California Adult Literacy Professional Development Project

Authors: Sandra Kerka, The Ohio State University, and Erik Jacobson, CALPRO, May 2006

This annotated bibliography highlights studies that focus on adult numeracy practice and pedagogy, including studies of specific classroom strategies.

Authors: John R. Kruidenier, Charles A. MacArthur, and Heide S. Wrigley, October 2010
Produced by Literacy Information and Communication System/National Institute for Literacy

This report is a follow–up to the original review of adult education reading instruction, Research–Based Principles for Adult Basic Education Reading Instruction [PDF] (2002). This new report presents findings from an analysis of reading instruction research base. It is designed as a resource for adult educators and reading researchers.

Author: Susan McShane, National Center for Family Literacy, 2005

This report offers teachers a basic understanding of research-based reading instruction and offers suggestions for starting to teach reading. The author intends for this information to make teachers interested in learning even more about how to teach reading.

Author: Amy R. Trawick
Produced by the American Institutes for Research through a contract with the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education, May 2018.

This 2018 report supplements the previously published Using the PIACC Literacy Framework to Guide Instruction: An Introduction for Adult Educators and provides literacy instructors ways to implement contextualized reading instruction to a population with varied needs and educational backgrounds. By connecting real-world reading tasks and standards-based instruction, this report provides resources for teachers to consider when planning a contextualized reading curriculum. The supplemental report is based on data originally released by the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIACC) in September 2016 and was produced by the American Institutes for Research through a contract with the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education.

Author: Sandra Kerka, The Ohio State University, January 2005
Produced by California Adult Literacy Professional Development Project

Among the foundational learning theories used to guide practice in adult education are self–directed learning and transformative learning. Although both have been widely discussed and researched, only a small number of studies focus specifically on applying these theories to the experiences of learners in Adult Basic Education (ABE), General Educational Development (GED), or English as a Second Language (ESL). This brief describes implications of this research for practice with ABE, GED, and ESL learners.

Author: John Tibbetts and Anestine Hector-Mason, September 2015
Produced by California Adult Literacy Professional Development Project

Collaboration has been shown through research to be an effective strategy both in the classroom and in program management. This CALPRO Research Brief examines the research as it applies to both Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) at the program level, and to classroom instruction, and finds that in both applications collaboration improves outcomes.

Authors: Committee on Learning Sciences: Foundations and Applications to Adolescent and Adult Literacy; Alan M. Lesgold and Melissa Welch-Ross, Editors; National Research Council (2012).

This 504-page report synthesizes the research on literacy and learning to improve literacy instruction in the United States and to recommend a more systemic approach to research, practice, and policy. From the National Academies Press (NAP) Web site, readers may read the report online, download free PDF files of the full report and a 24-page summary, or purchase the book. Visit the NAP Web site.

Authors: Sandra Kerka, The Ohio State University, and Erik Jacobson, CALPRO, January 2005

This annotated bibliography highlights readings that speak to the problem of defining participatory education ("what is it?") and the methods for putting this theory into practice ("how do you do it?").

Authors: Cherise G. Moore, Ph.D, June 2011

This article examines the role counseling plays in adult learner transitions from adult education programs to postsecondary education. In recent years, there has been a growth in the research on adult learner transitions to postsecondary education. In this brief, the research findings and recommendations are shared on the role of counselors in successfully transitioning adult learners to postsecondary education and ensuring they are successful in meeting their educational goals of entering postsecondary education.

Author: Anne Mishkind, CALPRO, July 2016

This brief provides an overview of research on effective teaching that can be applied in multiple settings by a broad range of teachers across diverse settings. Adult education in California takes place in environments including school districts, community colleges, community-based organizations, libraries, and correctional facilities, and serves students with skills that range from basic literacy to international professional training. Across contexts, research finds that effective teaching is enriched by:

• thoughtful attention to student backgrounds,
• collecting and using student data to inform the implementation of evidence based practices including (1) learner-centered instruction, (2) rich and contextualized content knowledge, (3) use of standards to inform learning objectives, and (4) attention to foundational skills and higher-order thinking, and planning for professional development that targets specific teacher competencies