Dear Colleagues,

The following post/update is from David Rosen.
marie cora
Assessment Discussion List Moderator
_____________


AAACE-NLA Colleagues,

The Literacy President survey was conducted in April and May, 2006.  
Participants selected their top eight questions from an online survey  
of twenty possible questions to ask the candidates for President in  
2008.  The questions from the survey came primarily from  
practitioners, in response to a series of requests on the AAACE- 
National literacy Advocacy electronic list, and also from questions  
on the 2004 Literacy President survey.

1666 people responded.

. Practitioners: 82.7%
. Learners (e.g. adult new reader, adult education program graduate)  
6.3%
. College or university students in adult education: 3.8%
. Other: 10.8%

. Female: 82.2%

The top 12 participating states in order of the most participants, were:

1. Pennsylvania:   193
2. Tennessee: 142
3. Washington: 140
4. Massachusetts: 104
5. Kansas: 99
6. Illinois: 97
7. California: 95
8. Ohio: 80
9. Georgia: 65
10. Virgnia: 61
11. New Jersey: 52
12. Minnesota: 49

Taking into account both the number of people who selected a given  
question and its assigned priority it was difficult to determine the  
top five questions.  Instead, I have listed the top seven questions.  
Note that questions 6 and 7 were close in number of votes  and that  
they had a higher percentage of people choosing them in their top  
three priorities.

Top Seven Questions

The Working Poor.

1. In 2000, 6.4 million American adults were classified as the  
"working poor." The majority -three-fifths- worked full-time but  
remained in poverty. To make a "living wage" many of these adults  
require further education and training. For many, the lack of a high  
school diploma and strong literacy skills is a barrier to the  
training needed to obtain a job with a living wage. What will you do  
to address this issue?

Total respondents who chose this:                         790
%age which chose this as one of top 3 priorities:     43%

2. Priority of Adult Education

As President, will you make adult education and literacy one of your  
top three educational priorities?

Total respondents who chose this:                         710
%age which chose this as one of top 3 priorities:     74%

3. Professional Development and Support for Teachers

Given the importance of adult literacy education and its impact on  
the workforce, what will you do to ensure sufficient training,  
salaries, and benefits for adult basic education teachers?

Total respondents who chose this:                         683
%age which chose this as one of top 3 priorities:     32%

4. Competitiveness in a World Economy

A recent government survey indicates that 93 million individuals are  
at risk at home, at work and in the community because of low levels  
of literacy. What new investment in adult education will you make to  
increase access for the unemployed, new immigrants and other at risk  
populations in order to keep our nation competitive?

Total respondents who chose this:                         673
%age which chose this as one of top 3 priorities:     51%

5. Adults Left Behind

What role should the federal government take in providing services  
for adults and out-of-school youth who have been "left behind" by the  
educational system in their states?

Total respondents who chose this:                         652
%age which chose this as one of top 3 priorities:     41%

6. Intergenerational Literacy

Children who do not get an education now will become adults who need  
literacy skills. Then, as parents, they are unable help their  
children with schoolwork. Without strong parental support for  
education, children of these individuals may also be left behind.  
What do you see as the role of adult education programs in addressing  
this intergenerational literacy issue?

Total respondents who chose this:                         645
%age which chose this as one of top 3 priorities:     44%

7. Funding

Do you believe that Adult Education and Literacy services (including  
English language learning and family literacy) should be available to  
all residents who need and seek those services? If so, are you  
willing to support an increase in funding that would eliminate long  
waiting lists for these services?

Total respondents who chose this:                         641
%age which chose this as one of top 3 priorities:     46%


Comments from participants:

There were 135 participants who chose to comment on the questionnaire  
or its process:

. Twenty two said they thought the questions were good, that it was  
hard to choose, that all the questions are important, that all should  
be asked.

. Nine said the survey was hard to complete, cumbersome, complicated,  
time-consuming, difficult mechanically.

. Nine said we shouldn't ask yes/no questions.  One said we shouldn't  
ask open-ended questions.

. Three said the questions should be shorter.

. Three objected to the wording of some of the questions, which  
appeared to them to include illegal immigrants.

. Two said the questionnaire was too hard for some students.


David J. Rosen
Adult Literacy Advocate
DJRosen at theworld.com