QEdScientific Evidence for Adult Literacy EducatorsNumber 1 of 5, 2007 Welcome to QEdThe National Institute for Literacy is pleased to bring you QEd, a five-issue series for the adult education community--literacy educators, paraprofessionals, program directors, and volunteers. QEd will bring you ideas and information from the expanding scientific research base on how adults learn to read. This first issue tells the story of how researchers are using the high quality, scientific standards that adult literacy deserves and demands. This issue also brings you news of an exciting new publication, Applying Research in Reading Instruction for Adults: First Steps for Teachers, which offers specific connections between the research and the classroom. In future issues, QEd will amplify the key literacy elements discussed in this book. We invite you to download a copy of the publication from the Institute's newly redesigned website, www.nifl.gov. While you're there, check out other useful resources, including our discussion lists, which continue to provide the adult education community with its most energetic, interactive resource. Adult educators have a cherished history of collaboration and camaraderie. Scientifically based research inspires and challenges us as we work together to understand its implications and the power of its findings. Please join us on this journey of reflection and renewal! Send your thoughts and ideas to us at info@nifl.gov. I look forward to hearing from you!
Sandra L. Baxter, Ed.D. Q.E.D. What Does It Mean?Q.E.D. abbreviates the Latin phrase "quod erat demonstrandum," literally, "that which was to demonstrated" and is taken to mean "it is shown." Mathematicians often use Q.E.D. to show that the result necessary to complete a proof has been reached. We have named this publication series QEd in the spirit of embracing the scientific research that informs adult literacy instruction. Scientifically based research Strengthening the Foundations of Adult Literacy InstructionIn the next four issues, QEd will focus on the science and practice of reading instruction. We begin with a brief primer on scientific research and the four components of adult literacy instruction. For more than a century, adult literacy educators have built their profession through experience, respect and caring for their students, and intuitive insight about what works. Today, the rigorous, scientific study of adult literacy instruction promises to deepen our understanding of educators' successful practices and generate new knowledge about how adults learn to read. The National Reading Panel's report of 2000 yielded a scientifically reliable body of knowledge of how children acquire literacy. Similar scientific research is underway for adults. The words "scientifically based reading research" first appeared in the Reading Excellence Act in 1998, and later in the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002. The definition of scientifically based reading research has become the "gold standard" for research quality across the spectrum of reading instruction from early childhood to adulthood. What Is Scientifically Based Reading Research? A National Institute for Literacy publication, Using Research and Reason in Education by Paula J. Stanovich and Keith E. Stanovich (see Publications, page 6), discusses the scientific process, particularly as it applies to educational research, in clear terms. The authors suggest three criteria a scientific claim must meet:
Experimentation Science subjects the world to structured, systematic observation. Observation alone is not enough, however: a researcher may find that two things are related, but without true experimentation, cannot conclude which causes which--or whether a third factor altogether has caused the change. True experiments use manipulation and control: a researcher manipulates one factor, or variable, and looks for an effect while holding other variables constant, to the extent possible. In education (and medicine) researchers usually compare the effects of an intervention on both a control and "intervention" group. In randomized controlled trials, participants are randomly assigned to one group or the other, giving us more confidence that differences in the outcomes occurred because of the intervention, not some other unknown, unexpected, or unseen factor. When True Experiments Are Not Possible This "gold standard" is not always feasible. Randomized trials are expensive and require fairly large numbers of participants. More important, they must be done carefully, so that results can be linked to the intervention, not some other factor (e.g., different levels of teacher skills). Other factors may compromise a study. Are the researchers collecting the right data? How do they define outcomes? (For example, in a study on retention, what does "dropping out" mean?) Could the data collectors be biased? (In the best case, data collectors don't know who is in which group--control or intervention). When random assignment is not possible, most researchers accept well-done non-random comparison group (quasi-experimental) studies. In these studies, researchers use statistical techniques to try to match the groups under study, so that the intervention is the only differing factor. Researchers also look at non-experimental studies, such as case studies and other qualitative approaches that also must be peer reviewed or approved by a panel of experts. Science is a powerful, democratic tool. By understanding the basic principles of scientific research, practitioners can consult the research and decide a claim's validity for themselves. "Professional wisdom," the wisdom teachers acquire through experience, is strengthened when empirical evidence can back it up. The term "evidence-based education" is widely used today to describe educational practices that integrate teachers' professional wisdom with the soundest research. What the Research Says About Adult LiteracyResearch, such as that summarized by the National Research Council and the National Reading Panel, has shown that four components are crucial in learning to read. They are alphabetics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The Adult Literacy Research Working Group used them as the framework for its review of adult reading instruction research, published by the Institute as Research-Based Principles for Adult Basic Education Reading Instruction (see page 6). The next four issues of QEd will cover the four components, along with assessment. Here is a brief overview of each.
Deriving PrinciplesTo research adult literacy, the Adult Literacy Research Working Group (ALRWG) identified the major topics to study, set standards for evaluating studies, located and evaluated studies, and categorized them by topic. The most important findings, or emerging principles, were based on peer-reviewed articles, and the greatest weight was given to studies that compared adults in different treatment groups. Descriptive studies were used as supporting evidence. Because the number of studies was relatively small, ALRWG supplemented the emerging principles with ideas and comments carefully selected from the K-12 research, taking into account the important differences between adult and child readers. Definition of ReadingAs defined in the No Child Left Behind Act, "reading" is a complex system of deriving meaning from print that requires all of the following:
A New Era for Research and the InstituteThe National Institute for Literacy has proudly served the adult education community for 15 years. Programs like Bridges to Practice and resources such as the LINCS website have made the Institute the leading provider of information for adult literacy educators. The Institute's mission, and funding, stem from both the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act in the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and, more recently, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). WIA directs the Institute to provide national leadership on literacy, coordinate literacy services and policy, and serve as a national resource for adult education and literacy programs. NCLB requires the Institute to disseminate information on scientifically based reading research on children, youth, and adults. The intense focus on scientifically based research gives the Institute an opportunity to expand both the quality and number of adult literacy resources it offers. As the adult literacy profession matures and deepens by virtue of well-studied, well-implemented programs, the Institute will continue to be a primary source of information about the uses of research to improve instruction and resources based on the best research available. New Book for Adult Literacy Educators Is Grounded in Real-Life ExamplesAdult learners come from many literacy backgrounds. Some are highly fluent in their native language. Others have never learned to read in any language. Adult educators need a powerful toolkit to meet the needs of such a diverse group of students. Applying Research in Reading Instruction for Adults: First Steps for Teachers, by Susan McShane of the National Center for Family Literacy and published last year by the National Institute for Literacy, is a highly useful "field manual" for using reading research effectively with adult learners. Drawn from "the resource of first resort for adult educators," as McShane calls John Kruidenier's Research-Based Practice for Adult Basic Education Reading Instruction, Applying Research is intended as a series of "first steps" for teachers--a way of setting out in the right direction, with a strong sense of the goals, means, and avoidable pitfalls in making research-based instructional decisions. Applying Research is written with the realities of adult literacy instruction in mind, such as mixed ability levels and continuous enrollment. It makes the research principles identified in Research-Based Principles concrete through plentiful examples and through modeling the kinds of thinking, planning, and problem-solving a skilled adult educator would use in a classroom. (Examples are fictionalized, but based on real events.) Each section of the book contains checklists and other forms teachers can use with their own students. McShane treats each component of adult literacy learning and instruction evidenced by the research--alphabetics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension--in its own chapter, proceeding through a series of questions for each component: What is it? Why is it important? Who needs to develop it? How can we assess it? What kind of instruction is most effective in teaching it? What does practice in it look like? All references are cited directly in the text so the reader gains constant familiarity with the research base. In other chapters, McShane presents a short primer on evaluating research claims (amplified in an appendix on the design of educational research studies), offers some suggestions for beginning teachers, and explores assessments in depth. She describes the rationale for and specifics of assessing students' learning, gives an overview and explanation of the different types of assessments and their purposes, clearly explains technical assessment terms such as validity and reliability, and takes the reader through the process of planning initial assessments. The book culminates in a "guided tour" of a fictional class of adult learners. McShane shows how a (fictional) teacher approaches her class of nine students of widely varying reading ability, from initial interviews to individual learning plans. McShane offers sample class schedules for whole and small group learning, discusses ways to group students for optimal learning, shows how to graph assessment results for easy understanding, and makes suggestions for how students can continue their reading outside of the classroom. Applying Research also pays close attention to the adult educator's own learning needs. McShane suggests ways that teachers can assess their own needs for further study and plan how to acquire additional skills and knowledge, and offers a list of resources for further learning. To download a free copy, go to
Copies can also be ordered by contacting the National Institute for Literacy at www.edpubs.org, calling 1-800-229-8813, or by emailing edpubs@inet.ed.gov. Going Deeper: Publications for Teachers About Scientifically Based ResearchUnderstanding what scientifically based research means can be a useful skill for teachers when they assess the progress of students, decide what claims of educational effectiveness are defendable, and choose what educational materials to use. The National Institute for Literacy offers two publications written just for teachers: Using Research and Reason in Education and What is Scientifically Based Research? If you would like to be a better research "consumer," see the Publications section (page 6) for information on how to get these publications. Committee UpdateThe Institute's Adult Literacy Research Working Group: Connecting Research to TeachingThe Reading Research Working Group (RRWG), established by the National Institute for Literacy (the Institute) and the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) in 2001, answered many questions about effective practices in teaching adults to read. Their work resulted in the publication of Research-Based Principles for Adult Basic Education Reading Instruction, the field's first major compendium of findings on what works best in adult literacy classrooms. Drawing on the adult basic education (ABE) reading instruction research and relevant findings from the National Reading Panel's review of research on instructing children to read, Research-Based Principles set the stage for further investigation into adult reading instruction. The Institute also recognized the need to bring the research findings to the field. With NCSALL, the Institute established an expert group called the Adult Literacy Research Working Group (ALRWG) to recommend dissemination activities and new reading resources and assist in the continuous review of the literature. Members of the ALRWG have supported the Institute's work on reading by making presentations at conferences and workshops, and participating in teacher training sessions. On the research front, the Institute is expanding and updating the body of research-based principles for adult literacy instruction, drawing from recent studies in peer-reviewed journals; recent non-peer reviewed studies vetted by the ALRWG; relevant research studies on other, non-ABE populations (children, adolescents, community college students, and those learning to read in a second language); and the effects of writing instruction on reading. At the same time, the Institute, at ALRWG's suggestion, produced shorter, less technical versions of the research-based principles, such as Teaching Adults to Read, which synthesizes the findings in Research-Based Principles for ease of use by adult literacy practitioners. ALRWG is also producing a workshop on Research-Based Principles to give participants hands-on experience in applying these principles in teaching reading to adults. The ALRWG comprises more than 40 experts from education, private industry and goverment. It makes recommendations through five committees:
MilestonesMilestones features some of the exceptional people who have been part of the long history of adult literacy education in the United States. It also illustrates the movement toward integrating professional wisdom and scientific approaches in teaching reading to adults. Tom Sticht, an international consultant in adult education, received UNESCO's Mahatma Gandhi medal in 2003 for 25 years of volunteer service on UNESCO's International Jury for Literacy Prizes. Harriet A. Jacobs: Literacy and Liberationby Tom Sticht One of the earliest accounts of teaching an adult to read comes from the slave Harriet A. Jacobs (1813-1897). Even though it was unlawful to teach slaves to read, Jacobs' owner's daughter taught her to read and write. In 1861, after she became a free woman, Jacobs wrote "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Written by Herself" (Jacobs, 1987/1861). In the book she tells how she helped an older black man, a slave like her, learn to read: "I taught him his A, B, C--his progress was astonishing--At the end of six months he had read through the New Testament and could find any text in it." Later, Jacobs taught literacy to former slaves in the Freedmen's schools during Reconstruction following the Civil War. PublicationsThe Partnership for Reading at the National Institute for Literacy has invested in the development of several groundbreaking publications that summarize the most current scientifically based research findings on effective adult literacy instruction. All of these products, as well as Applying Research in Reading Instruction for Adults, described on page 4, are available for free at www.nifl.gov. Research-Based Principles for Adult Basic Education Reading Instruction This book (130 pages) presents findings from the Adult Literacy Research Working Group's (ALRWG) comprehensive review of scientifically based research on adult literacy instruction and relevant studies of teaching children to read. After establishing the major topics it would study (alphabetics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, assessment, and using computer technology) and the standards it would use to evaluate studies (peer-reviewed articles), ALRWG derived a set of evidence-based principles, trends, and promising ideas in adult literacy instruction. Research-Based Principles is intended to serve two primary audiences: the educators and policymakers who select the content of adult basic education reading instruction, and researchers eager to identify new avenues of study to add to our understanding of this field. By John R. Kruidenier.
Teaching Adults to Read: A Summary of Scientifically Based Research Principles A short version of Research-Based Principles for Adult Basic Reading Instruction, this booklet (16 pages) is useful for educators seeking a brief overview of the research findings. It explains the importance of key literacy concepts (alphabetics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension) and suggests effective practices in the adult education classroom. By Mary E. Curtis and John R. Kruidenier.
Using Research and Reason in Education Teachers value the power of information, but the demands of school life makes it difficult to stay current with research on effective instruction. This monograph (48 pages) helps teachers become discerning consumers of educational programs and materials. It provides guidance on how to recognize scientifically based instructional strategies and how to use the concepts of research in the classroom. By Paula J. Stanovich and Keith E. Stanovich.
What is Scientifically Based Research? A Guide for Teachers A short version of Using Research and Reason in Education, this 12-page booklet offers a quick introduction to the concepts of rigorous research that have become the gold standard for evaluating statements of educational effectiveness. The publication helps teachers judge outcome claims, and think scientifically when assessing the impact of their own teaching.
Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching Children to Read This is the full report of the National Reading Panel, which was created by Congress in 1997 to review the research on reading instruction and identify those practices proven effective through quality research. The report has been used by adult literacy researchers for guidance in identifying reading components and strategies with potential application for adult learners. Highly detailed, this report is designed for educators, teachers, and policy-makers interested in a thorough grounding in evidence-based reading research. Copies can also be ordered by contacting the National Institute for Literacy at www.edpubs.org, calling 1-800-229-8813, or by emailing edpubs@inet.ed.gov. Online Forums for Adult Literacy StakeholdersSince 1995, the Institute's online discussion lists have given thousands of literacy stakeholders a forum for staying current with discussing the field's critical issues, posing questions to experts, and sharing resources, experiences, and ideas. The lists are extremely active, with new posts daily. Each discussion list is moderated by an expert in the field. Sign up at www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/discussions.html. List topics are:
Resource SpotlightStudy Circles: A Collegial Way to Explore the ResearchNew, practical research-based resources for adult reading teachers Study Circles offer an interesting, hands-on way to become familiar with adult reading instruction research. In Study Circles, small groups of teachers--usually 8-12--explore research topics of interest. Guided by a facilitator, the group discusses the research in light of members' knowledge and experience, and plans ways to apply ideas from the Study Circle in their work. A Study Circle facilitator will find everything needed to lead three Study Circle discussions in NCSALL's Study Circle Guide: Research-Based Adult Reading Instruction. Based on Research-Based Principles for Adult Basic Education Reading Instruction and other research, the Guide includes:
The three sessions cover:
ALRWG's work, including this publication, is produced under National Institute for Literacy Contract No. ED-03-CO-0026 with Dr. John Kruidenier of Kruidenier Education Consulting. June Crawford serves as the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the policies of the National Institute for Literacy. No official endorsement by the National Institute for Literacy of any product, service, or enterprise is intended or should be inferred. The National Institute for Literacy The National Institute for Literacy, a federal agency, provides leadership on literacy issues, including the improvement of reading instruction for children, youth, and adults. In consultation with the U.S. Departments of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services, the Institute serves as a national resource on current, comprehensive literacy research, practice, and policy. The Partnership for Reading, a project administered by the National Institute for Literacy, is a collaborative effort of the National Institute for Literacy, the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to make scientifically based reading research available to educators, parents, policy makers, and others with an interest in helping all people learn to read well. Credits|ContributorsEditor Contributors Editorial and design services provided by C. Ralph Adler, Elizabeth Goldman, Lisa Noonis, and Bob Kozman of RMC Research Corporation This Partnership for Reading publication describes strategies proven to work by the most rigorous scientific research available on the teaching of reading. The research that confirmed the effectiveness of these strategies used systematic, empirical methods drawn from observation or experiment; involved rigorous data analyses to test its hypotheses and justify its conclusions; produced valid data across multiple evaluators and observations; and was accepted by a peer-reviewed journal or approved by a panel of independent experts. The application of these research-based strategies will increase the likelihood of success in reading instruction. Adherence to scientifically based research in this publication was ensured by a review process that included representatives of each Partnership for Reading organization and external expert reviewers. For detailed information on this review process, contact the Partnership for Reading at the National Institute for Literacy, 1775 I Street NW, Suite 730, Washington, DC 20006. Watch future issues for news about  1775 I Street NW | Suite 730 | Washington, DC 20006 |