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OEO CONTRACT

Non-funded

CODE# 0401a

TITLE: The Adult Basic Learning Examination (ABLE)

GROUP CONDUCTING STUDY: Harcourt, Brace and World, Inc., 757

test

Purpose: Harcourt, Brace and World has developed a new achievement The Adult Basic Learning Examination (ABLE). Job Corps was approached concerning the use of Job Corpsmembers as a norming population. This represented an opportunity to have a test standardized on our population at no cost to us. Also there is opportunity to investigate the possibility of using an adult oriented achievement test for the Job Corps population. Test ABLE was designed to provide measures of achievement in the following basic skills: Oral Vocabulary, Word Attack Skills, Paragraph Reading, Spelling, Number Computation, and Mathematics Problem Solving. ABLE is a group test organized at two levels: Level I (Grades 2 -4), and Level II (Grades 5-8). Group testing requires about 4 hours (150 minutes of actual test time).

Method:

Job Corps arranged for testing approximately 1,000 Job
Corpsmembers with test ABLE during the week of December
5th 16th.

Form of Report: Harcourt, Brace and World will supply Job Corps with raw scores, item responses, grade equivalents and grade norms. In addition they will give Job Corps sub-test correlations between ABLE and SAT Again at no cost to Job Corps. Furthermore, they will cross-tabulate any of the above information with selected Corpsmen background characteristics such as age, race and sex at Job Corps request.

Further Information: Evaluation and Research Branch, Job Corps

GROUP CONDUCTING STUDY: U. S. Industries, Inc., Educational

Science Division, 12345 New Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, Maryland

Purpose:

To experiment with an automated instructional system with
Job Corpsmen at Custer Men's Urban Center in order to
determine:

--Whether Corpsmen learn faster by live instruction,
automated instruction, or a combination of these
types of instruction

--Whether greater flexibility in scheduling of teaching
for each individual is achieved by using automated
teaching.

Method: Contractor:

--Divided 160 Corpsmen into four equal groups:

-Teacher only: a regular staff member teaching a unit
of math and a unit of language

-Automated instruction only with a "group life foreman"
acting as a monitor, rather than as an instructor
-Automated instruction only with a Corpsman acting as
a monitor. Job Corps enrollee will perform supervisory
functions (attendance, etc.)

-Teacher with automated instruction. Teachers introducing
explaining subject-matter, and giving any necessary
individual instruction

-Administered California Achievement Tests before and after the course, and compared relative degree of improvement under the various conditions

-Considered the amount of time students spent covering the material, and amount of time they voluntarily spend on teaching machines in the library

-Administered questionnaire to Corpsmen to evaluate their experiences with various teaching techniques

Form of Report: Written report.

Further Information: Evaluation and Research Branch, Job Corps

Subsidiary of Mel-Par Corporation, 6521 Arlington Boulevard, Falls

Purpose:

To develop a categorization, cataloging and informational retrieval system of all instructional materials appropriate to the Job Corps population.

Further Information:

Curriculum Branch, Job Corps

OEO CONTRACT#

1209

CODE#

0401b

333

TITLE: An Investigation of the Potential Contribution of Teaching
Machines in the Job Corps Math Program

GROUP CONDUCTING STUDY: EVCO 225 San Pedro N. E., Albuquerque,

New Mexico

TIME SPAN:

CURRENT STATUS:

Purpose:

May 26, 1966 - November 10, 1966

Completed

Contractor investigated the potential contribution of teaching machines in the Job Corps mathematics program. Method: The work was performed in the following phases:

1. Purchased 12 MAST and 12 DuKANE Teaching Machines and
prepared reproducible copy of Word Problem Skills
Program for use in these machines

2.

3.

Field tested materials

Prepared rough draft of the Administration Manual 4. Validated the Administration Manual

5. Prepared a final report

Further Information:

Curriculum Branch, Job Corps

Purpose: This contract provided for research in four skill areas: Electrician's Helper, Landscape Aide, Mechanical Drafting, and Surveyor, the purpose of which was to find specific occupational skills which can be appropriately programmed into self-instructional packages for use in vocational training in Job Corps Conservation Centers. Based on the above research, contractor designed, developed, validated and delivered appropriate self-instructional prototype packages, including recommendations for their use and implementation to the centers listed below.

Method:

Six self-instructional kits in landscaping were sent to the
following centers.

Six soldering kits were sent to OEO Headquarters and the
following centers:

The kits were evaluated to determine their further. use.

Further Information:

Curriculum Branch, Job Corps

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