Description:

Purpose: In this study, the researchers proposed to develop and conduct a pilot study of two interventions for adults in Job Corps programs designed to improve their reading and content-based curricular outcomes. In 2007, at the time of this study, Job Corps provided an educational and training program designed to help economically disadvantaged young adults achieve successful outcomes in academic and trades programs (e.g., carpentry, health care, welding, and culinary arts). Job Corps enrollees often had limited academic skill development, especially in reading, and in knowing how to "learn how to learn." These characteristics of Job Corps created a laboratory setting for developing evidence-based adult literacy interventions, which may be useful to other vocational and technical schools, community colleges, adult education, family literacy programs, and workplace education.

Project Activities: The researchers proposed to develop two instructional approaches for improving adult literacy by modifying methods shown to be efficient and effective with younger struggling readers: Strategic Tutoring and Content Enhancement Routines. The modifications reflected differences between adolescent and adult learners. In the first and second phases of the study, the researchers were to use an iterative process to both develop the intervention materials and ascertain how best to integrate Strategic Tutoring and Content Enhancement Routines into Job Corps' vocational curricula. During the third phase, researchers would complete the initial pilot study of student participation in either Strategic Tutoring, or instructors' use of Content Enhancement Routines, or both. Job Corps' trade instructors were taught a package of Content Enhancement Routines (e.g., using a course organizer, unit organizer, lesson planning, vocabulary, content class reading strategies, and text structure analysis). Instructors taught their curricular units under two conditions: their traditional approach, or the Content Enhancement Routines approach.

Structured Abstract

THE FOLLOWING CONTENT DESCRIBES THE PROJECT AT THE TIME OF FUNDING

Setting: The study will take place within Job Corps, which is the largest residential education and training program in the U.S. for disadvantaged young adults ages 16 to 24. Job Corps is administered by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Sample: Job Corps will randomly select enrollees. During the development and design study phase of the project, approximately 200 students will participate. A different group of 180 Job Corps enrollees will participate in the field test. Approximately 60 percent of enrollees are African American, and 51 percent are male.

Intervention: The researchers will develop and test modifications of Strategic Tutoring and Content Enhancement Routines. During the first year, they will examine the use of Strategic Tutoring models using one-on-one ratios of tutors to students. At the same time, the research team will determine how to modify the Content Enhancement Routines for use with Job Corps curricula. Job Corps' trade instructors will be taught a package of Content Enhancement Routines (e.g., course organizer, unit organizer, lesson planning, vocabulary, content class reading strategies, and text structure analysis.

Research Design and Methods: In year one, the researchers will conduct a study to describe Job Corps participants' performance on recognized reading components. They will also conduct design studies to establish conditions necessary for successfully implementing the target interventions (Strategic Tutoring and Content Enhancement Routines). The design studies will ensure that the interventions are clearly defined, workable under the Job Corps conditions, have appropriate fidelity measures, and have suitable outcome measures.

In years two through four, the researchers will conduct experimental studies to determine the unique and combined effects of the interventions on the performance of Job Corps enrollees. Enrollees will be randomly assigned to receive strategic tutoring or not. Half of the curricular units within each vocational training course will be randomly assigned to be taught using the Content Enhancement Routines or to be taught as instructors typically teach the units.

Comparison Condition: For the Strategic Tutoring condition, learners in the comparison condition participate in a reading lab or proctored study hall. For the Content Enhancement condition, the comparison condition is that the curriculum unit will be taught as the instructors normally teach the unit.

Key Measures: The researchers will use a structured interview that has items which address demographic characteristics, as well as education, health, occupational, and family histories. They will also administer measures of reading components: phonemic awareness, word analysis, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. In addition, they will administer employability competency measures to study participants.

Data Analytic Strategy: Structural equation modeling will be used to examine the relationship of enrollees' performance on reading components to reading outcomes. A multivariate multilevel model will be fit to examine the contribution of reading performance, strategic tutoring, and content enhancement routines to learner outcomes, including improved reading ability and greater content knowledge.

Products and Publications

ERIC Citations: Find available citations in ERIC for this award here.

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Journal articles

Mellard D.F., Woods K.L., and Lee J.H. (2016). Literacy Profiles of At-Risk Young Adults Enrolled in Career and Technical Education. Journal of Research in Reading, 39(1), 88–108.

Mellard, D., Woods, K., and Desa, D.M. (2012). An Oral Reading Fluency Assessment for Young Adult Career and Technical Education Students. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 27(3): 125–135.

Mellard, D.F., Woods, K.L., and Desa, D.M. (2012). Literacy and Numeracy Among Job Corps Students: Opportunities for Targeted Academic Infusion in CTE. Career and Technical Education Research, 37(2): 141–156.

Mellard, D.F., Woods, K.L., Desa, Z.D.M., and Vuyk, M.A. (2013). Underlying Reading-Related Skills and Abilities Among Adult Learners. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 48(3): 310–322.

** This project was submitted to and funded under Interventions for Struggling Adolescent and Adult Readers and Writers in FY 2007.