Seeing Progress

Evidence-based Strategies - Examples, Research and Tools

Strategy d: Assess and address learning difficulties, including vision and hearing screenings, trauma, addiction and other mental health issues.

Examples

Changing Practice, Expanding Minds
Kate Nonesuch
A fascinating description of the author's efforts to respect and work with student resistance. Research in her class uncovered a positive correlation between student expression of resistance and student retention.

Research

Goal-Setting in the New River Valley: Teachers’ Perceptions and Strategies
Sue Barton
Inquiry into how teachers are setting goals with students shows that they use a variety of strategies and hold a range of perspectives on the benefits and challenges.

"Then I Stop Coming to School": Understanding Absenteeism in an Adult English as a Second Language Program
Susan L. Schalge and Kay Soga
This case study describes the distinct views of one program’s teachers and students regarding the structure and relevance of instruction, and its impact on absenteeism. Lack of transparency resulted in unclear expectations and an uncertain sense of progress.

Retention through Redirection Protocol - Feature # 2: An effective process for helping learners set realistic career and employment goals
College Sector Committee on Adult Upgrading
The authors reviewed program policies (procedures, handbooks and guidelines) from nine colleges in Canada to see how attendance, progress and conduct were addressed. They also asked practitioners about specific retention supports or strategies that might uphold their policies. They describe strategies and approaches for setting short- and long-term goals.

Tools

Adult Learner Goals Toolkit
Colorado Department of Education/Adult Education and Family Literacy
This resource includes dozens of tools, drawn from state and national projects. They address: setting goals, exploring feelings around goal work, revisiting goals to show progress or revise the goals, and celebrating accomplishments.

Equipped for the Future (EFF) Teaching/Learning Toolkit
Steps 3 and 4 in the EFF Toolkit include concrete tools and processes for helping students map out their learning and then develop goal-specific tools to monitor their progress.

Initial Interview Forms
Community Action, Inc.
These forms for setting and tracking goals were developed with the aim of building on student strengths.