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 Over
the years, we have collaborated with the University of Michigan's
Institute for Social Research (ISR) to ensure that every aspect
of our work, from methodology and product development to assessment,
is grounded in careful research.
Studies have shown
that participants raise their educational aspirations when learning
with TV411. Many who had expressed no interest in joining GED
prep classes decided to pursue formal education. Participants
showed increased confidence with and commitment to the activities
modeled in TV411, such as going to the library, keeping a journal,
or using a dictionary. They also demonstrated improved mastery
of the content covered in TV411.
TV 411…fosters
literacy and self confidence in the adult learner without making
a person feel ashamed of their current level of literacy.
- Andrea Rosser, Assistant Director, CWE Satellite Child Care
Most recently, researchers
focused on the Brooklyn Educational Opportunities Center (BEOC),
a branch of the State University of New York that provides job
training and education services to low income unemployed or underemployed
residents of Brooklyn.
Thirty-three applicants
for the GED program at BEOC who did not score high enough (7th
grade level) to gain entry were offered entry if they completed
a three-week, 40-hour TV411 course, dubbed "Prelude to Success."
In addition to tracking the students closely while they were in
the intensive three-week course, the study documented the persistence
and learning outcomes of these students when they entered the
GED program. It turned out that the Prelude to Success participants
were much less likely to drop out and they achieved grades as
good or better than their classmates despite lower entry scores.
Our research is ongoing
thanks not only to ISR, but to our relationships with community
organizations using TV411. We observe TV411 in action, as it's
been adapted to settings as varied as church basements to prisons,
and above all, we listen intently to feedback from the field.
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