The Literacy Cooperative publishes a Framework for Program Improvements in Adult Literacy; offers implementation trainings

The Literacy Cooperative recently published A Framework for Program Improvements in Adult Literacy (the Framework).  Completed this fall and unveiled locally and at the US Conference on Adult Literacy in Houston, the Framework is being enthusiastically received in the literacy community.  It includes a summary of key research-based best practices in the field of adult literacy; a summary of factors that impact learning outcomes and an online Program Self-Assessment tool still in development.

The adult education workforce is largely part-time or volunteer with little formal training in reading and math instruction and/or adult education. In addition, unlike other areas of education or social service, adult literacy has no commonly recognized credentials or other mechanisms to assure quality of practice.  In the face of these challenges, the Framework offers practitioners and administrators readily accessible information on best practices in the field that can help shape program structure and instruction, and inform professional training for practitioners.   The Framework can also serve as an important resource for literacy grant makers seeking to identify quality programs or support program improvements among grantees.

The Literacy Cooperative offers targeted trainings to practitioners and administrators on the use and implementation of the Framework.  The first of these trainings took place October 21 and November 18, 2011 and will be offered again in 2012.   

“[The training session] was very informative and it was a workshop that was long overdue for the supervisors and administration of adult education,” said Phyllis East, a GED Instructor for East Cleveland City Schools that attended a training session.  “Here, [information] is presented in such a way that it delineates things that you need to think about when considering and improving your programs.”

Two pieces of the Framework, a Summary of Best Practices and Factors that Impact Learning Outcomes, are available online at www.literacycooperative.org.  Organizations interested in printed copies should contact The Literacy Cooperative at (216) 776-6180 or eyeip@literacycooperative.org.  

The Literacy Cooperative is a nonprofit intermediary organization working to improve literacy levels in Cuyahoga County.  The Framework is a product of The Literacy Cooperative’s Capacity-Building Initiatives.

Watch Phyllis East talk about her experience at a Framework training: http://youtu.be/aRnSopgSp8M

Katherine Bulava

Katherine Bulava is President of Hatha Communications.

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Volume 3, Issue 1, Posted 12:40 PM, 02.02.2012