An Evidence-based Adult Education Program Model Appropriate for Research

Comings, John P.; Soricone, Lisa; Santos, Maricel G.

doi:10.1037/e549802010-001

Cited by 9 publications

(15 citation statements)

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“…As Comings and Soricone (2006) have noted, most studies of such programs lack longitudinal samples and/or appropriate comparison groups, and, perhaps most troubling, implemented programs often deviate from their Practice/initiative Key features…”

Section: Learning Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 98%

Challenges and Opportunities for Improving Community College Student Success

Goldrick‐Rab

2010

Review of Educational Research

329

205

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Many of the democratizing opportunities provided by community colleges are diminished in the eyes of policy makers by inadequate rates of success. In particular, large proportions of students who enter community colleges do not persist for longer than a semester, complete a program, or attain a credential. This review critically examines academic and policy research in search of explanations, emphasizing what is known about challenges stemming from three levels of influence: the macro-level opportunity structure; institutional practices; and the social, economic, and academic attributes students bring to college. It provides examples of how factors operating at each level affect rates of success at key times, including the initial transition to college, the experience of remedial education, and persistence through credit-bearing coursework. The article also discusses potential and ongoing reforms that could increase rates of community college success by addressing one or more areas of influence (the macro, the institutional, or the individual). It is concluded that increasing success in the open-access, public 2-year sector requires reforms directed at multiple levels and cannot be achieved with either student-or institution-focused incentives alone.

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Section: Learning Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 98%

Challenges and Opportunities for Improving Community College Student Success

Goldrick‐Rab

2010

Review of Educational Research

329

205

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“…Adults have different experiences with schooling and motivational reasons for pursuing literacy instruction (NRC, 2012). Further, adult students often must satisfy a range of complex obligations, such as family demands, transportation barriers, and financial costs, in order to attend class (Comings & Soricone, 2007). In light of all of this, we recognized the need to be mindful of the differences between school-age children and adult learners and of the fact that as an understudied field, ABE presents particular research challenges.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In light of all of this, we recognized the need to be mindful of the differences between school-age children and adult learners and of the fact that as an understudied field, ABE presents particular research challenges. Most notably, ABE programs suffer from a lack of theory-based models for instruction and service delivery and limited research resources (Comings & Soricone, 2007). Thus, through observation and interviews, we endeavored to understand the adult students’ personal and learning aims and what they perceived as helpful to them in achieving their goals.…”

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confidence: 99%

Defining Success in Adult Basic Education Settings: Multiple Stakeholders, Multiple Perspectives

et al. 2013

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This study employed quantitative and qualitative research approaches to investigate what constitutes “success” in Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs from the perspectives of multiple educational stakeholders: the state funding agency, the teachers, and the students. Success was defined in multiple ways. In the quantitative section of the study, we computed classroom value-added scores (used as a metric of the state’s definition of success) to identify more and less effective ABE classrooms in two Florida counties. In the qualitative section of the study, we observed and conducted interviews with teachers and students in the selected classrooms to investigate how these stakeholders defined success in ABE. Iterative consideration of the qualitative data revealed three principal markers of success: (a) instructional strategies and teacher-student interactions; (b) views on standardized testing; and (c) student motivational factors. In general, classrooms with higher value-added scores were characterized by multiple instructional approaches, positive and collaborative teacher-student interactions, and students engaging in goal setting and citing motivational factors such as family and personal fulfillment. The implications for ABE programs are discussed.

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“…The three positive aspects described here are: (1) the small number of studies that both address important questions and apply rigorous scientific methods, (2) the possibility of measuring impact on several important adult roles, and (3) the ease of access to adult populations. Beder (1999), Kruidenier (2002), and Comings, et al (2006) found that the field of adult literacy research has only a small number of studies that meet the criteria for scientific research. This is a problem for the field, but it could be an opportunity for researchers, particularly those who are at early stages in their careers.…”

Section: Opportunities Provided By Research In the Adult Literacy Fieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Kruidenier (2002) identified only 70 adult reading research studies that met the standards of scientific research. Comings, Soricone, and Santos (2006) reviewed the literature on advice for the design of services (including such factors as management, intake, orientation, support services, learning resources, and reengagement of dropouts, but excluding instruction of specific content such as reading, writing, or math) and found that little scientific research conducted in adult literacy programs supported the advice. All three reviews acknowledge that the weakness of the research base is due, in part, to challenges to obtaining meaningful results from scientific research that plague studies in the adult literacy field.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%