Co-Principal Investigators: Alamprese, Judy; Vanek, Jenifer

Collaborating Institutions: Abt Associates; Jobs for the Future; World Education, Inc.

Related Network Teams: This project will serve as the network lead team for the CREATE Adult Skills Network, which conducts research and dissemination to support the millions of U.S. adults who have low foundational skills and includes the following other projects: Teaching Skills That Matter (TSTM)–SkillBlox Research Team (R305N210025), Adult Numeracy in the Digital Era: Adaptive Technology for Quantitative and Digital Literacy (R305N210029), Writing in Adult Secondary Education Classes (W-ASE) (R305N210030), Adult Skills Assessment Program: Actionable Assessments for Adult Learners (R305N210031), Content-Integrated Language Instruction for Adults with Technology Support(R305N210032), Developing and Implementing a Technology-Based Reading Comprehension Instruction System for Adult Literacy Students (R305A200413)
Kick-off Webinar available for viewing here.

Purpose: The Adult Skills Network (ASN) lead serves two primary roles. First, the lead will provide ASN coordination and management to facilitate the work of all ASN grantees in meeting their shared goal to address the needs of adults with low basic skills or academic attainment. Second, the lead will provide national leadership in knowledge generation and translation and guides large-scale dissemination of research-based resources to practitioners and other stakeholders in a form they can effectively use.

Network Leadership Activities:

Planned direct national leadership and dissemination activities work include —

• Developing and maintaining a dynamic ASN engagement, communication, and dissemination plan to help guide and manage the network and its team members' efforts
• Engaging stakeholders in interactive activities, such as an ASN community of practice and working groups that include ASN researchers and stakeholders
• Hosting webinars and conference sessions that provide an opportunity for community engagement with research and researchers
• Conducting a review of research on the use of technology for building adult basic skills and attainment to identify existing tools for implementing technology-based interventions
• Analyzing the needs of stakeholders to ensure a relevant research agenda and readiness of researchers
• Establishing and maintaining an ASN website to support the communities of practice, communication, and dissemination of research findings and other ASN resources to public

Products: The ASN lead will engage in ongoing dissemination activities with other members of the Network to develop resources that explain factors that support adult skills attainment and inform policy and practice. Products will include the ASN website, communities of practice, brief publications and guides for policymakers and practitioners, blogs, ASN newsletters, videos, peer-reviewed publications, and presentations for a range of stakeholders.