Abstract
Adult literacy programs are characterized by high attrition rates. Rigorous exploration of student persistence in adult reading classes is lacking. This study was an attempt to understand the profiles of adults who completed reading classes compared to a group of adults who made it to the midpoint and a group of adults who did not make it to the midpoint. Students were offered 100 h of instruction. Of the 395 students who attended the first day of class, only 198 completed the program. Results indicated that English language status, age, some reading related skills, class assignment, avoidance of reading, previous adult education experience, and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefit receipt variables significantly predicted persistence. The significance of some of these predictors varied based on analyzing midpoint completion or full completion. To further explore the characteristics of the sample, the most representative participants were selected from the group that did not make it to midpoint and from the group that completed the program. Results indicated that the most representative members of these two groups differed in English language status, gender, age, some reading related skills, and information access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alamprese, J. A. (2009). Developing learners’ reading skills in adult basic education programs. In S. Reder & J. Bynner (Eds.), Tracking adult literacy and numeracy skills: Findings from longitudinal research (pp. 107–131). New York, NY: Routledge.
Alamprese, J. A., MacArthur, C. A., Price, C., & Knight, D. (2011). Effects of a structured decoding curriculum on adult literacy learners’ reading development. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 4, 154–172. doi:10(1080/19435747),2011,555294.
Blachowicz, C. L. Z. (2004). Reading fluency reader. Columbus, OH: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill.
Comings, J. P. (2009). Student persistence in adult literacy and numeracy programs. In S. Reder & J. Bynner (Eds.), Tracking adult literacy and numeracy skills: Findings from longitudinal research (pp. 160–176). New York, NY: Routledge.
Comings, J., Parella, A., & Soricone, L. (1999). Persistence among adult basic education students in pre-GED classes (NCSALL report no. 12). Cambridge, MA: National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy, Harvard Graduate School of Education.
CTB/McGraw-Hill. (1994). TABE: Tests of adult basic education. Monterey, CA: CTB/McGraw-Hill.
Dirkx, J. M., & Jha, L. R. (1994). Completion and attrition in adult basic education: A test of two pragmatic prediction models. Adult Education Quarterly, 45, 269–285.
Dunn, L. M., & Dunn, L. M. (1998). Peabody picture vocabulary test (3rd ed.). Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.
Farrell, E., Peguero, G., Lindsey, R., & White, R. (1988). Giving voice to high-school students—pressure and boredom, Ya know what im sayin. American Educational Research Journal, 25, 489–502.
Flugman, B., Perin, D., & Spiegel, S. (2003). An exploratory case study of 16–20 year old students in adult education programs. New York, NY: Center for Advanced Study in Education.
Greenberg, D. (2008). The challenges facing adult literacy programs. Community Literacy Journal, 3, 39–54.
Greenberg, D., Wise, J. C., Morris, R., Fredrick, L. D., Rodrigo, V., Nanda, A. O., et al. (2011). A randomized control study of instructional approaches for struggling adult readers. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 4, 101–117. doi:10(1080/19435747),2011,555288.
Harting, D. (2006). The challenges of serving youth: How programs are coping with a new reality (pp. 8–10). Fall: Litscape.
Hock, M. F., & Mellard, D. F. (2011). Efficacy of learning strategies instruction in adult education. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 4, 134–153. doi:10(1080/19435747),2011,555291.
Kutner, M., Greenberg, E., Jin, Y., Boyle, B., Hsu, Y., & Paulsen, C. (2006). Literacy in everyday life: Results from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NCES 2006–477). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute for Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics.
Merriam, S. B., Caffarella, R. S., & Baumgartner, L. M. (2007). Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
Miller, B., Esposito, L., & McCardle, P. (2011). A public health approach to improving the lives of adult learners: Introduction to the special issue on adult literacy interventions. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 4, 87–100. doi:10(1080/19435747),2011,555287.
National Research Council. (2012). Improving adult literacy instruction: Options for practice and research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Purcell-Gates, V., Jacobson, E., & Degener, S. (2004). Print literacy: Uniting cognitive and social practice theories. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Quigley, B. (1997). Rethinking literacy education: The critical need for practice-based change. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Reder, S. (2009). The development of literacy and numeracy in adult life. In S. Reder & J. Bynner (Eds.), Tracking adult literacy and numeracy skills (pp. 59–84). New York, NY: Routledge.
Reder, S., & Bynner, J. (2009). The need for longitudinal studies in adult literacy and numeracy education. In S. Reder & J. Bynner (Eds.), Tracking adult literacy and numeracy skills (pp. 1–23). New York, NY: Routledge.
Sabatini, J. P., Shore, J., Holtzman, S., & Scarborough, H. S. (2011). Relative effectiveness of reading intervention programs for adults with low literacy. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 4, 118–133. doi:10(1080/19435747).2011.555290.
Sheehan-Holt, J., & Smith, C. (2000). Does basic skills education affect adults’ literacy proficiencies and reading practices? Reading Research Quarterly, 35, 226–243.
Spargo, E. (1989). Timed readings in literature. Columbus, OH: Glencoe/McGraw Hill.
Torgesen, J. K., & Wagner, R. (1999). Test of word reading efficiency. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education. (2010). State administered adult education program: Program year 2008–2009 enrollment. Washington, DC: Author.
Venezky, R. L., Bristow, P. S., & Sabatini, J. P. (1994). Measuring change in adult literacy programs: Enduring issues and a few answers. Educational Assessment, 2, 101–131.
Wagner, R. K., Torgesen, J. K., & Rashotte, C. A. (1999). Comprehensive test of phonological processing. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
Wiederholt, J. L., & Bryant, B. R. (2001). Gray oral reading tests (4th ed.). Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
Woodcock, R. W., McGrew, K. S., & Mather, N. (2001). Woodcock-Johnson III: Tests of achievement. Itasca, IL: Riverside Publishing.
Ziegler, M. F., Bain, S. K., Bell, S. M., McCallum, R. S., & Brian, D. J. G. (2006). Predicting women’s persistence in adult literacy classes with dispositional variables. Reading Psychology, 27, 59–85. doi:10.1080/02702710500542668.
Acknowledgments
Research supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute for Literacy, and the U.S. Department of Education—grant # R01 HD43801-01.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Greenberg, D., Wise, J.C., Frijters, J.C. et al. Persisters and nonpersisters: Identifying the characteristics of who stays and who leaves from adult literacy interventions. Read Writ 26, 495–514 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-012-9401-8
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-012-9401-8