Again, how engaged youth are may have more of an
  impact on outcomes than instructional methods
  (though some instructional methods lend
  themselves to greater engagement than others)

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Tips for Youth-Friendly Programming 1

• Design intake procedures to be youth-friendly.
• Provide a checklist of documentation that youth
  need to provide
• Use intake forms that focus on strengths, not
  just deficits
• Intersperse interesting activities with data
  gathering
• Consider using tape recorders to record some
  information
• Be prepared to explain the purpose of questions
  that youth might consider intrusive and explain
  who will have access to the information.
• Honor them for being courageous enough to ask for
  help.

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Tips for Youth-Friendly Programming 2

• Design interpersonal support into your programs.
• Caring adults such as case workers, counselors
  and mentors are essential for positive youth
  development.
• Train your staff to be welcoming and
  knowledgeable including, if possible, the
  secretaries and janitors.
• Recruit or place youth in groups or teams for
  mutual encouragement.
• Youth mentors can provide support and model
  desirable behavior. Involve parents and families.
  

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Tips for Youth-Friendly Programming 3

• Make honesty, authenticity and respect central to
  your programs.
• Provide what you promise and don't promise what
  you cannot provide.
• Give youth genuine opportunities to contribute
  and lead in your organization and community.
• Develop as a culturally competent organization
  that acknowledges and respects the values,
  beliefs, customs and traditions of the youth
  being served.

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Tips for Youth-Friendly Programming 4

• Meet immediate needs first
• If a youth needs help NOW, meet that need as soon
  as possible
• Do not wait until youve done an objective
  assessment as soon as you determine eligibility,
  you can start providing services
• Even if it isnt an urgent need, use the initial
  assessment to identify something that would help
  the youth right away and provide it as soon as
  you can
• Meeting an immediate need builds trust the youth
  is more likely to give you a chance because you
  said you would help them and you did

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Tips for Youth-Friendly Programming 5

• Help them envision a future
• Many older, out-of-school youth dont see a
  future for themselves
• Help them see where they can go, beginning with
  where they are
• Break up the big picture into small, manageable
  steps
• Point out positive role modelsadults who have
  overcome similar difficulties

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Tips for Youth-Friendly Programming 6

• Make planning a partnership
• Never develop a plan FOR a youth, only WITH a
  youth
• Dont force goals onto a youth
• Encourage basic skills deficient youth to set a
  reachable skill achievement goal
• Talk about options and let the youth make the
  choice about what program or service is right for
  them

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Tips for Youth-Friendly Programming 7

• Focus on assets
• Every youth has gifts, talents, and assets
• When planning (e.g. developing an ISS), start
  with the youths strengths and build on those
  instead of starting with problems and barriers

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Tips for Youth-Friendly Programming 8

• Dont set youth up for failure
• Dont enroll drop-outs in any program that looks
  like a traditional school (e.g. large group
  instruction without personalization, inflexible
  scheduling, etc.)
• Dont insist that a youth get a diploma or G.E.D.
  before providing them with work experience
• Dont enroll basic skills deficient youth in
  G.E.D. preparation without remediation
• Dont use a one-size-fits-all approach by placing
  youth in your out of school program whether or
  not it meets their needs

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Tips for Youth-Friendly Programming 9

• Programming must be interesting and relevant
• Out of school youth are not typically engaged by
• Abstract, theoretical instruction
• Passive learning activities like lecture
• Activities that are disconnected from their
  experiences or needs
• Out of school youth are typically more engaged by
• Active, hands-on learning activities
• Academic instruction that is presented in an
  authentic, relevant context

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Tips for Youth-Friendly Programming 10

• Value and respect all youth
• Teach tolerance, value diversity
• Race, ethnicity, culture, religion (or lack of
  it), sexual orientation, gender identity
• Have policies and procedures in place that assure
  all youth are protected from all forms of
  violence, including bullying and harassment

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Use youth-friendly assessment principles and
practices
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Assessments for Literacy/Numeracy

• Must be crosswalked to National Reporting System
  educational functioning levels
• Either ABE or ESL
• Each ABE or ESL level describes skills in areas
  of reading, writing, numeracy, speaking,
  listening, functional, and workplace skills.
• See TEGL 17-05 Change 1, Attachment A for EFL
  descriptors

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Assessments for Literacy/Numeracy

• Assessments must be standardized (has standard
  administration and scoring procedures)
• Must use the same instrument for pre- and
  post-test
• Youth with disabilities should be tested with
  appropriate accommodations.
• Participants should continue to receive
  remediation until they are no longer basic skills
  deficient. They will not count in the measure
  again until they have received a second full year
  of programming.

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Assessments Crosswalked to EFLs

• Currently acceptable list for literacy/numeracy
  testing
• TABE
• CASAS
• GAIN
• MAPT
• Work Keys (High Intermediate Basic Education and
  above)

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Principles of Effective Assessment

• When done well, assessment is an important tool
  in
• Uncovering a young persons strengths and
  interests
• Identifying possible problems and challenges
• Placing youth at appropriate instruction levels
• Evaluating program effectiveness.
• When done poorly, assessment can have a negative
  impact on individual youth and program success.

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Principles of Effective Assessment

• Make sure assessment processes are
  youth-friendly.
• A 3-hour assessment should not be the first thing
  that happens when a young person walks in the
  door looking for help.
• Meeting an immediate need first helps create
  trust and buy-in from the youth.
• Consider using reading or math subtests only if
  valid.
• Make testing surroundings as pleasant as
  possible. Provide water or soft drinks. Allow
  youth to use iPODs (as long as other test-takers
  arent disturbed).

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Principles of Effective Assessment

• Tell youth why they are being assessed and how
  the results will be used.
• Dont use the word test.
• Be sure they know they cannot fail.

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Use instructional strategies that are effective
for at-risk youth
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Youths Academic Needs

• To understand the teachers goals
• To be actively involved in the learning process
• To relate subject matter to their own lives
• To follow their own interests
• To receive realistic and immediate feedback

• To experience success
• To experience an appropriate amount of structure
• To have time to integrate learning
• To have positive contact with peers
• To have instruction matched to their level of
  cognitive development and learning style
• Jones and Jones, Comprehensive Classroom
  Management

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Meeting youths academic needs

• If these needs are not met, or if the youth
  perceives they are not being met, youth may act
  out or simply stop coming

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Contextual Learning

• Uses R.E.A.C.T. principle
• Relating linking the concept to be learned with
  something the youth already knows
• Experiencing hands-on learning and teacher
  explanation allow discovery of knowledge
• Applying Applying knowledge in the real world
• Collaborating Team approach to solving problems
• Transferring students take what theyve learned
  and apply it in new situations

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In summary

• Improving literacy and numeracy scores can happen
  when
• Staff, youth, and other stakeholders understand
  the measure and what is expected of them
• Staff are fully trained so that reporting is
  accurate and timely
• Programs are designed to engage and retain
  hard-to-serve youth
• Instructional methods meet youths academic needs