EFF HOTtopics

Welcome to HOT Topics

EQUIPPED FOR 

THE FUTURE 

IS AN INITIATIVE OF 

THE NATIONAL

INSTITUTE FOR

LITERACY

never able to completely achieve her goal. In

July of 1999 she was diagnosed with cancer.

She died a month later.

Only one family member knew that

Elizabeth was coming to the Sumner Adult

Education Program (East Sullivan, ME) one

day a week for reading. Four days before she

died, this individual shared her secret with

the rest of her family. They were very proud

continued on page 8

It is with great respect that we dedicate

this first issue of HOT Topics to Elizabeth

West. It is for people like her that we are

committed to adult education. At the age of

55, Elizabeth overcame her personal struggles and enrolled in an adult education

program to learn to read. Even though she

had family responsibilities and worked a

demanding job, she persisted until she

became too ill to participate. Elizabeth was

ON THE INSIDE 

HOT Topics is a new quarterly publication

from the Equipped for the Future National

Center. HOT stands for Highlights On Teaching,

and this publication is committed to providing

you, as teachers and tutors, with tools and ideas

for teaching using the EFF Framework and Standards. We want this to be a user-friendly publication that provides you with concrete strategies

for classroom and tutoring situations. Topics

will vary from planning to teaching to assessing.

This first issue of HOT Topics focuses on

strategies that use the EFF framework for goalsetting. These strategies, developed by practitioners, help move learners from generalized

long-term goals to more specific short-term

goals. Using components of the EFF Framework, you can move the learner from global

goals – “I want my GED” or “I want to speak

English,” to more clearly defined goals – “I want

my GED because I can’t apply for any other

positions in my company without it,” or “I want

to speak English so I can talk to my child’s

teacher.”

We present two different tools useful in goalsetting. In 3 Mind Maps, teachers share how they

have adapted the EFF Mind Map for their specific learners. The examples serve to illustrate

that tools can be adapted to meet your specific

program and learner needs.

EFF Frames the Goal-Setting Process describes the importance of goal-setting and the

need to revisit goals as an ongoing process. The

Goal-Setting Form article includes a full-page

reproducible copy of one example of an effective

goal-setting tool. There are also two mini-articles, Setting SMART Goals and the Basketball

Goal Activity, that describe ways to engage

learners in defining achievable goals. Finally,

But I’ve Got New Learners Coming into My Class

Daily provides insight into how one state is

working to ensure that all adult education programs consciously address goal-setting with the

learners in an effective manner.

Future subjects for HOT Topics will depend

on your feedback. You already have a wealth of

examples that are worth sharing with others.

Send your thoughts and comments to the 4EFF

online discussion site, or you can email me

directly at donnac@clinic.net.

Editorial Board

Emily McDonaldLittleton, 

Adult Literacy

Consultant and

Volunteer, Knoxville, TN

Meta Potts, Family

Literacy Consultant,

Glendale, AZ

Amy Trawick, 

ABE/GED Consultant, 

High Point, NC

• EFF Frames the

Goal-Setting

Process, page 2

• 3 Mind Maps, 

page 3

• Basketball Goal

Activity, page 4

• SMART Goals,

page 7

• The Goal-Setting

Form: Another Tool

to Focus Learners,

pages 8-9

• “But I’ve Got New

Learners...”,

page 10

• Online Resources,

page 12

VOL. 1, NO. 1 SPRING 2001

GOALSETTING

PLANNING

Dedication to Elizabeth West

TEACHING

&

L

E

ARN NI

G

ASSESSING
2 EFF HOT topics

From the moment a learner first

enters an adult education program, the

purpose for enrolling should be clear.

EFF lays the foundation for purposeful

goal-setting, which will inform instruction and assessment. Without this

strong foundation, instruction will be

driven by what the teacher thinks needs

to be taught, and learners will struggle

to see the application of the instruction.

More importantly, learners will be less

likely to remain in the program long

enough to achieve their goals.

The EFF Framework can help learners clarify their goals and purposes for

enrolling in an adult education program. Teachers and learners use the

four Purposes, the three Role Maps, the

Common Activities, and the Standards

to develop both long- and short-term

goals.

Although purposes are difficult to

measure, they are useful for the learner

to begin a discussion of goals. The

broader purposes help tie together the

goals for the learner, similar to the

Common Activities tying together the

skills. In reflecting on the goals s/he is

striving for, the learner also needs to

reexamine the purposes for being in the

program.

Because goals change over time,

learners need to continually revisit their

goals in light of what they are learning,

always monitoring whether they are still

aligned. Opportunities for learners to

reflect on and evaluate their goals and

purposes for learning need to be intentionally structured into instruction.

This intentionality leads to better transfer of learning.

According to a number of research

studies, “transfer is enhanced by helping

students see potential transfer implications of what they are learning.” 1 The

components of the EFF Framework are

useful in helping learners see the implications. From the time learners enroll in

an adult education program, EFF offers

a transparent approach to learning in

order for transfer to occur. Transparent

Approach to Education is “an approach

to teaching and learning that seeks to

uncover the mysteries of learning by

communicating explicitly the concepts,

skills, and processes being utilized in

any learning activity. The Content Standards are important in this approach

because they clearly define the skills

adults require to meet their goals and

purposes.” ( Fro m the EFF Gloss a r y : www.nifl.gov/lincs/ collections/eff/eff_ sitemap)

How can EFF support

that transfer? First, the

goals set by learners become

touchstones for whether or

not the material is relevant

and transferable to real situations. With the aid of the

Role Maps, learners can

develop goals that are

detailed and specific. Rather

than learners stating, “I’m

here to learn to read better,”

or “I’m here to get my

GED,” they are able to

clearly articulate their purposes for those broader

goals. Knowing what learners want to

do with their skills and knowledge then

informs the types of activities and

lessons the teacher and learner need to

develop.

Second, EFF helps learners identify

the skills that will prepare them to move

toward their goals. Once the skills are

named, the connection to the contexts

addressed by the curriculum and adult

goals and purposes can be monitored

and reviewed, and transfer to new situations can be discussed. EFF provides the

common language to support these dialogues in the classroom, as well as

among educators and between systems.

The Equipped for the Future Framework and Standards are the key to

helping learners clearly articulate their

goals for participating in adult education programs. By using components of

the Framework, learners are not only

able to mention a specific goal such as

“help my children,” but are able to be

even more explicit. Using the EFF

Framework from the intake process on,

teachers help learners formulate and

revise goals so that they will remain in

the program in order to meet those

goals and purposes. The Framework

helps align curriculum, instruction, and

assessment so that the learner’s educational experiences are transparent and

purposeful – ultimately, meaningful

and long-lasting.

1

Bransford, J., Brown, A., and Cocking,

R. (1999). How People Learn: Brain,

Mind, Experience, and School. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

EFF Frames the Goal-Setting Process

WHEN A LEARNER says, “I only want

to learn English,” ask prompting

questions such as, “If you could speak

English well enough right now, what would

you do differently?” or “Whom would you

like to speak English to?”

The three Role Maps can help the

learner answer these questions. Use pictures – or have the learner select pictures –

to illustrate situations in which s/he would

like to use English.

ACCESS

To gain access to information 

and resources so they can orient

themselves in the world.

VOICE

To give voice to their ideas and

opinions with the confidence that

they will be heard and taken into

account.

Four Purposes for Learning

ACTION

To solve problems and make 

decisions on their own, acting 

independently, as parents, citizens,

and workers, for the good of their

families, their communities, and 

their nation.

BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE

To keep on learning in order to keep

up with a rapidly changing world.
Spring 2001 3

AMY PREVEDEL originally created the Mind Map

for use in her one-to-one tutoring program in the

South San Francisco Project Read Program. Since then,

many teachers and tutors have used her idea in a

variety of adult education situations. To illustrate how

this simple tool has been successfully adapted, three

teachers share how they used the Mind Map in their

particular situations.

Amy and her learner, Leona, explain how the tool

was used in a tutoring situation as well as in a tutoring

training program. Janet Smith and her learner,

Tammy, used the Mind Map in a home-based family

literacy program. Even today, Janet and Tammy revisit

the Mind Map to check progress. Ann Marie Barter and

Mandi, her learner, describe an adaptation of the original mapping activity, in which the entire class of adult

learners document on their individual Mind Maps

their strengths as well as potential barriers. The results

are used by the teacher to plan group activities.

In each example, notice that the teachers began

with the learners’ own language about goals. From

there, the learners and teachers used the EFF Role

Maps to put more definition around what learners

want to achieve in their various adult roles. (In Ann

Marie’s example, learners used the Role Maps to

further articulate their strengths and barriers in each

role).

As a tutor or teacher, you can also use this process.

While learners have the three EFF Role Maps in front

of them, have them begin to make connections across

the roles. They should begin to see how skills and activities performed in one role play out in another role.

When learners comment that a strength in one role is a

weakness in another, use this opportunity to have them

begin to examine why this is so. How can they turn

weaknesses into strengths in all roles? 

As the three examples that follow illustrate, the

results of the Mind Map guides the development of

learning activities to address the learners’ articulated

goals. (In the next issue of HOT Topics, we will further

explore the development of purposeful learning activities to meet learners’ goals.)

LEONA’S

GOAL:

To learn to read

to my Grandkids

Community Member

•Read to people in hospitals 

and retirement homes.

•Help others write letters.

Family

••Read to grandkids .

•Help grandkids with homework.

• Write letters to family members 

I haven’t been in touch 

with for awhile.

••Make shopping lists.

•Write notes to 

grandkids.

Self

••Read any book.

••Read and write a grocery list.

••Learn to use a computer.

••Write letters to family members.

Worker

Read about 

Leona’s Mind Map 

on page 4

Mind Maps Guide the Goal-Setting Process
4 EFF HOT topics

Leona’s volunteer tutor, Barbara,

learned about the EFF Mind Map

during her tutor training workshop.

During the first part of the training,

tutor trainees brainstorm about their

own daily activities that require literacy skills. Then they categorize these

activities into the four areas of the

Mind Map. After completing this exercise, the tutor trainees discuss the

many meanings of literacy, taking into

account the four Purposes, and the

impact that literacy skills can have on

an adult’s everyday life. From the

outset, they get the idea that literacy

education is not about mastering a

discrete set of skills, but instead

revolves around the real-life needs

and interests of adult learners.

The Mind Map is also helpful in

communicating to volunteer tutors

the idea of life-long learning. Literacy

is not an “us/them” issue; learners

who come into the program create

Mind Maps that look very much like

the one that tutor trainees have just

completed. More concretely, in completing this activity, new volunteer

tutors have a fine list of materials and

activities they can use in tutoring.

Later in training, they create literacy

lesson plans that address different

items from this Mind Map.

Leona is an adult learner at Berkeley

Reads, the adult literacy program of the

Berkeley Public Library. When she first

enrolled in this library-based program,

she was asked what she wanted to learn

about or be able to do in the following

four areas: home/family, work, community and self. Her responses were recorded on a Mind Map. (See page 3.)

Leona said she liked doing the Mind

Mapping activity because it showed her

that the staff at Berkeley Reads is interested in her as a person. She thinks it is

very important that tutors and learners

get to know each other, saying: “You

have to know something about them.

How are you going to know about the

person if you don’t ask? They do care

about all your needs.”

Leona has been building basic skills

through the goals she expressed in her

intake interview. She has attended the

program’s computer learning lab. With

a computer tutor, she was able to

compose and send a letter inquiring

about her brother. Leona also participates in a small research group of students who discuss and think critically

about the ways that school and homework impact family life at home.

Despite feeling that progress comes

slowly, Leona is excited about what she

has been able to do with her volunteer

tutor Barbara. Her accomplishments

correspond to the goals she communicated on her Mind Map during her

intake interview. When she received a

Valentine’s Day card from a friend,

Barbara helped her write a letter to

thank the friend and ask about her kids.

Being able to see results that have an

impact on her everyday life has been a

powerful experience, and Leona has

expressed surprise at what she can do.

On her Mind Map, Leona mentioned

being able to “read any book,” and

looking back on that, she says: “For me

reading was a real task; I didn’t think I

could read a lot. I couldn’t believe I

could do that... I honestly read that! I

can’t believe that I got that far.”

In reflecting back on her progress in

the program, Leona says: “People don’t

know what they’re capable of. I

thought, ‘I’m too old, I’ll never learn

nothing.’ My tutor’s shown me something different. There’s a way to learning. It might be time-consuming, but I

can do it.”

3 Mind Maps:

Leona, an example from 

One-to-One Tutoring

EDITOR’S NOTE: Metaphors can be

used to illustrate difficult concepts.

Michelle Goodwin-Calwile, a teacher

from the Greenville, SC Family

Learning GED Program, adapted this

activity from Martha Hyland of the

Canton, Ohio ABLE program.This

simple basketball goal activity uses concrete examples to demonstrate the

importance of establishing goals that

are achievable.

ITEMS NEEDED: Basketball goal and

three different size balls: one that fits

(i.e., basketball), one that’s too small

(i.e., tennis ball), and one that’s too big

(i.e., beach ball)

We began by having the students talk

about what they think a goal is. They

wrote down their definitions. Then we

used this basketball goal activity to help

them be clear in setting goals.

We looked at goals in three different

ways: size, distance, and obstacles. The

small ball was too easy to get through

the basket. (Analogy: Maybe the goal

was so easily attainable that it did not

make us “stretch” or work to attain it.)

The large ball would not go through the

basket. (Analogy: Maybe the goal was

unachievable, unrealistic. It is better to

“trim down” the goal to make it more

attainable.) 

We examined the goal to determine

whether it was reachable or unreachable

by moving closer or farther from the

basket. (Analogy: How far is the goal?

For example, a GED may appear to be

unreachable because it’s such a long way

to the end goal. Here is an opportunity

to talk about setting shorter-term goals

that do not seem impossible to reach.) 

We used a blindfold on some students as they tried to shoot for the

basket, to stress that the goal should be

clear. (Analogy: You need to know in

what direction you’re headed, or you

will not know where to aim, nor will you

know if you’ve achieved your goal.)

Basketball 

Goal Activity

Tutor Training Uses Mind Maps, Too
Spring 2001 5

TAMMY’S

GOAL:

To get my

son back

• Volunteer in schools

• Get more involved in community 

projects

• Cooperate with others

• Advocate and influence

• Inform others of services 

available as a result of 

my own needs.

KEY ACTIVITIES

• Communicate so that 

others understand

• Get involved in the community 

and get others involved

• Influence decision makers and hold 

them accountable

• Help self and others

KEY ACTIVITIES

• Organize, plan and prioritize

• Communicate with others inside and outside

the organization

• Balance and support work, career and 

personal goals

• Respond to and meet new work

challenges

• Need training to be a 

Primary Care Attendant

• Volunteer in nursing home and 

possible job contact

• Read critically

• Speak so others can understand

• Cooperate with others

• Plan

• Research

• Reflect and evaluate

• Plan life around boys

• Improve parenting skills

• Reunite my family

• Listen actively

• Resolve conflict & negotiate

• View critically

• Reflect and evaluate

• Advocate and influence

• Solve problems

• Learn new ways

KEY ACTIVITIES

• Make and pursue plans

for self-improvement

• Direct and discipline children

• Give and receive support from

outside the immediate family

• Form and maintain supportive family

relationships

• Provide opportunites for each family

member to experience success

KEY ACTIVITIES

• Recognize and understand human, legal, and

civic rights and responsibilities

• Make and pursue plans for self-improvement

• Plan, renew and pursue personal

and career goals

• Learn new skills

• Attend church

• Exercise and patience

• Read critically

• Gather, analyze and use information

• Seek guidance and support from others

• Develop and express sense of self

• Create and pursue a vision and goals

Tammy, a learner in the Farmington (ME) Even Start

Program, used the Mind Map to articulate her goals for participating in the program. Although Tammy was able to

readily define her goal, she was not clear about how that goal

would impact all areas of her adult roles. Over time, Tammy’s

Mind Map evolved into the one shown below.

Tammy’s teachers, Janet Smith and Sue Kelly, asked

Tammy what skills she thought would be required to get her

son back. Then, together they looked first at the various EFF

Role Maps, including the Key Activities listed under each.

Through lots of discussion, Tammy began to realize that it

would be a big challenge to accomplish her long-term goal.

Tammy had to look at the EFF Common Activities and the

Generative Skills in order to really understand what performing the Key Activities might entail. Her Mind Map contains a

series of smaller goals that will hopefully lead to the achievement of her larger goal.

Tammy feels using the

Mind Map is helpful because she now knows what

she has to do. It was helpful

to set goals with her teacher.

“I’m further ahead now

than I was a year and a half

ago. My main goal hasn’t

changed, and I have been

able to work through

smaller goals as they came

up.” (Tammy is still enrolled in the program and continues to

make progress.)

Tammy’s major goal has been reunification with one of her

sons. Smaller goals included the ability to plan for visits with

her son, both for two-hour visits that take place at the courthouse and for overnight visits they were having at home.

Other smaller goals included learning how to control her

temper at her networking meetings with DHS, counselors,

3 Mind Maps:

Tammy, an example from

the Family Literacy Program

Continued on page 11

Family

Parent Community

Self Work
6 EFF HOT topics

MANDI’S

GOAL:

to be a

computer 

graphic artist

Community Member

I’m always reading newspapers.

I’m always listening to news.

Family

My daughter gets things before me.

I have a concern for her health.

I teach my daughter new things.

Lifelong learning skills

Work within the big picture.

Work together.

Guide and support others.

Seek guidance and support from others.

I don’t get to spend much 

time with my daughter,

which sets me back.

Self

I know some stuff about computers.

I have taken extra classes to finish high school.

Respect others when they respect me.

Decision making and communication skills

Interpersonal and lifelong learning skills

Create and pursue vision and goals.

Develop and express sense of self.

Need to finish school.

Need to manage money better.

I have to keep my comments to myself.

Worker

I’m always on time.

I follow directions.

I use a computer.

I do three things at 

once most of the time.

Work together.

I have to work in order 

to pay bills, which can 

get in the way of school.

Ann Marie Barter, from Windham (Maine), adapted the

Mind Map for her mixed class of Adult Basic Education, and

high school diploma learners, all enrolled to work on

“English.” For Ann Marie, it was important for learners to be

able to articulate their goals and purposes for participating in

the adult education program. Just as important was the

opportunity for learners to relate strengths that would help

them reach their goals, as well as potential barriers that might

get in the way.

In the example below, the learner, Mandi, first jotted down

her strengths in each role in one color (shown in italics).

Afterwards, she used another color to list what she considered

potential barriers (shown in bold). Mandi then referred to the

EFF Framework to discover whether the list of Common

Activities or Generative Skills might suggest something else to

add to her own lists. In following this process, she took a constructivist approach by beginning with her own language and

understanding about skills and

activities, then relating her own

thinking to the EFF Framework

and Role Map.

According to Mandi, “At first

I struggled trying to do the

Mind Map activity. I had never

thought about my different

adult roles” (even though she

worked part-time while attending classes and was the mother

of an infant). “Once I started writing things down, I began to

feel better about myself because I realized I had a lot of positive things about me.”

Because Mandi had not previously had the opportunity to

reflect on her role as worker, she did not see herself as one.

Examining the Role Maps, especially the Worker Role Map in

Mandi’s case, can serve as a powerful strategy for helping

learners see the strengths they bring to adult education programs. EFF is a strengths model. EFF Role Maps and

3 Mind Maps:

Mandi, an example from

High School Completion 

Continued on page 11

• Gather, Analyze and Use

Information

• Manage Resources

• Work within the Big Picture

• Work Together

• Provide Leadership

• Guide and Support Others

• Seek Guidance and 

Support from Others

• Develop and Express 

Sense of Self

• Respect Others and Value

Diversity

• Exercise Rights and

Responsibilities

• Create and Pursue Vision 

and Goals

• Use Technology and Other 

Tools to Accomplish Goals

• Keep Pace with Change

EFF Common

Activities
Spring 2001 7

“A dream is a wish your heart makes,

but a goal is a dream with a deadline.”

Author unknown

Setting SMART Goals

One way to introduce goal-setting

to learners is to talk about “SMART”

goals. Using this acronym, learners

can begin to understand how to

transform their dreams into realities.

S Specific

M Measurable

A Achievable

R Realistic

T Timely

Carolyn Beiers, from the Family

Learning GED Program in Greenville,

South Carolina, does more than simply

tell her learners what the acronym for

“SMART” goal-setting is. She works

with learners through each step of the

process.

For example, in working with a

parent to develop short-term goals,

Carolyn first asks, “In your role as a

parent, what would you like to do, or do

better?” A typical response might be, “I

want to be able to read to my child.”

This is the dream. The challenge is to

turn this into a SMART goal.

Carolyn suggests, “Let’s make that a

specific goal.” The parent may respond

with “I WILL read a book to my child.”

To make the goal measurable, the parent

suggests, “I will read four books to my

child.”

Making a goal measurable sometimes isn’t as difficult as making it

achievable. So Carolyn continues to

work with the parent. The parent thinks

about what is achievable, then offers, “I

will read two books to my child.”

Carolyn continues to help the parent

narrow the goal. The parent makes it

realistic by suggesting, “I will read one

book to my child every night.”

The next question is when will this

happen. Without a deadline, a goal continues to be a dream. The parent provides a SMART goal by offering a deadline – making it timely, “I will read two

books to my child every night for one

week.”

After the parent has set a goal using

the SMART strategy, Carolyn then asks

the parent how s/he will know when the

goal is reached. Together, they work out

a plan, using a calendar, chart, or checklist to provide evidence.

At the end of the week, it is now

much easier for the parent to see

whether the goal was achieved. The

parent can then reflect on the success of

that goal, and move one step toward his

or her larger goal. If the goal was not

reached within the time limit, the

teacher can guide the parent to look at

the reasons for not accomplishing the

goal, and then work through the goalsetting process again, making changes

as necessary.

An ESL

Practitioner

Comments

Susan Rowley, 

ESL Specialist, 

Tacoma Community College,

Tacoma, WA

When using EFF with classes, goalsetting in terms of the three roles

is our starting point. If there are ten or

twelve students, in order to arrive at a

measurable objective for the creation of

a real world learning task, it is first necessary to reach consensus. This means

much discussion about what is a priority in terms of learning and language

acquisition. Feedback from students is

very positive. They report that the discussion is a motivation for self exploration and examination of what they

want to learn as well as how they learn.

On the first day of the quarter I ask

the questions “What is it that you want

to be able to say in English?” and “Who

would you like to be able to talk to in

English?” I allow students to translate

and speak with one another in native or

shared languages, and if I share a language with a student, I use it. The point

is to consider the questions that will

allow thoughtful and intentional work

in role-mapping.

I ask the students to take the Mind

Maps and the questions home, seek help

from bilingual friends, brainstorm lists

for each category (family, worker,

citizen) in terms of the questions, think

on it, sleep on it, do anything that

helps.” This becomes the basis for the

ESL course.

I find that after a quarter of work my

students are ready to role-map anew

and discuss the four Purposes with an

eye to their own futures.

Caroline Beverstock,

South San Francisco:

Even though I’ve felt that 

I was reasonably good at

helping students to articulate

their goals, I found that the

structure of the roles made

visible on paper (using the

Mind Map form) helped students to say more and, I

suspect, articulate more significant goals. For example, a

young mother of two volunteered that she had never registered to vote and that she’d

like to do that and prepare to

vote. I doubt that it would

have come out in past, less

focused conversations.”

“
8 EFF HOT topics

Goal-Setting Form

Name _________________________________________Date _________________

Purpose for Participating __________________________________________________

What do you want to be able to do?

What skills are needed?

What strategies will you use? 

How will you know when you’ve achieved your goal? 

What evidence of progress toward 

your goal will you collect? 

The Goal-Setting Form: Another Tool to Focus Learners

The Goal-Setting Form is another

useful tool for helping learners set and

monitor goals. The form (see page 8)

was designed for use in either individualized or group settings. Each learner is

responsible for completing his or her

own form. If the learner has difficulty

completing the form independently, the

teacher is encouraged to write down the

learner’s thoughts. If done in a group

situation, it would be helpful for the

teacher to model the activity, using him

or herself as an example. Modeling is an

effective teaching strategy and a powerful way of helping learners understand

that learning does not stop with the

GED or high school diploma.

The EFF Framework and this goalsetting tool work in concert. Once

learners have begun to think of an activity and skills that they need to improve

on in their own lives, they can reference

the EFF Role Maps for further ideas.

(See Appendix A, Equipped for the

Future Content Standards: What Adults

Need to Know and Be Able to Do in the

21st Century, pp. 9-11. Available for

downloading at: www.nifl.gov/lincs/

collections /eff_roles. )

The EFF Common Activities are

another source for referencing activities

for real life. Again, the learners’ language may not be the same, but the concepts and ideas should be. A discussion

about the Common Activities, including

a brief history of how they came about,

communicates to learners that what we

teach is useful in all their adult roles. We

need to be explicit about what we teach

and why.

It is the teacher’s responsibility to

help learners make connections among

the roles. When that happens, learners

begin to understand how activities performed in one role translate into outcomes in other roles. The types of skills

used might vary from role to role, but

they should begin to understand that

everyone “gathers, analyzes, and uses

information,” whether it be at work, at

home, or in the community. The way

the information is gathered and used

may vary, depending on the environment and the individual – these are all

important discussions for a transparent

approach to learning.

Once learners have articulated an

activity they would like to improve and

have determined what skills they need

in order to perform the activity effectively, it is important to turn to the standards. The standards describe what

effective performance of the skill looks

like. These descriptions will be key to

learners being able to articulate what

evidence of improvement in the skill

looks like. Without the learners and the

teacher thinking ahead about the eviUse of 

EFF Role Maps,

Common Activities, 

4 Purposes would be

helpful for this step.

Individual EFF 

Standard with its Components

of Performance needed here

to understand what it looks

like to actually perform

the skill.

EFF Skill

Wheel is helpful

for this step.

Reflect and 

Evaluate Standard 

could be useful

in these last

two steps.

Continued on page 11

of her efforts and let her know so.

In the Equipped for the Future

Standards Guide (p. 24), Marty Duncan

remembers that when Elizabeth began

to use her new knowledge of letters and

words, people around her noticed. On

one occasion, after Elizabeth left her

granddaughter a note, her granddaughter seemed to look at her differently.

Another time, when Elizabeth was visiting her sister in Florida, the two had

gone grocery shopping together.

Because Elizabeth and Marty had

worked extensively on vocabulary for

grocery items, she was able to recognize

words on various packages. Her sister

was surprised when Elizabeth located

just the right type of cheese without

help.

Marty recalls that Elizabeth was

excited about her part in the Equipped

for the Future research. She had several

breakthroughs in her reading the day

that Marty read her the field notes

describing their work together. At the

end of the session, Elizabeth stood up

and said, “I think I’m gonna pat myself

on the shoulder. I think I did that really

well.”

Elizabeth said she wanted to learn to

read because she wanted to be more

independent and because not knowing

how to read made her feel inadequate.

Far from being inadequate, she was, like

many others who have not yet learned

to read, an intelligent person with goals

and gifts. She was reading the world

long before she gained access to the

tools many people take for granted. In

the time allowed her, she was able to

extend her knowledge, gain some confidence in using it, and use it in ways that

mattered to her.

Elizabeth West

continued from page 1

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Spring 2001 9

Goal-Setting Form

Name _____________________________________________ Date _________________

Purpose for Participating ____________________________________________________________

What skills are needed?

What strategies will you use? 

What evidence of progress toward your goal will you collect? 

How will you know when you’ve achieved your goal? 

What do you want to be able to do?
10 EFF HOT topics

Maybe you’re one of those teachers

who has responded similarly when

asked about taking time to explicitly

work on individual and group goalsetting with learners. “What if the learners and I work together to develop

group goals, then someone new comes

in and doesn’t buy in to what the rest of

the group wants?” Or, “I don’t have time

to work with learners on more than

superficial goal-setting. I’m always

having to spend class time orienting

new learners who walk in the door.”

Equipped for the Future is about

system reform. For reform to work,

change has to happen from the top

down and from the bottom up at the

same time. The open enrollment, dropby-anytime process is one aspect of

system reform that can be addressed at

a variety of levels – from state policies

to ABE program practices and individual teachers’ expectations.

Let’s look at an example of how one

state has taken systematic steps at all

levels to address the issue of goalsetting with adult learners.

Ohio State Policy

The National Reporting System, in

response to Workforce Investment Act,

requires that programs document students’ achievment of goals while in an

ABE program. The NRS will assess

program performance by comparing

students’ outcomes to their stated goals.

In response to this requirement, the

Ohio Department of Education has

developed a Student Experience Model

based on adult learning theory,

researched retention principles, and

effective practices from the field.

This Model was designed to “ensure

that all students are provided with the

information and technical assistance

they need to make informed decisions

about their participation in ABLE. This

Model also encourages effective quality

goal setting, ensures statewide consistency, and compliance with the NRS.”

(O-PAS Teleconference Handbook, pg.

70) Since July 2000, all ABLE-funded

programs in Ohio have been using this

Model, which includes several elements:

rapport and support building activities,

program and student information sharing, initial goal-setting instruction,

learning style assessment, and a locator

or initial placement assessment. (For

more information about the Student

Experience Model, visit Ohio’s website

at http://literacy.kent.edu.)

During the orientation process,

learners begin the ongoing process of

goal- setting. They learn the fundamental skills and knowledge needed to set

effective and realistic learning goals.

Before learners can set effective goals,

they must understand the objectives

and benefits of goal-setting, and learn

the basic principles, components, and

action steps involved. By teaching learners how to set goals, both the teacher

and the learner can monitor progress.

The learner sees the relevance of the

learning activities, and the instructor

has an easier time documenting

whether the learner is making progress

toward his or her goals.

Program Practices

Programs have developed different

strategies to address the intake process.

Some programs have a group orientation that is held at the same time once a

week, or in some cases, once a month.

Learners who walk through the door are

asked for some initial intake information and are provided with a brief

overview of the program. They are told

when the next orientation session is

scheduled and are encouraged to return

Have you heard this before?

“...But I’ve Got New Learners 

Coming Into My Class Daily”

at that time.

Other programs have completely

done away with open entry learning

centers. They have defined beginning

and ending dates for classes, whether it

is an ABE, ESL, or GED class. Learners

know when they enroll that they are

expected to make a commitment for a

pre-determined number of weeks. At

the end of that time frame, the learner

and teacher re-evaluate their progress

toward their goals and decide next

steps, which may include another class

in the program.

According to Kathryn Jackson,

Southwest ABLE Resource Center

Director, the process of orientation in

general, and the processes of program

information sharing and goal setting in

particular, have the side effect of

helping to “weed out” those students

who would not be committed to attending class regularly. Many teachers say,

“They won’t attend a two day (or whatever) orientation.” My response is “then

they won’t attend my two-day-a-week

class either.”

No matter how programs implement

the Student Experience Model, it is

important that they view the orientation as teaching. Learners learn the skill

of planning. Other things – such as time

management and the advantage of

knowing learning styles, for example –

can also be introduced during the orientation. When students learn something

they can use in the orientation, they

automatically expect to learn things

they can use from the classes they

attend. Orientation can set the tone for

the entire program and help ensure that

learners have a successful experience.
Spring 2001 11

dence of successful performance, it will

be difficult to adequately assess progress. (Further discussion on assessment will be covered in future HOT

Topics.)

If learners have difficulty thinking

outside of the conventional assessment

model – “The teacher will tell me if I’m

learning” or “I’m making progress

because I finished workbook pages 10-

25” – ask the learners to describe an

activity they would like to do better at

home or on the job. Learners think very

differently about “evidence” of progress

in areas other than the classroom. It

means much more to them than the

results on a paper-and-pencil test.

This goal-setting form also serves as

an initial assessment strategy. The

learner can begin to see that, in order to

perform an activity, an integration of

skills is needed, and begins to think of

assessment in a different light. Using this

form also shows learners that the responsibility for learning is theirs; they must

take action in order to improve.

Because the Common Activities are

needed for adults to carry out their roles

as worker, family member, and citizen,

they naturally interconnect. For examples of the links across the adult roles,

key activities and the skills adults use to

carry them out, visit: www.nifl.gov/

lincs/collections/eff/ common_ 

activities.

The Goal-Setting Form Continued from page 7

Common Activities can help learners

increase their sense of self when they

begin to see that they are already able to

perform various activities.

After placing the strengths and barriers lists for each learner together on one

chart, Anne Marie looked for commonalities. These commonalities were incorporated into learning activities that

included the core English concepts

required for a high school credit.

Learners’ strengths and barriers could

be addressed at the same time that

English concepts were covered. Ann

Marie used this activity as a goal-setting

strategy and an initial assessment tool,

as well as an icebreaker for consensus

building around the curriculum (since

an “English credit” can encompass a

huge area). (In the next issue of HOT

Topics, you will see examples of how

teachers designed group learning activities based on learner goals.)

Mandi agrees that learners should

have a part of the decision about what

goes into the curriculum. “Because

we’re adults, we should have a say in

what is taught in class. Ann Marie let us

decide as a group what we wanted to do.

We brainstormed ideas, then we compromised and had to give up some

things. For my last high school credit, I

was able to design my own independent

study. I thought it would be easy, but I

found it to be hard, and I learned a lot. I

could not have done this when I first

started in the adult education program.

Over time, though, I got more comfortable thinking about choices. In high

school we didn’t have a say; now that

we’re adults we should be able to make

our own decisions.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Mandi was 18 and

pregnant when she enrolled in the adult

education program. She is now 20, has a

Windham Adult Education high school

diploma, and is a member of the

Windham AE advisory board. She is

proud of her accomplishments, just as

we are.

Mandi’s Mind Map

Continued from page 6

Tammy’s Mind Map

Continued from page 5

and others working with her and her

son. To reach her goal of making these

meetings more effective for herself, she

worked on the EFF skills Listen Actively,

Speak So Others Can Understand, and

Advocate and Influence.

Over time, Tammy has learned that

the same skills that she needs to be an

effective worker are needed to be a

responsive parent. Her teachers are continuing to work with her on transferring skills and knowledge from one role

to another, beginning with learning

activities done in the home. When asked

whether it was important for teachers to

encourage learners to set goals as part

of the class, Tammy responded, “Yes,

they get you motivated. I can get along

better with my teachers if I know they

are on my side.” Setting and working

towards goals help Tammy make connections to her adult roles because it

teaches her to look for other resources. ê ê

Recent research through NCSALL’s (National Center for

the Study of Adult Learning and

Literacy) Persistence Study Group

suggests that a learner’s goals are

critical to his or her persisting in an

adult education program. 

Students who were interviewed

as part of the research stated four

supports that helped them persist

in adult education programs:

• Awareness and management of

the positive and negative forces

that help and hinder persistence

• Self-efficacy about reaching their

goals

• Establishment of a goal by the

student

• Progress toward reaching a goal

EFF “offers an approach to

understanding and defining the

educational objectives needed to

reach the most common goals

expressed by adults in this study...

It focuses on the broader purposes

of education, which include the

adult roles of worker, family

member, and citizen. Goals related

to both work and family are certainly the most common in this

study, but other goals such as EFF’s

category of citizenship are especially important to some learners”.

– NCSALL Reports #12, December

1999, p. 9. Persistence Among

Adult Basic Education Students in

Pre-GED Classes, John Comings,

Andrea Parrella, and Lisa

Soricone

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Online Resources

• LINCS is the NIFL’s online one-stop connection to adult literacy

information. Regional technology center staff is available to connect

state and local organizations, practitioners, researchers, and learners. The site address is: www.nifl.gov/lincs/. Also check out

subject-organized resources at: www.nifl.gov/lincs/collections.

• The Equipped for the Future website is a LINCS Special Collection.

Visit this site to learn more about EFF, the NIFL’s standards-based system reform

initiative. The EFF website will provide you with information on such topics as: the

history of EFF, the Content Framework and Standards, EFF publications, EFF

resources, and EFF training events. The site address is: www.nifl.gov/lincs/collections/eff.

• The Equipped for the Future Online Discussion features targeted discussion about the EFF initiative. Subscribe to the discussion, or read the

archived messages for this or previous years. This online forum is the logical place

to turn for EFF information and resources, and to join in the ongoing conversation

about EFF by people using EFF. The site address is: www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/nifl-4eff/equipped_for_future. You can also subscribe to the list by

sending an e-mail message to: listproc @literacy.nifl.gov. (Leave the subject line

blank. In the body of the message type: Subscribe NIFL-4EFF your first name your

last name.)

• Equipped for the Future Publications may be ordered from the ED

Pubs Clearinghouse. EFF publications are free of charge, unless otherwise noted.

Online versions of the documents can be accessed directly, including the EFF

Content Standards, the EFF Voice Newsletter, the EFF Assessment Report, and the

EFF Evaluation Report. For the complete list of EFF publications and products, go

to: www.nifl.gov/lincs/collections/eff/eff_publications.

EFF HOT Topics

(Highlights On Teaching Topics) 

is a quarterly publication of the EFF

National Center for EFF teachers.

Each issue concentrates on a 

specific topic of interest, highlighting

examples of actual practice and

offering strategies and tools for

using EFF in the classroom.

We encourage submission of

letters, articles, and other items of

interest from the field of adult 

education. Please direct all 

correspondence, including 

editorial comments, to:

Donna Curry, 

Publications Coordinator

EFF National Center

5766 Shibles Hall

University of Maine

Orono, Maine 04469-5766

207-581-2402, ext. 13

donnac@clinic.net

National Institute 

for Literacy

1775 I Street, NW 

Suite 730, 

Washington, DC 

20006-2401

Tel: 202-233-2025

Fax: 202-233-2050

Web: www.nifl.gov

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