Here is a great parent-ed resource, provided by the Latino Educational Attainment Initiative:  The Ten Education Commandments for Parents.

Excerpt from the LEA Website:

What is the future of your business?

Will your business have the skilled workers it needs to compete in the global economy?  

To fill the gaps left by education, to assist Latino parents on how to advocate for their children and to spark the importance of education in Latino neighborhoods, the Latino Educational Attainment initiative is working to unify the community, students and parents to produce a highly skilled workforce for the future.

The project’s long-term goal is to create neighborhood-based groups that will provide navigational skills to parents in all of the areas around the 100 low-performing schools in the county.

Read parent testimonials about LEA and its impact on OC neighborhoods

View survey results displaying the impact LEA is having here.

Read LEA’s profile in the Orange County Register.

I’m cleaning out old files and found this list of student retention strategies.  I don’t have an author’s name; our thanks goes out to Anonymous. 

1. Explain how classroom lessons apply to everyday life.  Show each lesson’s relevance / application.
2. Let students know they are missed when they don’t come.
3. Help your students identify a specific goal for attending your class.  Research shows that adult students with a clear goal are more likely to persist than those without.
4. Students need to “see” their progress.  It must be measurable to them:  portfolios, pre/post tests, test scores, written evaluations…
5. Employ a variety of instructional methods to reach all students. Research shows that group work and discussion generates energy and enthusiasm leading to great participation.  Do class projects!
6. Build self-efficacy/confidence by: recognizing their progress, celebrating their achievements, and presenting models of success.

Resources on student retention in adult education – worth a look!

1. Build Motivation by Building Learner Participation by Barbara Garner

2. Here Today - Gone Tomorrow:  Strategies for Motivating and Retaining Adult Learners:  Listed below are the agenda, powerpoint, and training materials from the student retention workshop conducted at the 2005 Basic Skills Conference by Kathi Polis of Strategic Training and Resources, Inc. Agenda  Powerpoint  Activity 1  Activity 2  Activity 3  Research and Resource Packet  Strategies for Managing Positive and Negative Forces  Strategies for Building Self Efficacy  Strategies for Setting Clear Goals  Strategies for Showing Progress

3. Improving Student Retention in Adult Education Programs

   1. Pre-Test

   2. Component 1: Getting Started

   3. Component 2:  Determining Retention Rates

   4. Component 4: Strategies for Success

   5. Component 4A: In Their Own Words - Students from adult education programs share their positive and negative experiences.

   6. Component 5: InterActive Time

   7. Directory of Related Links

4. Research to Practice: Increasing Retention Through Student Success By Kari Malitz and Sarah Nixon-Ponder

5. The First Three Weeks: A Critical Time for Motivation by B. Allan Quigley

Meeting_Agenda_June_06_08

Here’s What You Do to Learn English song (doc)

Here’s What You Do to Learn English song (ppt)

Newport-Mesa Adult School ~ a community of learners and leaders! 

Come celebrate our community of learners and leaders at our Student Leadership Celebration, immediately following the last Student Council meeting of the 2007-08 school year. 

Final stretch.  2 weeks.  2 days.  Too much to do! 

To help, here again are Martha’s essential tools to help you keep your sanity and enjoy the last two weeks of instruction and assessment.   Keep it smooth, friends!

 Click on BACK after viewing a file to return to this post.

CASAS Assessment Resources

• CASAS Scores & ESL Level Placement
• Sample Certificate of Achievement
• Score Conversion Chart (1)
• Score Conversion Chart (2)

ESL Curriculum Pacing Plans

• All-Star 1 Pacing Plan
• All-Star 2 Pacing Plan
• All-Star 3 Pacing Plan
• All-Star 4 Pacing Plan

ESL Student Self-Evaluations (Student Test Scores)

• Beginning Literacy
• Beginning Low
• Beginning High
• Intermediate Low
• Intermediate High
• Advanced Low
• Advanced High

Surveys

• ESL Student Textbook Survey
• High School Diploma Graduates Survey
• Student Technology Survey (Exit)

Testing and TOPS Update Schedules

• ESL Testing Calendar (CASAS and Promotional Test Dates)
• Last 2 Weeks of Instruction at BESST
• Last 2 Weeks of Instruction at CMHS
• Last 2 Weeks of Instruction at Whittier

TOPS Update Instructions

• Adults w/Disabilities & Older Adults
• Career Tech / Computers
• ESL / Citizenship/ Distance Learning

TOPS Update Materials

• TOPS Update Form
• TOPS Update Translation (Field 9)