From EGAP to Beyond

System for Adult Basic Education Support

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Volume 5 October 1993

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Introduction:
A Matter of Stance and Dance
Loren McGrail, Editor

The Process of Component #3
Lindy Whiton

A Reflection on the Ideal vs. the Real
Janet Kelly

DANGER: Road Construction Ahead
Paul Trunnell

Adapting Tools to New Programs
Martha Oesch

Evolution of an Assessment Tool
Caroline Gear

Reflecting on the Links Between Literacy Practices and Community Development
Judy Hofer and Pat Lawson

Analyzing Self Evaluation Checklists: A Starting Point for Dialogue
Andrea Mueller

Reflections on On-going Assessment: How to Document Self Esteem and Community
Eileen Barry and Pat F.

Book Review:
It Belongs to Me: A Guide to Portfolio Assessment in Adult Education
Steve Reuys

Letter from the Field:
The Case for Pre-Goal Setting
Don Robishaw

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Adapting Tools to New Programs

Martha Oesch
Community Action, Inc.
Haverhill, MA

Prior to my involvement in Component 3 of the GOALS Project, the use of alternative assessment in Community Action, Inc.’s education programs was confined primarily to one program, Adult Education for the Homeless. It was also slowly being developed for the adult basic education and English as a Second Language program.

As in many programs, the funding source tended to overly influence the type of assessment done. There had always been a distinction between what happened in the DOE-funded programs and the Job Training and Partnership Administration (JTPA)-funded programs. DOE-funded programs encouraged the development of new materials and alternative means of assessing student progress. But the requirements of JTPA-funded programs often limited how far one could go beyond traditional testing and the use of competency-based materials.

The staff had begun experimenting how to integrate more alternative assessment techniques into the JTPA curriculum while still meeting contractual obligations. Participation in Component 3 provided a mechanism to reflect on how to do this better, what the considerations were, and how to continue adapting materials to other programs.

As noted above, Community Action, Inc. has been using an alternative assessment tool in its Adult Education for the Homeless Program for three years. The tool, the Educational Goals Assessment Package (EGAP) (see Germanowski, Adventures in Assessment, Volume I) was originally developed for a DOE-funded adult program serving new readers to those ready for the GED. Despite its original focus for DOE-funded programs, CAI has been modifying EGAP for quite a different use, namely its Entry Employment Experience Program, a GED program for youth who have dropped out of school. The EEE program is a JTPA-funded youth program serving learners at a pre-GED and GED level. These differences influenced the modifications that were made. I will briefly describe the EGAP, and then discuss how and why it was adapted for use in the EEE program.

EGAP Already Modified for Adult Ed Program
The EGAP contains initial assessment and goal setting tools, as well as a means for tracking on-going learner progress. CAI made several revisions to the EGAP for the Adult Education for the Homeless Program. One revision was in format. The teacher found that learners were not filling in the goal for the next day on their daily logs. The teacher increased the space dedicated to this to emphasize its importance.

Another revision was the addition of a checklist for reading to give the teacher a better idea of what people have read and to see what they are interested in reading to facilitate planning instruction and to understand motivations.

The goals of the EEE program are to assist youths to attain a GED and to increase their reading by two grade levels and then one of three other options: to transfer to a skills training program, enter higher education, or get a job. The program serves 30 youths each year.

The funding source conducts an initial educational assessment using the ABLE. Learners must score at a minimum 4th grade level in reading and math to be referred. If accepted, learners are in the program for an average of six months.

Meeting contractual outcomes is imperative to re-funding. Learners enrolled are reassessed by the EEE teacher in reading and math using a modified SRA math assessment and a teacher-developed reading test.

Needed Better Assessment Tool to Focus on Strengths, Not Weaknesses
Missing from the assessment array was a means for the teacher to identify learners’ strengths and to more quickly engage them in the learning process. The teacher wanted learners to be more reflective of and to take more responsibility for their learning. The short-term nature of the program and its required outcomes made it important for the learners to make a strong commitment to following through on their educational goals. The pattern had been that learners dropped out or did not complete if they were not committed or did not assume responsibility for what happened to themselves in the program.

The initial assessment performed by the funding source tends to focus more on identifying learner weaknesses and how to address those than on identifying learner strengths. The teacher wanted a more positive means for engaging with learners to demonstrate that she was there not to “fix” the learner, but to help the learner build on his/her strengths.

The EEE teacher used the checklist from the EGAP for this purpose for a year, but found this did not work well for the learners. Many of the youths are at a GED level and felt some of the lists were silly and not relevant. The teacher also decided that the EGAP lists were too formulaic for the youths. They did not see the meaning of it, and saw the EGAP as something the teacher was making them do.

The teacher also wanted more extended answers than the “yes,” “no,” or other one-word answers she was receiving to questions. The teacher felt the format was too confusing to learners. Youths would check topics just because they thought they needed to for test purposes. When asked why they had checked a particular topic, the youths could not explain their choices. The teacher wanted to get the learners thinking more and coming up with new ideas of what they wanted to do.

In amending the EGAP, the teacher made two major changes. First, the teacher identified which topics the learners had consistently checked off from the EGAP lists and then wrote an open-ended question which related to the topic. The teacher kept the EGAP list for types of reading done by the student, but added a section for the learner to list what they had read in each category.

Second, the teacher revised the daily log. The EEE teacher used the EGAP’s daily log for a year, but found that learners were not consistent in filling out the log daily. They either forgot or did not know what to write. The teacher modified it to a twice-weekly log. Learners do a weekly plan on Mondays and — if they want — can comment on their progress throughout the week in a space provided. On Fridays, each learner writes about the week, what worked for her and what she will do differently the following week. The teacher will be using this form in the fall. Because the program is time limited, the teacher felt it important to set specific weekly goals.

At the same time, the teacher was adapting the EGAP for use in the classroom, she was also working on revising the curriculum. The changes in the curriculum included incorporating the use of math manipulatives and hands-on science lessons. The revisions in the EGAP to better engage learners in their own learning were also being addressed in the curriculum.
Though the two assessment forms are different in format — and to some extent content — the ultimate purpose of both the EGAP and the EEE Initial Interview and Weekly Plan are the same: to assist learners in taking responsibility for their learning and to give teachers information for developing individualized instruction.

Entry Employment Experience Program
Education Component: Initial Interview

Name: _________________________Date:_________ Age:_______
First Language:___________________________________________
Educational background:____________________________________
Last school attended:______________________________________
Last grade attended: Last grade completed:_____________________
Date last attended:________________________________________

Self-Rating
My reading skills are: Excellent | Good | Fair | Need Work
Explain your rating:

My math skills are: Excellent | Good | Fair | Need Work
Explain your rating:

My writing skills are: Excellent | Good | Fair | Need Work
Explain your rating:

The following questionnaire is designed to provide you with an opportunity to communicate with the education instructor about what you’d like to learn and how you learn best. The best learning takes place in a supportive environment where people are able to discuss ideas and problems as they arise. Communication is the mutual responsibility of all involved in the learning process and this questionnaire will begin that communication process.

Career/Work Goals
I would like to…
attend college to study____________________________________
attend a training program for _______________________________
get a job as a __________________________________________

The thing I need to work hardest on to achieve my career and educational goals is_______________________________________________

Personal Goals
The following questions give you an opportunity to describe other things about yourself besides your educational and career goals. Please complete all statements and give as much information and explanation as possible.

In my free time, I like to
_____________________________________________________

Some of my characteristics which I like are
_____________________________________________________

Some obstacles that keep me from doing things I’d like to do are
_____________________________________________________

Other things I would like to learn (please describe any experience with the following)
managing money effectively
_____________________________________________________
understanding pricing, discounts, etc.
_____________________________________________________
registering to vote
_____________________________________________________
getting a library card
_____________________________________________________
learning to use the library
_____________________________________________________
getting involved in community activities
_____________________________________________________
learning about careers such as
_____________________________________________________
protecting my health effectively
_____________________________________________________
managing time effectively
_____________________________________________________

Please add at least one other thing you would like to learn
_____________________________________________________

Please list at least one thing which you can teach others
_____________________________________________________

Do you learn better working with others or alone? Please explain.
_____________________________________________________

Do you learn best by watching someone else, by reading about something, by listening to someone or by doing something yourself? Explain, and if possible, give an example of something you learned well and how you learned it.
_____________________________________________________

Interests
There are no right or wrong answers for the following questions. The purpose is to identify possible interests and learning styles for each person.

My favorite subject in school was because
_____________________________________________________

The most memorable thing I ever learned in school was

I’ve always wanted to learn or do
_____________________________________________________

Name at least two things you’ve seen or heard about and would like to understand better
_____________________________________________________

Would you rather read a good story or a news magazine? Why?
_____________________________________________________

Would you rather listen to an older relative talk about your family history or listen to the news? Why?
_____________________________________________________

Would you rather discuss personal and social values and how they fit into your life or how the body works? Why?
_____________________________________________________

Name at least two other things you enjoy reading about or discussing (some examples might be hobbies, places you’ve lived, sports, current events or news you’re concerned about, health, movies, music, etc.)
_____________________________________________________

Life Skills
Describe a situation where you were able to help yourself or someone else accomplish something (some examples may include resolving a conflict, doing a budget, doing something positive for your health, etc.)
_____________________________________________________
Have you ever been unable to do something you really wanted to do because you didn’t have the necessary skills or information? Please describe
_____________________________________________________

Are there forms, labels, documents, reference books, maps, etc. which you would like to learn more about?
_____________________________________________________

Personal Reading and Writing
I would like to read for enjoyment (please list anything you’ve read recently in any category)

adventure_______________ mystery _______________
romance _______________history _______________
sports _______________music_______________
poetry _______________religion_______________
horror _______________
TV & movies _______________true-life stories _______________
self-help _______________how-to hobbies parenting ____________
science fiction_____________magazines newspapers ____________

I have written or would like to write:
poems _______________songs_______________
stories _______________ journal/diary____________ essays_______________ school papers _______________
news articles _______________letters _______________
advice to others _______________

Other reading or writing skills you have or would like to have:

The best thing I ever read was
_____________________________________________________
The best movie or TV program I ever saw was
_____________________________________________________

I also enjoy:
cartooning _______________painting_______________
drawing _______________singing _______________
other _______________

Educational goals plan

Name: Date:

What do you want to accomplish in our class?

These are my educational goals. I’ll work on them every day in class:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Weekly Plan

Name: ______________________________Date:_____________

My goals for this week are (include page numbers, specific tests, writing, as well as understanding concepts and ideas, etc.)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Please feel free to make changes in your goals during the week and voice any concerns, questions, etc. in the space below.
Day ________________Your Comments

Friday: How did your week go? What strategies were helpful and what will you do differently next week?

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