Synopsis on the Evaluation of

“ESL Instruction in Adult Education: Findings form a National Evaluation”

Tamara Murray

ECUR 809.3

Dr. Jay Wilson

January 19^th, 2013

The Model and Process

The article “ESL Instruction in Adult Education: Findings from a National Evaluation” was written in July, 1995 by Nicholas B. Fitzgerald. Its primary focus was to analyze and compare three different programs that were all aimed at improving adult literacy in the United States.  Two of the programs, the ABE (Adult Basic Education) and the ASE (Adult Secondary Education) were created for native learners who read less than grade 8 and higher than grade 8 respectively.  The ESL Program (English as an Additional Language) was used to refer to those people whose primary language was not English. The underlying stated goal of the Adult Education Act was “…to help out-of-school adults (a) acquire the literacy and--in the case of ESL adults--the language skills needed to function effectively in society, (b) benefit from job training and retraining in order to obtain and retain employment, and (c) continue their education to at least the level of high school completion (Fitzgerald, 1995, p. 1). Development Associates were responsible for completing the evaluation from 1990 – 1994 and used data from April 1991-April 1992. Results were intended for the U.S. Department of Education as they federally supported the above stated adult education programs.

Three types of evaluation were implemented, formative, summative and cost effectiveness. The evaluators obtained data by several means; anecdotal notes were taken on the characteristics of the clients, patterns and predictors were made based on their attendance, self reports were given by the clients, standardized tests were studied and the impact of program costs was compared to the results. A continuum of diagnostic data and needs assessment was used over the course of the evaluation. A six month follow up was included. The evaluators modified their criteria to include both Stufflebeam’s CIPP model combined with Provus’s DIPPC model as context, input, process, product and cost benefits were all addressed.

The Strengths

           Background and current information are provided at the onset of the evaluation. This allows the reader to progress through the study with ease. As well, the evaluators used a variety of assessment models that together, provide a snapshot of the current demands on ESL literacy needs. The emphasis is on the need for adaptation and change.  Change in providing more support for the ESL programs and adapting to the increase demands of second language learners, both of which are crucial to providing a standard education program that is acceptable to both myself as a teacher and those I teach.

Identify Weaknesses

I have several concerns with this evaluation. The first is the perceived political agenda and the relationship with the evaluators; the evaluators are not clearly defined. This prompts further questioning. Who are the Development Associates? Is there an affiliation with the government? If collaboration exists, is there a hidden agenda to cut the funding to both the ABE and ASE programs? Secondly, blatant comparisons are made between native speakers’ low attendance versus ESL attendance, yet there is no mention of why this could be the case. Dysfunctional families, low income status, medical concerns, early learning intervention, schools attended, learning disabilities or other reasons could cloud the judgments being made on native learners. Conversely, the pressure to become a citizen could also certainly add to the positive attendance of second language learners.

Conclusion

The overall goal of this study was to determine if these programs were indeed doing what the Adult Education Act (AEA) intended and to decide (although it does not state this) whether or not these programs should be continued. Within the conclusion, suggestions are made for further research on how to better the ESL program, while both the ABE and ASE programs are completely left out or dismissed.

References

Fitzgerald, Nicholas B. (1995). ESL Instruction in Adult Education: Findings form a National Evaluation.   

                ERIC Digest,  ED385171.