Here are a few of the difficult and important questions on which we work with clients:
- What assessment design will most effectively gather policy-relevant information about the literacy skills of large populations?
- How can we identify the best strategies for teaching adults whose second language is English?
- How do you best measure the effectiveness of adult education programs in a short time frame?
- What are appropriate and measurable instructional content standards in reading, math, and English language acquisition?
- How can results of a federally funded adult education program be reported so that states can identify effective practices and assess progress toward adult education goals?
- How can a national reporting system best support instructors in their planning and program development on behalf of students?
- What are the components of an effective professional development system, and how can states implement such a system?
Our work provides the adult education community with tools necessary to determine and incorporate effective practices, and affords adult education stakeholders information on policy, research findings, and initiatives in the field.
Our research methods in the adult literacy field include:
- Visiting instructional sites
- Developing and conducting mail surveys and instructor interviews
- Planning and conducting national training conferences
- Creating professional development materials, including on-line courses of instruction
- Developing and maintaining Web sites
- Developing accountability software
- Synthesizing relevant research
- Preparing policy- and practice-relevant reports