ERIC ED454401: Statewide Staff Development Project: Adults with Learning Differences. Final Report, 1999-2000.

32 Pages·2000·0.41 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
CE 081 907
ED 454 401
AUTHOR
Cooper, Richard
Statewide Staff Development Project: Adults with Learning
TITLE
Differences. Final Report, 1999-2000.
Center for Alternative Learning, Havertown, PA.
INSTITUTION
Department of Education, Washington, DC.; Pennsylvania State
SPONS AGENCY
Dept. of Education, Harrisburg. Bureau of Adult Basic and
Literacy Education.
2000-00-00
PUB DATE
NOTE
30p.
99-00-0003
CONTRACT
AdvancE State Literacy Resource Center, 333 Market St., 11th
AVAILABLE FROM
Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333; Tel: [phone]; Fax:
717-783-5420 or Center for Alternative Learning, 6 E. Eagle
Rd., Havertown PA 19083; Tel: [phone] (Toll Free); Tel:
610-446-6126; Fax: [phone]. For full text:
http://www.learningdifferences.com.
PUB TYPE Reports Descriptive (141)
EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.
Adult Education; *Adult Educators; Educational Research;
DESCRIPTORS
Language Skills; *Learning Disabilities; *Learning Problems;
Nontraditional Education; *Staff Development; State
Programs; Statewide Planning; *Teaching Methods; Technical
Assistance; Tutors; *Writing Instruction
Pennsylvania
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
This project provided adult educators in Pennsylvania with
information about adults with learning differences and training in the use of
alternative instructional techniques. Although the majority of training was
conducted through presentations, many more adult educators were affected by
the project through the information provided in the Learning disAbilities
Newsletter, the instructional materials distributed to programs, and
technical assistance available through the toll-free phone service. The
training included more than 40 topics allowing teachers and volunteer tutors
to customize their staff development to meet the specific needs of their
programs. These four new training sessions were developed as part of the
1999-2000 project year: Teaching Writing to Adults with Weak Language Skills,
Accommodating Adults with Learning Disabilities in Adult Education Programs,
Recent Research About Learning Disabilities, and Learning Disabilities Forum.
(Appendixes include a list of training dates and locations and sample
newsletter.)
(YLB)
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from the original document.
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1
Statewide Staff
Development Project:
Adults with Learning
Differences
Final Report, 1999-2000
By Richard Cooper, Ph.D.
Center for Alternative Learning
6 E. Eagle Rd.
Havertown, PA 19083
610-446-6126
Contract No. 99-00-0003
Contract Amount: $60,000.00
The activity which is the subject of this report was supported in part by the
However, the opinions expressed herein do not
U.S. Department of Education.
necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U. S. Department of Education or the
Pennsylvania Department of Education, and no official endorsement by these
agencies should be inferred.
EST COPY AVAILABLE
1
Statewide Staff
Development Project:
Adults with Learning
Differences
By Richard Cooper, Ph.D.
Center for Alternative Learning
6 E. Eagle Rd.
Havertown, PA 19083
610-446-6126
Contract No. 99-00-0003
Contract Amount: $60,000.00
The activity which is the subject of this report was supported in part by the
However, the opinions expressed herein do not
U.S. Department of Education.
necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U. S. Department of Education or the
Pennsylvania Department of Education, and no official endorsement by these
agencies should be inferred.
3
Table of Contents
Abstract
1
.
2
Introduction
Project Description
3
4
Goals
4
Objectives
Procedures
6
Project Objectives Which Were Met
10
Project Objectives Which Were Not Met
12
.
Evaluation
13
Dissemination
13
Appendices
15
Training Dates and Locations
Sample Newsletter
Abstract Page
Project No: 99-00-0003
Grant Recipient:
Center for Alternative Learning
6 E. Eagle Rd.
Havertown, PA 19083
610-446-6126
Adults with Learning
Program Name: Statewide Staff Development Project:
Differences
Grant Allocation: $60,000
Project Period: July 1, 1999 to June 30, 2000
Project Director:
Richard Cooper, Ph.D.
Project Purpose: The project proposed to provide adult educators in Pennsylvania
with information about adults with learning differences and techniques for instruction.
Project Outcomes: Adult educators in Pennsylvania who participated in the training
activities have a better understanding of adults who learn differently and learned
how to use alternative instructional tools and techniques for teaching.
Impact: The project helped to improve adult education services provided throughout
the state of Pennsylvania to adults who learn differently
Training Developed:
Four new training sessions were developed as part of this
year's project:
1) Teaching Writing to Adults with Weak Language Skills
2) Accommodating Adults with Learning Disabilities in Adult Education Programs
3) Learning Disabilities Forum
Products Available: This final report
The training
Continuation:
Project
through
offered
the Statewide
Staff
Development Project on Learning Differences will continue to provide training
through the Northwest Professional Development Center during the academic year
of 2000/01.
Conclusion/Recommendations Adult educators and volunteer tutors continue to
find that alternative instructional techniques are necessary for reaching students
who do not respond to traditional methods.
Matching the thought processes of
individuals who learn differently to specific instructional techniques offers one of the
most promising ways to help adults with weak basic academic skills to improve those
skills.
Statewide Staff Development Project:
Adults with Learning Differences
Introduction
The Statewide Staff Development project, conducted by the Center for
Alternative Learning, proposed to provide adult educators in Pennsylvania with
information about adults with learning differences and training in the use of
The project began on July 1, 1999 and
alternative instructional techniques.
This project was a continuation of projects operated
ended June 30, 2000.
during the four previous academic years.
The project director and trainer was Dr. Richard Cooper, a nationally
He worked with the
recognized expert in the field of learning disabilities.
coordinators in five of the six Professional Development Centers who received
requests for training from adult educators in their regions. The coordinators and
their staffs scheduled the training sessions and handled the logistics for the
Administrative and clerical support
majority of the project's training sessions.
was provided by staff and volunteers at the Center for Alternative Learning.
Individuals who will
staff development
find
report
this
are
useful
administrators who are interested in training adult educators and volunteer
literacy tutors to better serve the needs of adults who have learning differences,
problems and disabilities.
This report is available from the Adult Basic and Literacy Education's
Resource Center where permanent copies are on file.
AdvancE State Literacy Resource Center
333 Market St., 11th Floor
2
6
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
800-992-9192 in Pennsylvania
717-783-9192 from outside PA
Fax: [phone]
This report is also available from the:
Center for Alternative Learning
6 E. Eagle Rd.
Havertown, PA 19083
800-869-8336
610-446-6126
Fax: [phone]
This report is online at the Center's web site at:
www.learningdifferences.com
Project Description
This staff development project continues to deliver specialized training to
adult educators and volunteer tutors throughout the state through a number of
Although the majority of training was conducted through
delivery systems.
presentations by Dr. Cooper, many more adult educators were impacted by the
project through the information provided in the Learning disAbilities Newsletter,
the instructional materials which were distributed to programs and the technical
Both adult students
assistance available through the toll free phone service.
and the instructors benefited from the demonstrations of the Cooper Screening
of Information Processing.
The training offered through this project included more than 40 topics
allowing teachers and volunteer tutors to customize their staff development to
meet the specific needs of their programs. Additionally, the model of having the
expert go to the staff development regions and to individual programs provides
This model
for a sharing of information which otherwise may not take place.
3
7
also reduces the total miles traveled while increasing the number of people who
participated in the training.
Goals
To continue the staff development
The project had three goals:
1)
project, which began in the 1995/96 academic year, providing training to adult
educators about individuals with learning differences, problems and disabilities.
2) To provide the adult educators in Pennsylvania with a wide range of staff
development activities and instructional strategies for teaching students with
3) To facilitate the flow of information from international,
learning differences.
national, regional and state information centers to adult education providers in
Pennsylvania.
Objectives
The project goals were to be achieved through the following objectives:
To operate a statewide staff development project in each of the six
1.
regional professional development centers which continues the training for adult
educators in the previous four projects.
To use a variety of staff development methods (training sessions,
2.
video recordings, printed materials, classroom demonstrations and observations.
the 800 phone line, newsletter, fax, e-mail, web site and listserv) to help adult
educators improve their instructional skills.
To provide training to at least 200 adult educators who did not
3.
participate in the previous years' project and to provide advanced training to at
least 350 adult educators.
4
To conduct a minimum of 60 staff development activities in the
4.
regional staff development centers and adult education agencies throughout the
state.
With the assistance and cooperation of the regional Professional
5.
Development Centers, to reach out to agencies whose staff have not received
training about adults with learning differences.
To encourage the use of screening for learning differences and
6.
provide adult educators with instructional strategies and techniques which
matches the individual's learning differences found through the screening.
To operate the staff development project incorporating the ABLE
7.
Guiding Principles for Staff Development.
8. To spend time weekly reviewing the many research projects that are
being conducted around the nation and to share that information and information
Institute for Health, and
Institute for Literacy,
from the National
National
University Research Centers with adult educators in Pennsylvania.
9. To provide technical assistance, as requested, for anyone in the state
offering training with the Learning Differences Modules and the National Institute
for Literacy's Bridges to Practice.
10. To distribute alternative instructional materials and the administrator's
manual for the Cooper Screening of Information Processing to programs which
would like to use those materials.
To make information about this project and learning differences
11.
available on the Center's web site.
12. To prepare and submit a final report.
5
Procedures
The popularity of this staff development project has continued to increase
with Dr. Cooper spending approximately half of his time on the project. As in
previous project years, the availability of training, the schedule of training
sessions and a description of the project were posted on the Center's web site
and described in the Learning disAbilities Newsletter.
The training module, Characteristics of Adults Who Learn Differently,
offered across the state through the Professional Development Centers,
provided adult educators with an overview of learning differences, problems and
The participants were encouraged to attend follow-up training
disabilities.
sessions offered by Dr. Cooper on how to instruct adults who learn differently.
is highly recommended that individuals attend the initial
Although it
training session, either during previous project years or by attending the module
training, before they attend other training offered through this project, adult
educators could attend any training sessions since they stand alone and provide
information about specific instructional strategies. The topics for these training
sessions were determined by the staff of the host agency or the staff of the
regional Professional Development Centers. Two new training sessions were
added to the project this year, Teaching Writing to Individuals with Weak Written
Language Skills and Recent Research about Learning Disabilities..
The former
became the most popular training session this year.
As in other training years, some agencies opened the training sessions to
The responses from these sessions were again
both teachers and learners.
very positive. The students reported that they learned much about themselves,
and the teachers and tutors reported that observing the students' reactions to
the information and techniques provided them with insights into the students'
educational experiences and learning differences.
6
10