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LR/RI produces a bulletin roughly every two weeks in order to inform area practitioners of news, events, and calls for participation and also as a forum for posing questions, issues and discussion topics. The current bulletin is posted below. To read previous bulletins, go to Bulletin Archives.

January 11, 2000

Bulletin #87

Dear Colleagues,

News of upcoming professional development events, conferences, meetings, employment opportunities and online resources. To post information, please contact LR/RI or leave a message (863-2839). Happy holidays.

Thanks.

Janet Isserlis

____________________________________________________________

NOTICES

standards : The next meeting to work on the development of standards for adult education for the state will be held on Thursday, January 27 at 1 PM, at the International Institute of Rhode Island. The meeting is open to all; we're working to develop draft standards to publicize. A larger meeting to explore the standards work in depth will be held on February 2; information coming soon about that meeting.

Sharing/discussion session for adult educators with an interest in ESOL Tuesday, February 8, 3 PM at the Genesis Center (720 Potters Avenue, Providence).

On Thursday, January, 20, RI's New England Partnership for Adults with Learning Disabilities team will present its second workshop in a series of three based on the Bridges to Practice guidebooks. The January workshop will be on screening and instructional planning for adults with learning disabilities. This workshop will not focus on formal diagnostic procedures, but will assist practitioners and programs in ways to screen for possible learning disabilities among their learners. A third workshop on instructional strategies will be scheduled for early spring.

Basic information about Bridges to Practice (the information on which much of the LD Partnership training is based, is available online at http://www.ld-read.org. NIFL's website, too, will be a good source of Bridges information within the next few weeks: http://www.nifl.gov/nifl. The workshop will take place from 1 to 4 PM in Room 228 at RIDE downtown. Convention center parking stamps will be validated after the workshop.

NCSALL's Practitioner Dissemination and Research Network is planning a study circle for Rhode Island Adult Education practitioners interested in learning more about Equipped for the Future as well as the development of standards for Rhode Island. The study circle will examine the ongoing work of the practitioner - driven development of standards in our state and the Equipped for the Future standards, focusing on the connections which may be made between them. While the number and hours of meetings have not been set, it is expected that three meetings of 2 - 3 hours each will be scheduled sometime between February and June. If you are interested in participating and would like more information, please contact David Hayes at PDRNRI@aol.com or at (401) 331-9261.

NEW ONLINE

LR/RI's welfare page has been updated; as well its newly developing substitute roster is now online at http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Swearer_Center/Literacy_Resources/sub.html A substitute teacher list is also online; those interested in adding their names should contact LR/RI.

The National Institute for Literacy has posted Literacy Skills for 21st Century America: A Blueprint for creating a more literate nation at http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/policy/summit/blueprint.html This document will inform the national literacy summit, being held next month in Washington. Your input is important. If you have trouble reading the document on line, or need a hard copy, please contact LR/RI.

Learning Disabilities and Spanish Speaking Populations. A Request for Help

An effort that the Division of Adult Education and Literacy (DAEL) of the US Department of Education's Office of Vocation and Adult Education (OVAE) is considering for the year 2000 is addressing issues of LD and ESOL. The effort would include creating a process to develop an agreed to testing protocol and screening process for learning disabilities (LD) for adult populations (primarily low-income adults) in the United States that have Spanish as their primary language. Glenn Young of the DAEL staff is working on this effort. As States address a wide range of issues, Welfare Reform and the implementation of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), including issues of adult education, it is becoming clear that programs are faced with an issue of how to identify learning disabilities in bi- or multi-lingual populations. There seems to be little understanding or agreement on how to best identify LD in this population, especially for low-income adults. While the issue of identification of LD is not limited to Spanish-speaking populations, DAEL is approaching the broader problem of LD and ESOL by address Spanish-speaking populations first. We are choosing to this approach because Spanish-speakers are the largest group of non-English speaking populations in the US, and there is also a basic foundation of work in Spanish and LD of which to build upon.

DAEL is looking at a three-step process: 1) Convene a national working meeting on issues of diagnostics and screening for LD adults who have Spanish as their primary language. 2) Field test various screens for LD in States, using the diagnostic protocol as the basis for evaluation of the screens ability to predict LD. 3) Conduct a statistical evaluation of the field tests and issues findings on predictability of the screening efforts.

This effort will require other Federal, State and local partners to complete the work. One such partnership is with the City of San Antonio, which received a Welfare-to-Work grant to work on LD issues and Spanish speaking populations, and is partnering with DAEL in the first stage of the process. Other partners will be needed to stage the meeting and conduct the field tests of the screens. However, to begin this process, DAEL and San Antonio are developing a meeting for late March - early April. The goals of the meeting are: to see if there is consensus on a diagnostic protocol for LD in Spanish speaking populations that works for low-income adults populations, and to evaluate and recommend for field testing a number of existing screens for LD in Spanish. (The screen evaluation process will use the model presented in Bridges to Practice, a manual developed by the National Adult Literacy and Learning Disabilities Center.) DAEL is seeking names of potential candidates to participate in this meeting. Our plan is to have a diverse group of participants representing adult education, high-school special education programs, post-secondary programs, Vocational Rehabilitation Services, private schools and private psychologists. We also want to include LD experts from the points of origin for Spanish speaking immigration (Puerto Rico, Mexico, Central America.) The meeting will be limited to 30 or so participants. Nominees must be LD diagnosticians who work extensively with Spanish speaking adult populations, or researchers or educators in the field of LD in non-English speaking populations, or councilors in education or work settings involved in disability issues (ie community colleges or Vocational Rehabilitation programs). Please send self- or other nominations to Glenn Young <glenn_young@ed.gov> phone 202-205-3372

From Thursday notes, January 6, 2000

Welfare to Work Changes Help Adult Ed New regulations concerning eligibility for the Welfare to Work program being implemented by the Department of Labor may free up more funding for adult education. Regulations for the 1999 WtW Amendments remove several eligibility tests required for the 70% contained in the Labor-HHS-ED FY 00 Appropriations bill. They make TANF recipients eligible if they have received assistance for at least 30 months (consecutive or not), are within 12 months of reaching their TANF time limit, or have exhausted their receipt of TANF. The amendments also add several categories of eligibility under the 30% provision, including: TANF recipients who have significant barriers to self-sufficiency under criteria established by the PIC; youth 18-25 who have aged out of foster care; and custodial parents with incomes below the poverty line. More at http://www.doleta.gov

Corrections Funding Down, Inmates Up While WIA reduces the share of adult education funding that can go to support programs for institutionalized persons, as of New Year's Day there are almost two million adults in US prisons and jails, Newsday reports. That figure is nearly 725 inmates for every 100,000 Americans. Data from the new study by the Justice Policy Institute show the prison population will be well over the 2 million mark by the end of this century's first year. The study, The Punishing Decade: Prison and Jail estimates at the Millennium also says that the cost of housing inmates will soon exceed $40 billion. More at http://www.cjcj.org

PROGRAM INFORMATION - winter 2000

Community College of Rhode Island - non-credit courses at CCRI Lincoln, and Davies Career and Technical School. registration began on January 10 at CCRI; registration and testing take place Monday trhough Friday 3 - 6 PM and Saturdays at 9:30 AM. Any new students interested in Conversation and Vocabulary and writing courses must take the placement test at the time of registration.

conversation and vocabulary: Saturday mornings, 1/22 - 4/29, Levels 1 to 6, Lincoln, $90.00; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:30 - 8:30 OM, 2/8 - 3/28, $90.00 (at Davies)

advanced writing: Saturdays, 9:30 - noon, 1/22 0 4/1, Lincoln, $90.00.

citizenship training and preparation: Saturdays, 9:00 to noon, 1/22 - 3/25, Lincoln, $80.00 computer applications and intro to windows95, office 97 - Part I (limited to 15) Saturdays, 9 to noon, 1/22 0 4/8, Lincoln, $80.00; Tuesdays, 5 to 8 PM, 1/25 - 4/11, Lincoln, $80.00

computer applications and intro to windows95, office 97 - Part II (limited to 15) Thursdays, 5 to 8 PM, 1/27 - 4/13, Lincoln, $80.00

Registration for conversation and vocabulary cannot be accepted on the first day of class so please register before classes start. Refunds are given if class is cancelled or if you withdraw before the first meeting. Testing and registration will be at the Office of Community Services in Lincoln. Please pay course fees by check or money order, payable to CCRI. Cash can not be accepted. For more information, please contact Cecilia Londoño at 333-7074. This information is also available in Spanish.

The Rhode Island Family Literacy Initiative (East Providence) will begin its ESL Family Reading Program on January 11, 2000. The class is for adults and children. The adults work in level-appropriate groups with a volunteer tutor. Students will work on reading, conversation, writing and computer skills. At the same time, the children work with a tutor to improve their reading skills and enrich their language arts experience. The program requires the invaluable assistance of volunteer tutors who work closely with a group of students to facilitate the learning process. The class meets twice a week at the Weaver Library 41 Grove Ave., East Providence, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30-8 pm for 10 weeks. Volunteers do not need any experience, just a willingness to commit to 4 hours per week for 10 weeks (we are flexible). Some training will be provided. Students or volunteers who are interested should contact Kristen McKenna at 434-2719 for more information. 

The RI Family Literacy Initiative (Cranston) will begin its ESL Family Reading Program on January 10, 2000. The class is for adults and children. The adults work in level-appropriate groups with a volunteer tutor. Students will work on reading, conversation, writing and computer skills. At the same time, the children work with a tutor to improve their reading skills and enrich their language arts experience. The program requires the invaluable assistance of volunteer tutors who work closely with a group of students to facilitate the learning process. The class meets twice a week at the Auburn Library 396 Pontiac Ave., Cranston, RI 02910, Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:00-7:30 pm for 10 weeks. Volunteers do not need any experience, just a willingness to commit to 4 hours per week for 10 weeks (we are flexible). Some training will be provided. Students or volunteers who are interested should contact Kristen McKenna at 781-6116 for more information.

Cranston Adult Vocational Programs

Classes begin February 8 and are offered to students 18 years or older and not in high school. Tuition is $75 per course. Students may only take one course per semester and only those interested in obtaining employment or upgrading job skills may enroll. Courses include nursing assistant - (with $45 testing and $20 application fee for certification) and computer skills, both offered on Thursday evenings, from 6 - 9 (with the nursing assistant course requiring an additional 20 hours practical experience). Registration: Day, at Cranston Adult Learning Center, 41 Heath Ave., (First Avenue off Elmwood), January 18-21, 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.; Evening Cranston Career and Technical Center, 100 Metropolitan Avenue (off Phoenix Ave), January 18, 6:30 -8:00 p.m. For more information, please call 785-8166.

resource available fromThe ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education: a new addition of "Information Management," the Practitioner File. This 8-page publication has articles on the need for information management skills; understanding, managing, and coping with change; information management tools, evaluating websites, teaching about information management and an extensive bibliography. Free copies available upon request from Judy Wagner, ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education, 1900 Kenny Rd / Columbus OH 43210-1090 800/848-4815 (ext 2-8625); TTY/TDD: 614/688-8734 or email wagner.6@osu.edu. Please include your mailing address.

employment opportunities at The Providence Plan [http://www.providenceplan.org]

The Providence Plan is a private, non-profit organization created by the City of Providence and the State of Rhode Island in 1992. Its mission is to serve as a catalyst for change and urban revitalization in Providence.

Policy Analyst Position to work on a wide range of urban issues. Specific responsibilities will include supporting TPP Project Directors by researching and analyzing various policy issues and developing relationships with community-based organizations that share TPP's strategic vision. Policy issues include, but are not limited to jobs/economic development, education, family issues, early childhood issues and open space/ environmental issues. The Policy Analyst also works closely with the Development Director on fundraising and proposal writing for program initiatives, as well as other communications materials. Qualifications BA/BS required. Experience in urban policy environment preferred. Computer proficiency - possess knowledge and ability to work in all TPP disciplines, excel at working with diverse constituencies including grassroots organizations, government officials, and private sector representatives. The Policy Analyst will also need solid research and analytical skills, and polished written and verbal presentation skills. S/he must be extremely well organized and able to work on multiple projects. Spanish a plus. Providence residency required within 6 months. Comprehensive salary and benefits package. Providence residency required within six months. Applications accepted until the position is filled. To apply, send a resume, cover letter, and 1-2 page writing sample to: C. Herschel The Providence Plan 56 Pine Street, Suite 3B Providence, RI 02903

Urban Information Assistant Position Responsibilities - work as part of the Information Group to support several projects, including a Community Information Network, development of a data warehouse of neighborhood indicators, and a citywide demography project that is developing a picture of population and community change in Providence. The Urban Information Assistant will also provide information technology support to other TPP projects and policy initiatives, as well as assist with information requests from outside the organization. Specific responsibilities include cleaning, organizing, updating, and maintaining multiple databases; assisting in maintaining TPP's Web site; performing statistical analysis; creating maps with geographic information systems (GIS) software; developing user interfaces and/or other applications that enable others to access information; preparing graphical presentations; and providing first line hardware and software support to TPP staff. for more information, contact TPP at address above or online.

conferences

Ninth Annual Action Conference: Advancing the agenda for working families, Saturday, January 22, 8:30 to 4:30 at the Providence Marriott.

Workshops will cover housing, nutrition, medical, transportation, senior citizens and other critical issues. Registration for student/low income elderly is $10, and $25 regular fee. For information, contact Bill Flynn at 728-5555, or FAX 725-1020. from Robert Sumner-Mack Volunteer, George Wiley Center: On January 22nd, the George Wiley Center is holding its annual R.I.Campaign to Eliminate Childhood Poverty... The focus is on ACTION - to seek commitments from key decision makers for specific achievable goals - such as extending RiteCare to a larger population of low income residents as well as more accessible mental health services; increasing funding for emergency housing to unemployed; changing bus schedules in South County and Woonsocket to facilitate auto-less employees getting to their jobs; a State-run temporary jobs agency for State jobs. NEEDED: Attendees ready to speak up and get the commitment of those who can make decisions. Follow-up at the local branches (Woonsocket, Pawtucket, etc) is critical to success. Please plan to attend [a]nd please identify others who are directly affected by these problems and encourage them to attend and become involved.

Third National PRO-NET Professional Development Conference: Looking to the future: Lessons learned and lessons to be learned in promoting effective professional development. sponsored by the US Department of Education's Division of Adult Education and Literacy and the Pelavin Research Institute, February 10 and 11, 2000 The Madison Hotel, Washington, DC. (hotel deadline for reservations is January 11; reservations made after this date will be accepted on a space available basis only and the government rate cannot be guaranteed). For information contact Renee Sherman at (202) 944-5327 or via e-mail at rsherman@air.org

Cancer, Culture and Literacy 2nd Biennial Conference May 4-6, 2000 Clearwater Beach, Florida.

Our goal for this unique interactive conference is to assist health professionals to develop effective cancer communications that are multicultural, multilingual, and literacy appropriate. Healthcare professionals interested in developing effective cultural and literacy appropriate cancer prevention and cancer control programs and messages; health educators, nurses, physicians, researchers, community leaders, outreach workers, faculty, students/ trainees, policy-makers, literacy specialists and other healthcare professionals. Information: Moffitt Cancer Center Education Program: Susan Easter, M.S. (813) 632-1775 [seaster@moffitt.usf.edu] http://www.moffitt.usf.edu/Promotions/ccl/index.htm Conference brochures and on-line registration available January 2000 Jointly sponsored by the University of South Florida and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Cancer Institute, National Institute for Literacy and Cancer Research Foundation of America

Bet on a Better Future: LDA 2000 and Beyond. International conference of the Learning Diabilities Association of America, February 16 - 19, 2000, Reno Nevada. For information, please contact LR/RI.

- Designing our future, a national Congress on women's learning, March 2 to 5, Toronto, Ontario. This national Congress provides a significant opportunity for individuals with personal or organizational interests in women's education and training to meet and network. The aims of the Congress, and associated on-line discussions, are: to clarify what we know about the challenges and opportunities that have arisen; to think together about what we can do now, through research, practice, policy, and/or advocacy to achieve more effective involvement by women in current and future learning opportunities. details about the congress and the online discussion groups concerned with congress topics/strands are online at http://www.nald.ca/CANORG/cclow/congress.htm

To Promote the General Welfare: Ending Women's Poverty, A strategic conference for action to end women's poverty, March 6-7, 2000, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington DC. Registration, $100, with limited scholarships available upon request. For information, please contact LR/RI, or see online contact information at http://www.nowldef.org/html/policy/conf2000.htm Hotel reservation deadline is February 7.

The 2nd National Conference of REFORMA (National Association to Promote Library Services for the Spanish Speaking), is scheduled for Tucson, AZ, August 3-6. Conference information may be found at: http://clnet.ucr.edu/library/reforma/rnc2/ Theme: The Power of Language: Planning for the 21st Century. The conference chair is Susana Hinojosa (shinojos@library.berkeley.edu); (510) 643-9347. The president of REFORMA is Toni Bissessar (t.bissessar@yahoo.com); (718) 230-2750. Further information may be obtained through the ALA Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS) at 800-545-2433, #4294; and the office of the ALA Diversity Officer at 800-545-2433 #4276.

Commission on Adult Basic Education National Conference - COABE Conference 2000 March 5-8, 2000, Chicago, Illinois. Conference registration and hotel information will be available online soon at http://cait.org/iacea/coabe/ .

TESOL 2000 will be held in March, in Vancouver, BC. Information is available online at http://www.tesol.edu.

relatively new on the website:

- Research Agenda for Adult ESL The National Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education, in collaboration with National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy and with additional sponsorship and support from Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, has published a Research Agenda for Adult ESL. Its objectives are to provide funders with clear priorities for funding; to provide researchers with support for proposing specific projects; and to provide a focus for dis-cussion about how to improve adult ESL programs. The document incorporates feedback from learners, instructors, program administrators, policymakers, and researchers, and is available, free, from NCLE, 4646 40th street NW, Washington, DC 20016; (202) 362-0700 extension 200, or can be downloaded from NCLE at http://www.cal.org/ncle (and is also linked to LR/RI's ESOL page).

- The Key on line - Monthly newspaper for adults in Wisconsin's basic education and ESL programs.  http://www.keynews.org/ (and is linked to LR/RI's learner page).

from previous bulletins: REMINDERS, RESOURCES:

list servs:

- LR/RI's list serv does not require membership, and eagerly welcomes additional participants. To join the list, please send your email address to janet_isserlis@brown.edu. Anyone with an interest in adult learning is encouraged to join.

LEARNER is intended primarily for adult learners. LITERACY is a general list for adult literacy practitioners and others. Information on these electronic lists is below.

LEARNER To subscribe to LEARNER, send an email message to: listserv@nysernet.org

Skip the message header and in the body of the message, type: subscribe LEARNER Yourfirstname Yourlastname All submissions to LEARNER should be addressed to: LEARNER@nysernet.org Questions regarding the list should be sent to: Beverly Choltco-Devlin Moderator, LEARNER bdevlin@dreamscape.com

LITERACY To subscribe to LITERACY, send an email message to: listserv@nysernet.org

Skip the message header and in the body of the message, type: subscribe LITERACY Yourfirstname Yourlastname All submissions to LITERACY should be addressed to: LITERACY@nysernet.org Questions regarding the LITERACY list should be sent to: Beverly Choltco-Devlin bdevlin@dreamscape.com

Welfare to work listserv: from Glenn Young - For those interested in the subject of welfare reform and learning disabilities, there has been a listserv created through NIFL. To sign up, please send a message to: listproc@literacy.nifl.gov write in the body of the message subscribe nifl-wtwld and your name. Do not write anything in the subject line and do not use any dots or dashes other than between nifl and wtwld. (Click here for more information on listservs).

women and literacy listserv.

To participate, subscribe by sending an email message to: LISTPROC@LITERACY.NIFL.GOV with the following request in the body of the message: subscribe NIFL-Womenlit firstname lastname Substitute your first and last name spelled exactly as you would like it to appear. For example, to subscribe to the NIFL-Womenlit list Sue Smith would type: subscribe NIFL-womenlit Sue Smith There should be no other text in the message (e.g., your signature block). It is recommended that the subject line be left blank if possible.