The identification of effective practices and the development of authentic assessments for family literacy programs.

The purpose of this research is to examine the field of Family Literacy and, in particular, to evaluate effective programs and the types of assessments that can be used to document improvements in Family Literacy. Surveys conducted in Michigan prior to the dissertation revealed that effective Family Literacy programs have stable funding, encourage collaboration, use established curricula closely linked with assessment, promote high family participation, and have well-educated, dedicated staff. A program in Michigan that exhibited these characteristics and served urban families in deep poverty was selected as the site for this dissertation work. This program, similar to most Family Literacy programs across the nation, was dissatisfied with its assessment of participants' progress. In an effort to improve assessment, two studies were conducted. Because Family Literacy programs encourage adults and children to read together, the first study focused on an assessment tool to evaluate the quality of adult/child interaction during joint-storybook reading. This new instrument called the Adult/Child Interactive Reading Inventory (ACIRI) measures twelve interactive reading behaviors that have been shown to promote positive literacy habits, and that may result in improved academic success for children when they enter school. Because Family Literacy programs also promote many changes in the education, lifestyle, and literacy of parents and children that are not measured by conventional standardized tests, the second study focused on a more authentic assessment approach through the use of a Family Portfolio System. The portfolios are connected to the curriculum, assess multiple accomplishments of families, and have clear standards of success. The new assessments in this research allow families to see and understand their progress and take pride in their achievements. In addition, teachers can use either assessment to plan lessons and can use portfolios to collect artifacts demonstrating progress. Results from the ACIRI and Family Portfolio System indicate that Family Literacy programs can compile richer and more authentic sources of evidence about family accomplishments than traditional tests. These assessments are better able to document progress over time that is related to the goals of the program and the participating families.PhDEducationEducational psychologyEducational tests and measurementsReading instructionUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/130697/2/9811067.pd