Discussion  Announcement  
Dear Colleagues,   
I'm pleased to announce the  following Panel Guest Discussion, which will be 
held during the week of April 16  – 20. 
Topic: Using  Data for Program Improvement  
Guests will discuss the work they  have done in using data to improve the 
quality of adult literacy  programming.  We will hear about the  use of data in 
small and large programs, as well as at the state and national  levels.  
Panelists are interested in  your questions and eager to hear about your use of 
data, as well as share their  own experiences, so please ask questions and share 
your stories.   
Recommended  preparations for this discussion  
Please use the following guiding questions to help you  share how you use 
data in your program (or classroom), or how you would like  to: 
    *   Do you use data in your program?  What type?  How?  What have been 
the  results?  
    *   What information (data) would you like to  track and why?    
    *   What data would you like to learn how to  use? 
Resources of  interest: 
Using  Data Effectively by Donna Cornellier:  see attached Power Point  
Presentation. 
This PowerPoint  outlines a basic framework for identifying, using, and 
monitoring data;  excellent guiding questions are provided as well as a case study 
for practicing  the application of the framework. 
 

NRS Publications  on data 
_http://www.nrsweb.org/pubs/_ (http://www.nrsweb.org/pubs/)  
This site has a wealth of  resources including the NRS Implementation 
Guidelines; NRS Tips offering  information on building data systems, and setting 
goals and standards; and  Training  Guides that provide practical information and 
tools that can be used to build  and use data systems effectively.     
 

Learning to be an  NRS Data Detective 
_http://www.nrsweb.org/reports/StateDataDetectives.aspx_ 
(http://www.nrsweb.org/reports/StateDataDetectives.aspx)  
This training  explores how an effective data detective:  
    *   Understands the process and psychology of  data collection;  
    *   Examines data including assessment, goal  setting, and follow-up 
data;  
    *   Asks further questions of the data;  and  
    *   Makes  changes in processes and policies to improve data quality and 
program  services
 
NRS State and Local Report  Cards 
_http://www.nrsweb.org/reports/insights/report_cards.aspx_ 
(http://www.nrsweb.org/reports/insights/report_cards.aspx)  
Report cards can be a powerful and  effective tool for accountability and 
program improvement if properly used and  implemented. There are many types of 
report cards, but for the purposes of NRS,  our focus is on report cards that 
assess performance. Report cards that allow  meaningful evaluation have the 
following characteristics:  
    *   Include outcome and other  data,  
    *   Provide a basis for evaluation of that  data, and  
    *   Present contextual data or interpretive  information that aid 
interpretation and promote  understanding. 
Report  cards can be used in several different ways to  
    *   Evaluate program  quality,  
    *   Promote program improvement,  and  
    *   Inform and advocate for the  program
 
Guest  Participants:  
Toni Borge is the director of the  Adult Education & Transitions Program at 
Bunker  Hill Community  College in Boston,  Massachusetts. She has a master’s 
degree in  educational administration. Toni is a member of the TESOL task force 
that is  advising the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of 
Citizenship, on  redesigning the citizenship test that is being piloted in 2007.  In 
May, Toni will present a TESOL  Virtual Seminar entitled “Assessment and 
Learning:  Balancing Program Performance and Instruction” in which she will discuss 
effective ways to manage and balance instruction to meet  state and national 
performance standards. 
Dr.  Larry Condelli is a managing director of the Adult Education and 
Literacy  Program in the Education and Human Development Division at the American  
Institutes for Research. His work includes research on adult ESL students,  
accountability, and conducting professional development and technical assistance  
for adult educators. He recently directed the What Works Study for Adult ESL  
Literacy Students, the first large-scale empirical study of the effectiveness 
of  instructional practices for adult ESL student and is currently directing a 
study  of the impact of explicit literacy instruction on low-literate adult 
ESOL  learners for the U.S. Department of Education.  He is also the project 
director for the  National Reporting System and was instrumental in developing 
this national  accountability system for federally funded adult education and 
literacy program.  Dr. Condelli's other projects include development of a  
performance-based reading assessment for low-literate adults for the National  
Assessment of Adult Literacy, funded by the National Center for Educational  
Statistics. He is a staff development and data consultant for the states of  
Alabama,  California,  Georgia and  Utah and provides training and  technical 
assistance to adult education staff in several states. Dr. Condelli  holds a Ph.D. 
in Psychology from the  University of  California. 
Donna Cornellier is the Project  Manager for the student level data system in 
 Massachusetts.  In this role, her responsibilities  include managing the 
System for Managing Accountability and Results Through Technology (SMARTT) 
development team; designing NRS  training materials, and providing training and 
technical assistance to the local  programs on using NRS data for program 
improvement. Presentations included how  assessment data is tracked in the student 
level database and what reports are  available to help programs implement the NRS 
policies. Formerly she was the  Director of a local ABE program in  
Massachusetts. She holds a Masters  degree in Educational Leadership and Management. 
Ajiit Gopalakrishnan is an  Education Consultant with the Connecticut State 
Department of Education’s Bureau  of Early Childhood, Career and Adult 
Education. He manages adult education  projects in the areas of statewide assessment, 
data management, program  accountability, and technology. 
Rosemary I. Matt has recently been  appointed to the newly developed position 
of NRS Liaison for  New York  State.  In this role, her responsibilities  
include NRS training, data management, and desk monitoring of all  New York  
State programs.  Prior to this position, Rosemary has  been in education 
throughout her career, first as a secondary education  mathematics teacher for fifteen 
years and then as the director of the  New York  State staff development 
consortium in  the mid state.   
Karen Mundie has been an adult  education professional for over thirty years. 
She is the associate director of  the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council, a 
large community-based education  organization (42 professional staff members, 
550 volunteers, and 2000 students).  She is also the director of the  
Southwest  Professional  Development  Center, where she was the lead  trainer in the 
area of using data for decision-making for three years.   Karen is a past 
president of the Pennsylvania Association for Adult and  Continuing Education 
(PAACE) and was  Pennsylvania’s Outstanding Adult  Educator for 2005. She holds two 
masters’ degrees from the  University of  Virginia.  
Joanie Rethlake, native Texan, is the state  director for adult education for 
Texas LEARNS, the state office for adult  education in Houston,  Texas and 
has responsibility for  administering the state’s adult education program and 
directing the technical  assistance and professional development offered to 
adult education and family  literacy programs across  Texas.  Formerly, she was 
the director of adult  education at Harris County Department of Education and 
past president of the  Texas Association for Literacy and Adult Education  
(TALAE).  
Sandy Strunk is Program Director  for Community Education at Lancaster 
Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13. In this role,  she provides leadership for several 
educational programs including Adult Basic  Education, the Adult  Education  
Southeast  Professional  Development  Center, Early Reading First, English  as a 
Second Language, Family Literacy, Head Start, Organ and Tissue Donation  
Awareness Education and Workforce Education.  Sandy has been an adult education  
practitioner for over twenty years. She is a past president of the PA  
Association for Adult Continuing Education, provided leadership to  Pennsylvania’s adult 
education  program improvement training system for six years (1997 – 2003) 
and continues to  provide leadership for  Pennsylvania’s family literacy  
program improvement initiative (SEQUAL). She  serves on the advisory board of the 
Goodling Institute for Research in Family  Literacy and is particularly 
interested in educational interventions that focus  on the family unit. Sandy has a 
B.S.  in education from Lock  Haven  University and a M.Ed. in Training  and 
Development from Penn  State  University. 
Luanne Teller is the Director of  Massasoit Community College’s Stoughton ABE 
(ESOL) and  Transitions to College Programs.  She was involved in 
establishing and developing of both programs.  Prior to these positions, she was the  
Coordinator of an Office Skills Job Training Program, which provided employment  
skills training to empower women to transition off of public assistance into  
full-time careers.  She holds a  degree in secondary education (French and 
Spanish).  She has served on a variety of board and  committees, as both a 
volunteer and elected official.  She is currently a member of the Board  of 
Directors for the Greater Plymouth County United Way.  She has extensive experience 
using  research data and communicating with a wide range of constituencies to 
develop  effective program plans, and to promote the commitment to continuous  
improvement. 
Marie Cora 
_marie.cora at hotspurpartners.com_ (mailto:marie.cora at hotspurpartners.com)   
NIFL Assessment Discussion List  Moderator 
_http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/assessment_ 
(http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/assessment)  
Coordinator, LINCS Assessment Special  Collection 
_http://literacy.kent.edu/Midwest/assessment/_ 
(http://literacy.kent.edu/Midwest/assessment/)  



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