An Exploratory Examination of Literacy Assessment Practices of Adult Programs in North Carolina's Piedmont-Triad Region

It is estimated that 22 percent, of adults in the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina have poor literacy skills, meaning that they have difficulty with tasks involving simple texts and documents. Purpose: Given this low level of adult literacy, the purpose of this exploratory research study was to anal...

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Hauptverfasser: Byrd, Eboni Nikita, Comer, Marcus M
Format: Report
Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:It is estimated that 22 percent, of adults in the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina have poor literacy skills, meaning that they have difficulty with tasks involving simple texts and documents. Purpose: Given this low level of adult literacy, the purpose of this exploratory research study was to analyze the perceptions of North Carolina's adult program personnel regarding adult participation in these programs and related activities. In order to accomplish this purpose, the following research goals were developed: (1) To determine how adult programs in the Piedmont-Triad region of North Carolina define literacy; (2) To determine how adult literacy is assessed by adult programs in the Piedmont-Triad region of North Carolina; (3) To determine strategies utilized by adult programs in the Piedmont-Triad region to address adult literacy; and (4) To determine what the characteristics of literacy challenged adults enrolled in adult programs in the Piedmont-Triad region of North Carolina are. Methodology: Using a descriptive design a survey instrument containing 17 questions designed to gauge the opinion of administrators and instructors regarding assessment practices of adult programs in North Carolina. Data were analyzed. Results: Based on the data collected the researcher determined that administrators of adult programs in the Piedmont-Triad region of North Carolina define the term literacy as how well the learner is able to read and write. Literacy comprehension and reading are said to be synonymous because when understanding breaks down, reading actually has not occurred. Administrators in North Carolina measure literacy skills on a scale consisting of three major components. They are prose, document, and quantitative. This study also found that programs in the Triad-Piedmont region of North Carolina use strategies such as Adult Basic Education (ABE), English as a Second Language (ESL), English Literacy/Civics Education (EL/Civics), Adult Secondary Education (ASE), Family Literacy, Correction Education and School-to-Work to address adult literacy. (Contains 12 tables.)