DOCUMENT RESUME ED 379 958 FL 800 884 TITLE Discover Pennsylvania. Final Report. INSTITUTION State College Area School District, Pa. SPONS AGENCY Pennsylvania State Dept. of Education, Harrisburg. Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education. PUB DATE Jun 94 CONTRACT 98-4009 NOTE 365p. PUB TYPE Reports Evaluative/Feasibility (142) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC15 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Acculturation; Adult Basic Education; *English (Second Language); *Geography; *Limited English Speaking; Literacy Education; *Orientation Materials; *Regional Characteristics; Second Language Instruction IDENTIFIERS 353 Project ABSTRACT A project of the State College Area School District (Pennsylvania) to increase the self-confidence and independence of limited-English-proficient adult students is reported. Students learned to ask questions for information, give directions, read maps and bus schedules, and plan trips using local resources and a Pennsylvania state visitor's guide. The program has been found helpful in increasing student confidence in English, improving knowledge of the community and state, and easing the transition from a foreign culture to American life. Severaldocuments are included here: a project summary, instructor's manual, student workbook, and a state-produced visitor's guide used for instruction in the program. The summary report describes briefly the project's rationale and origins, purposes and objectives, schedule, administration, intended audience, and information dissemination efforts. Specific project objectives (curriculum development, piloting, inservice teacher education event, and final report) and related activities are outlined and evaluation activities are detailed. The instructor's manual contains outlines, instructional materials, and planning materials for the 12 lessons in the curriculum. The student's workbook contains lesson materials worksheets for those lessons. (MSE) (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on Literacy Education) **********************AAAA*****.i."-"AAA******************* Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** State College Area School District Community Education DISCOVER PENNSYLVANIA U S. DEPARTMENT OF Office of Educational EDUCATION "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) s document has beenreproduced as C\rQ_C \, eceived horn the person or originating it organization Minor changes na,rebeen made to improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions meat do not necessarilyslated in this doCu represent olficIal TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES OE RI position or policy INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC1 A Special 353 Project #98-4009 developed by State College Area School District Community Education 411 South Fraser Street State College PA16801 BEST COPY AVAILABLE DISCOVER PENNSYLVANIA A Special Demonstration Project #98-4009 A Mini Grant $6,635.00 July 1, 1993 - June 30, 1994 developed by Community Education State College Area School District 411 South Fraser St2eet State College PA 16801 814-231-1061 F I NAL REPORT DISCOVER PENNSYLVANIA Final Report A Section 353 Special Project #98-4009 July 1, 1993 - June 30, 1994 Granted to: State College Area School District Community Education 131 West Nittany Avenue State College PA 16801 814-231-1062 Granted by: Pennsylvania Department of Education Division of Adult Basic and Literacy Education 333 Market Street, 6th Floor Harrisburg PA 17108-0333 Project Supervisor/Coordinator: M. Margaret Welliver Project Curriculum Development: Vickie McIntyre Project Director/Instructor: Barbara Wetzel "The activity which is the subject of this report was supported in part by the U.S. Department of Education. However, the opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the ;.osition or policy of the U.S. Department of Education or the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and no official endorsement should be inferred." TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT Pages I. INTRODUCTION/DESCRIPTION 1 A. Rational and Background 1 B. Purposes/Objectives 2 C. Time Schedule 2 D. Administration 2 E. Intended Audience 3 F. Dissemination 3 II. OBJECTIVES/ACTIVITIES 3 III. PROCEDURES 4 A. General Design 4 B. Registration and implementation 5 C. Location 6 IV. EVALUATION 6 A. Selection/Assessment 6 B. Evaluation Form 6 411 V. COMMENTS AND CONCLUSIONS 7 VI. APPENDIX A. Evaluation Summary VII. PRODUCTS A. Student Workbook B. Instructor's Manual Copies of the Final Report, the Student Workbook, and the Instructor's Manual may be obtained from AdvancE, Pennsylvania Department of Education, 333 Market Street, Farrisburg PA 17108. ABSTRACT PAGE TITLE: DISCOVER PENNSYLVANIA PROJECT NO.: 98-4009 FUNDING: $6,635.00 PROJECT DIRECTOR: Barbara Wetzel PHONE NO. 814-231-1061 CONTACT PERSON: Margaret Welliver PHONE NO. 814-231-1061 AGENCY ADDRESS: State College Area School District Community Education 411 South Fraser Street, Room 116 State College PA 16801 PURPOSE: To develop and implement a curriculum which would increase language skills to foster self-confidence and independence in English as a Second Language (ESL) students and in Adult Basic and Literacy Education students while acquainting them until local and state resources. PROCEDURES: 111 The course was piloted with ESL students. Students learned to ask questions for information, give directions, read maps and bus schedules, and to plan trips using local resources and the PA Visitor's Guide. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS: A majority of students reported that their confidence in speaking and knowledge of their state and community increased. COMMENTS: The program provides practical, helpful information to ESL students easing the transition from foreign culture to American life. Lessons are also adaptable to ABLE students. PRODUCTS: DISCOVER PA Student Workbook DISCOVER PA Instructor's Manual DESCRIPTORS: I. INTRODUCTION A. Rational and Background: Adult literacy instruction, whether targeted at Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE) or English As A Second Language (ESL) students, has proven to be most effective when education material and language skills are integrated with practical material. Life skills such as asking for information, making travel arrangements, giving directions, reading maps, and planning trips of interest enable these students to make use of the wealth of resources and activities available to them locally and throughout the state. The DISCOVER PA curriculum has proven to be especially beneficial 'L:o the ESL student. When international students come to an English speaking environment they have two needs: 1) to learn English communication skills and 2) to adapt and feel comfortable in a new environment. They require a curriculum that is both instructive and practical. The DISCOVER PA curriculum supplements the PA Visitors Guide combining language skills with specific, practical application, thereby encouraging students to discover and participate in their new surroundings. The ultimate goal of this curriculum is to enable ABLE/ESL students to feel more confident about their communication skills and to realize that they possess the skills to successfully expand their learning opportunities. 1 7 B. Purposes/Objectives: 111 Objective 1: Develop an ABLE curriculum that focuses on reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills to supplement the PA Visitors Guide. Objective 2: Pilot the course content of DISCOVER PENNSYLVANIA with at leas* fifty international students. Objective 3: Present an overview of DISCOVER PENNSYLVANIA curriculum to the SCASD ABLE staff. The coordinator will present the results of the pilot study and show how the curriculum could be adapted to all ABLE classrooms. Objective 4: Prepare a final report and products of the piloted curriculum, DISCOVER PENNSYLVANIA. C. Time Schedule July - August 1993 develop the curriculum including a Student Workbook and Instructor's Manual September 1993 - April 1994 pilot the program with approximately fifty ESL students complete the course evaluation present a workshop to other ABLE/ESL instructors May - June 1994 make final revisions to the Student Workbook and the Instructor's Manual print copies of materials for dissemination prepare the final report D. AdministrL.ion Vickie McIntyre, an ESL instructor in the SCASD Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE) Program, created the curriculum which included both a student workbook and a detailed instructor's manual. M. Margaret Welliver, Coordinator of the SCASD ABLE Program, supervised the project by monitoring progress, preparing the fiscal reports, and editing the final products. 28 Barbara Wetzel, an ESL instructor, piloted the program with a group of ESL students in the fall of 1993 and in the spring of 1994. She edited the materials and prepared the final report. E. Intended Audience The DISCOVER PENNSYLVANIA program was developed for adult learners in ABLE classes, specifically international students enrolled in Level III ESL classes provided by the State College Area School District. F. Dissemination The project Final Report, the Student Workbook, and the Instructor's Manual will be available for dissemination through: Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education Pennsylvania Department of Education 333 Market Street Harrisburg PA 17126-0333 Permanent copies of the project will be available at: 1. AdvancE Pennsylvania Department of Education 1-800-446-5607 2. Western Pennsylvania Adult Literacy Resource Center (WPALRC)