Researcher Publications
This page provides a listing of publications by NCSALL researchers, based on or stemming from their research projects for NCSALL. Listings are organized by two categories: continuing and completed research studies. Publications that are available on-line, either on this site or elsewhere, are hyperlinked.
Principal Researchers
- Harold Beder
- Mary Beth Bingman
- John Comings
- Silja Kallenbach
- Robert Kegan
- Richard Murnane
- Victoria Purcell-Gates
- Stephen Reder
- Rima Rudd
- Cristine Smith
- John Strucker
- John Tyler
- Julie Viens
Principal Researchers
John Comings, Harvard Graduate School of Education and NCSALL Director
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Adult Literacy Research: Opportunities and Challenge. Comings, J. & Soricone, L. (NCSALL Occasional Paper, 2007)
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How Do You Teach Content in Adult Education? An Annotated Bibliography Zachry, E. M. & Comings, J. P. (NCSALL Occasional Paper, 2006)
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An Evidence-based Adult Education Program Model Appropriate for Research Comings, J., Soricone, L., & Santos, M. (NCSALL Occasional Paper, 2006)
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An Evaluation of the NCSALL Publication Focus on Basics Garner, B., Boscolo, M., Comings, J., Curry, D., McClure, K. & Smith, C. (NCSALL Report #27, 2006)
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[Annual] Review of Adult Learning and Literacy Comings, J., Garner, B., & Smith, C. (2000) (2001) (2002) (2004) (2005) (2006)
- "One Day I Will Make It" – A Study of Adult Student Persistence in Library Literacy Programs [PDF] Porter, K., Cuban, S., & Comings, J. with Chase, V. (New York: MDRC, 2005)
- Literacy Skills of U.S. Adults, in Schwartzberg, J., Vangeest, J. & Wang, C., Understanding Health Literacy: Implications for Medicine and Public Health (Chicago, IL: American Medical Association, 2004)
- Massachusetts: A Case Study of Improvement and Growth of Adult Education Services [PDF] in The Review of Adult Learning and Literacy (Volume 5, Chapter 4, 2004)
- Establishing an Evidence-based Adult Education System [PDF] Comings, J., Beder, H., Bingman, B., Reder, S., & Smith, C. (NCSALL Occasional Paper, 2003)
- "As Long As It Takes" – Responding to the Challenges of Adult Student Persistence in Library Literacy Programs [PDF] Comings, J., Cuban, S., Bos, J., & Porter, K. with Doolittle, F. (New York: MDRC, 2003)
- "I Did it For Myself" – Studying Efforts to Increase Adult Learner Persistence In Library Literacy Programs [PDF] Comings, J., Cuban, S., Bos, J., & Taylor, C. (New York: MDRC, 2001)
- Building a Level Playing Field: The Need to Expand and Improve the National and State Adult Education and Literacy Systems [PDF] Comings, J., Reder, S. & Sum, A. (NCSALL Occasional Paper, 2001)
- Connecting Research and Practice Garner, B., Bingman, M.B., Comings, J., Rowe, K., & Smith, C. (Focus on Basics, Volume 4, Issue D, April 2001)
- Sharing What NCSALL is Learning (Focus on Basics, Volume 4, Issue D, April 2001)
- I Know This is the Place for Me: Stories of Library Literacy Learners and Programs in Literacy and Libraries: Learning from Case Studies, (ALA Editions, 2001)
- So I Made Up My Mind: Introducing a Study of Adult Learner Persistence in Library Literacy Programs (New York: Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation, 2000)
- Helping Adults Persist: Four Supports Comings, J., Parrella, A., & Soricone, L. (Focus on Basics, Volume 4, Issue A, March 2000)
- Persistence Among Adult Basic Education Students in Pre-GED classes Comings, J., Parrella, A., & Soricone, L. (1999)
- NCSALL Report #12: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Brief
Harold Beder, Rutgers University; NCSALL Coordinator and ABE/GED Labsite Director
- Shaping and Sustaining Learner Engagement in Individualized Group Instruction Classrooms Beder, H. (Focus on Basics, Volume 8, Issue B, May 2006)
- Learners' Engagement in Adult Literacy Education Beder, H., Tomkins, J., Medina, P., Riccioni, R., & Deng, Weiling (2006)
- NCSALL Report #28: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Brief [PDF]
- Establishing an Evidence-based Adult Education System [PDF] Comings, J., Beder, H., Bingman, B., Reder, S., & Smith, C. (NCSALL Occasional Paper, 2003)
- Classroom Dynamics in Adult Literacy Education Beder, H. & Medina, P. (2001)
- NCSALL Report #18: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Report #18a: Report Summary [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Brief [PDF]
- The Outcomes and Impacts of Adult Literacy Education in the United States (1999)
- NCSALL Report #6: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Brief [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Findings: Lessons from NCSALL's Outcomes and Impacts Study (Focus on Basics, Volume 2, Issue D, December 1998)
Stephen Reder, Portland State University; NCSALL Coordinator and ESOL Labsite Director
- Self-Study: Broadening the Concepts of Participation and Program Support (Focus on Basics, Volume 8, Issue C, November 2006)
- The "Lab School" (Focus on Basics, Volume 8, Issue A, November 2005)
- Applying Research Findings to Instruction for Adult English Language Students [PDF] Smith, C., Harris, K.A., & Reder, S. (CAELA Brief, August 2005-03)
- Establishing an Evidence-based Adult Education System [PDF] Comings, J., Beder, H., Bingman, B., Reder, S., & Smith, C. (NCSALL Occasional Paper, 2003)
- A Multimedia Adult Learner Corpus [PDF] Reder, S. Harris, K., & Seltzer, K. (TESOL Quarterly, 37[3], 65-78)
- Program Participation and Self-Directed Learning to Improve Basic Skills Reder, S. & Strawn, C. (Focus on Basics, Volume 4, Issue D, April 2001)
- The K-12 School Experiences of High School Dropouts Reder, S. & Strawn, C. (Focus on Basics, Volume 4, Issue D, April 2001)
- Building a Level Playing Field: The Need to Expand and Improve the National and State Adult Education and Literacy Systems [PDF] Comings, J., Reder, S. & Sum, A. (NCSALL Occasional Paper, 2001)
- Adult Literacy and Postsecondary Education Students: Overlapping Populations and Learning Trajectories in The Annual Review of Adult Learning and Literacy (Volume 1, Chapter 4, 2000)
Rima Rudd, Harvard School of Public Health
- Skills for Disease Prevention and Screening Rudd, R. E., Soricone, L., & Santos, M. (HALL/NCSALL Study Circle+ Guide, 2007)
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The Health Literacy Environment of Hospitals and Health Centers
Partners for Action: Making Your Healthcare Facility Literacy-Friendly
Rudd, R. E. & Anderson, J. E. (HALL/NCSALL Forum Guide, 2006)
- Navigating Healthcare (Focus on Basics, Volume 8, Issue C, November 2006)
- Skills for Chronic Disease Management Rudd, R., Soricone, L., Santos, M., Nath, C. and Smith, J (HALL/NCSALL Study Circle Guide+, 2005)
- Skills for Health Care Access and Navigation Rudd, R., Soricone, L., Santos, M., Zobel, E., Smith, J., and Lawrence, W. (HALL/NCSALL Study Circle Guide+, 2005)
- Health Literacy Public Health Forums: Partners for Action Rudd, R. & Zobel, E. (HALL/NCSALL Forum Guide, 2004)
- A Maturing Partnership (Focus on Basics, Volume 5, Issue C, February 2002)
- Diffusion of Innovation (Focus on Basics, Volume 5, Issue C, February 2002)
- An Overview of Medical and Public Health Literature Addressing Literacy Issues: An Annotated Bibliography Rudd, R., Colton, T. & Schacht, R. (2000)
- NCSALL Report #14: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Brief
- Adult Educators' Perceptions of Health Issues and Topics in Adult Basic Education Programs Rudd, R. & Moeykens, B. (NCSALL Research Brief, 2000)
- Findings from a National Survey of State Directors of Adult Education Rudd, R., Zahner, L., & Banh, M. (1999).
- Health and Literacy: A Review of Medical and Public Health Literature Rudd, R., Moeykens, B., & Colton, T. in The Annual Review of Adult Learning and Literacy (Volume 1, Chapter 5, 1999)
- NCSALL Report #9: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Brief
- Integrating Health and Literacy: Adult Educators' Experiences Rudd, R., Zacharia, C., & Daube, K. (1998) Rudd, R., Zacharia, C., & Daube, K. (1998)
- NCSALL Report #5: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Brief
John Strucker, Harvard Graduate School of Education
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The Relationship of the Component Skills of Reading to IALS Performance: Tipping Points and Five Classes of Adult Literacy Learners. Strucker, J., Yamamoto, K., & Kirsch, I. (NCSALL Report #29, 2007)
- NCSALL Report #29: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Brief [PDF] -
More Curriculum Structure: A Response to "Turbulence" (Focus on Basics, Volume 8, Issue C, November 2006)
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Patterns of word recognition errors among ABE native and nonnative speakers of English (Scientific Studies of Reading, 6[3], 2002).
- Adult Reading Components Study (ARCS) [PDF] Strucker, J. & Davidson, R. (NCSALL Research Brief, 2003)
- How the ARCS Was Done [PDF] Strucker, J. with Davidson, R,. & Hilferty, A. (NCSALL Occasional Paper, 2000)
- Lessons of Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children for Adult Learning and Literacy Snow, C. & Strucker, J. in The Annual Review of Adult Learning and Literacy (Volume 1, Chapter 2, 1999)
- What Silent Reading Tests Alone Can't Tell You (Focus on Basics, Volume 1, Issue B, May 1997)
- Evidence from Florida on the Labor Market Attachment of Male Dropouts Who Attempt the GED [PDF] Tyler, J. (NCSALL Research Brief, 2005)
- Basic Skills and the Earnings of Dropouts (Economics Education Review, 23[3], (2004), 221-35)
- Does the GED Improve Earnings? Estimates from a Sample of Both Successful and Unsuccessful GED Candidates (Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 57[4], (2004), 579-98)
- The Devil’s in the Details: Evidence from the GED on the Large Effects of Small Differences in High Stakes Exams. Tyler, J. with Murnane, J. and Willett, J. B. (Economics of Education Review, 23[4], (2004), 336-49)
- The General Educational Development (GED) Credential: History, Current Research, and Directions for Policy and Practice [PDF] Tyler, J. in Review of Adult Learning and Literacy (Volume 5, Chapter 3, 2004)
- Skills Matter in the Types of Jobs Young Dropouts Will First Hold (Focus on Basics, Volume 7, Issue A, June 2004)
- Who Benefits from a GED? Evidence for Females from High School and Beyond. Tyler, J. with Marnane, R. and Willett, J. B. (Economics of Education Review, 22[3], (2003), 237-247)
- The Economic Benefits of the GED: Lessons from Recent Research (Review of Educational Research, 73[3], (2003), 369-403)
- The Economic Benefits of the GED: A Research Synthesis [PDF] Tyler, J. (NCSALL Research Brief)
- So You Want a GED? Estimating the Impact of the GED on the Earnings of Dropouts Who Seek the Credential [PDF] Tyler, J. (NCSALL Research Brief)
- Do the Cognitive Skills of Dropouts Matter in the Labor Market? (Focus on Basics, Volume 4, Issue A, March 2000)
- The Devil is in the Details: Evidence from the GED on the Role of Examination System Details in Determining Who Passes Tyler, J., Murnane, R. & Willett, J. (2000)
- NCSALL Report #16: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Brief
- Cognitive Skills Matter in the Labor Market, Even for School Dropouts Tyler, J., Murnane, R., & Willett, J. (2000)
- NCSALL Report #15: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Brief
- Do the Cognitive Skills of Dropouts Matter in the Labor Market? (Journal of Human Resources, 35[4], (2000), 748-754)
- Estimating the Labor Market Signaling Value of the GED Tyler, J., Murnane, R., & Willett, J. (NCSALL Research Brief, 2000)
- Estimating the Labor Market Signaling Value of the GED. Tyler, J., Murnane, R., & Willett, J. (Quarterly Journal of Economics, 115[2], (2000), 431-468)
- Who Benefits from Obtaining a GED? Evidence from High School and Beyond Tyler, J., Murnane, R., & Willett, J. (NCSALL Research Brief, 2002)
- Who Benefits from Obtaining a GED? Evidence from High School and Beyond (The Review of Economics and Statistics, 82 [2], (2000), 23-37)
- In Search of a Second Chance (Monthly Labor Review, December 2000)
- Do Male Dropouts Benefit from Obtaining a GED, Postsecondary Education, and Training? (Evaluation Review, October 1999)
Mary Beth Bingman, Center for Literacy Studies, University of Tennessee, NCSALL Coordinator
- Research Utilization in the Field of Adult Learning and Literacy: Lessons Learned by NCSALL About Connecting Practice, Policy, and Research [PDF-200 KB] Smith, C. Bingman, B., & Beall, K. (NCSALL Occasional Paper, 2007)
- Effective Research Dissemination: Lessons from NCSALL (Focus on Basics, Volume 8, Issue C, November 2006)
- Program Administrators’ Sourcebook: A Resource on NCSALL’s Research for Adult Education Program Administrators Taylor, J., Smith, C. & Bingman, B. (NCSALL Teaching & Training Materials, 2005)
- Understanding What Reading Is All About: Teaching Materials and Lessons for Adult Basic Education Learners Developed with Hagar, A., Garner, B., Smith, C., Bingman, M. B., Balliro, L., Mullins, L., Guldry, L. A., & McShane, S. (NCSALL Teaching & Training Materials, 2005)
- Establishing an Evidence-based Adult Education System [PDF] Comings, J., Beder, H., Bingman, B., Reder, S., & Smith, C. (NCSALL Occasional Paper, 2003)
- Connecting Practitioners and Researchers: An Evaluation of NCSALL’s Practitioner Dissemination and Researcher Network [PDF] Smith, C., Bingman, M. B., Hofer, J. & Medina, P. (2002)
- NCSALL Report #22: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Report #22a: Report Summary [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Brief [PDF]
- How Are We Doing? An Inquiry Guide for Adult Education Programs Bingman, B. with Ebert, O. (NCSALL Teaching & Training Materials, 2001)
- Connecting Research and Practice Garner, B., Bingman, M. B., Comings, J., Rowe, K., & Smith, C. (Focus on Basics, Volume 4, Issue D, April 2001)
- Documenting Outcomes for Learners and Their Communities: A Report on a NCSALL Action Research Project [PDF] Bingman, M. B. with Ebert, O. & Bell, B. (NCSALL Report, 2001)
- I've Come A Long Way: Learner-Identified Outcomes of Participation in Adult Literacy Programs Bingman, M. B. & Ebert, O. (2000)
- NCSALL Report #13: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Brief
- Outcomes of Participation in Adult Basic Education: The Importance of Learners' Perspectives [PDF] Bingman, M. B. with Ebert, O. & Bell, B. (NCSALL Occasional Paper, 2000)
- Changes in Learners' Lives One Year After Enrollment in Literacy Programs: An Analysis from the Longitudinal Study of Adult Literacy Participants in Tennessee Bingman, M. B., Ebert, O., & Smith, M. (1999)
- NCSALL Report #11: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Brief
- Practitioners Speak: Contributing to a Research Agenda for Adult Basic Education Bingman, M. B., Smith, C., & Stewart, K. (1998)
- NCSALL Report #4: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Brief
Silja Kallenbach, World Education, Inc.
- Multiple Intelligences and Adult Literacy: A Sourcebook for Practitioners (Link will open in a new window.) Kallenbach, S. & Viens, J. (New York: Teachers College Press, 2004)
- Open to Interpretation: Multiple Intelligences Theory in Adult Literacy Education Kallenbach, S. & Viens, J. (2002)
- NCSALL Report #21: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Brief [PDF]
- Multiple Intelligences in Practice: Teacher Research Reports from the Adult Multiple Intelligences Study Kallenbach, S. & Viens, J., Eds. (NCSALL Occasional Paper, 2001)
- Emerging Themes in Adult Multiple Intelligences (Focus on Basics, Volume 3, Issue A, March 1999)
Robert Kegan, Harvard Graduate School of Education
- Toward a New Pluralism in ABE/ESOL Classrooms:
Teaching to Multiple Cultures of Mind. Executive Summary
Kegan, R., Broderick, M., Drago-Severson, E., Helsing, D., Popp, N., & Portnow, K. (2001) - Transformational Learning in Adulthood Portnow, K., Popp, N., Broderick, M., Drago-Severson, E., & Kegan, R. (Focus on Basics, Volume 2, Issue D, December 1998)
- NCSALL Report #19: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Report #19a: Executive Summary
Richard Murnane, Harvard Graduate School of Education
- The Devil’s in the Details: Evidence from the GED on the Large Effects of Small Differences in High Stakes Exams. Tyler, J. with Murnane, J. and Willett, J. B. (Economics of Education Review, 23[4], (2004), 336-49)
- Who Benefits from a GED? Evidence for Females from High School and Beyond. Tyler, J. with Marnane, R. and Willett, J. B. (Economics of Education Review, 22[3], (2003), 237-247)
- The Devil is in the Details: Evidence from the GED on the Role of Examination System Details in Determining Who Passes Tyler, J., Murnane, R., & Willett, J. (2000)
- NCSALL Report #16: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Brief
- Estimating the Labor Market Signaling Value of the GED. Tyler, J., Murnane, R., & Willett, J. (Quarterly Journal of Economics, 115[2], (2000), 431-468)
Victoria Purcell Gates, Michigan State University
- Impact of Authentic Literacy Instruction on Adult Literacy Practices (Reading Research Quarterly, 37[1], (2002), 70-92)
- Adult Literacy Instruction: Degrees of Authenticity and Collaboration as Described by Practitioners (JLR, 33[4], (2001), 571-593)
- Affecting Change in the Literacy Practice of Adult Learners: Impact of Two Dimensions of Instruction Purcell-Gates, V., Degener, S., Jacobson, E., & Soler, M. (2000)
- NCSALL Report #17: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Brief [PDF]
- Adult Literacy Program Practice: A Typology Across Dimensions of Life-Contextualized/Decontextualized and Dialogic/Monologic Purcell-Gates, V., Degener, S. & Jacobson, E. (1998)
- NCSALL Report #2: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Brief
- Taking Literacy Skills Home Purcell-Gates, V., Degener, S., Jacobson, E., & Soler, M. (Focus on Basics, Volume 4, Issue D, April 2001)
- There's Reading... and Then There's Reading (Focus on Basics, Volume 1, Issue B, May 1997)
Cristine Smith, World Education, Inc. and NCSALL Deputy Director
- Research Utilization in the Field of Adult Learning and Literacy: Lessons Learned by NCSALL About Connecting Practice, Policy, and Research [PDF-200 KB] Smith, C. Bingman, B., & Beall, K. (NCSALL Occasional Paper, 2007)
- Effective Research Dissemination: Lessons from NCSALL (Focus on Basics, Volume 8, Issue C, November 2006)
- An Evaluation of the NCSALL Publication Focus on Basics Garner, B., Boscolo, M., Comings, J., Curry, D., McClure, K. and Smith, C. (NCSALL Report #27, 2006)
- Skills for Chronic Disease Management Rudd, R., Soricone, L., Santos, M., Nath, C. and Smith, J (NCSALL Study Circle Guide+, 2005)
- Program Administrators’ Sourcebook: A Resource on NCSALL’s Research for Adult Education Program Administrators Taylor, J., Smith, C. & Bingman, B. (NCSALL Teaching & Training Materials, 2005)
- [Annual] Review of Adult Learning and Literacy Comings, J., Garner, B., & Smith, C. (2000) (2001) (2002) (2004) (2005) (2006)
- Understanding What Reading Is All About: Teaching Materials and Lessons for Adult Basic Education Learners [PDF] Developed with Hagar, A., Garner, B., Smith, C., Bingman, M. B., Balliro, L., Mullins, L., Guldry, L. A., & McShane, S. (NCSALL Teaching & Training Materials, 2005)
- Establishing an Evidence-based Adult Education System [PDF] Comings, J., Beder, H., Bingman, B., Reder, S., & Smith, C. (NCSALL Occasional Paper, 2003)
- Characteristics and Concerns of Adult Basic Education Teachers Smith, C. & Hofer, J. (2003)
- NCSALL Report #26: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Brief [PDF]
- How Teachers Change: A Study of Professional Development in Adult Education Smith, C., Hofer, J., Gillespie, M., Solomon, M., & Rowe, K. (2003)
- NCSALL Report #25: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Report #25a: Report Summary [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Brief [PDF]
- Connecting Practitioners and Researchers: An Evaluation of NCSALL's Practitioner Dissemination and Research Network. Smith, C., Bingman, M. B., Hofer, J., Medina, P., & Practitioner Leaders. (2002)
- NCSALL Report #22: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Report #22a: Report Summary [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Brief [PDF]
- Pathways to Change: A Summary of Findings from NCSALL's Staff Development Study Smith, C. & Hofer, J. (Focus on Basics, Volume 5, Issue D, June 2002)
- Building Professional Development Systems in Adult Basic Education: Lessons from the Field Belzer, A., Drennon, C., & Smith, C. in The Annual Review of Adult Learning and Literacy (Volume 2, Chapter 5, 2001)
- The Working Conditions of Adult Literacy Teachers Smith, C., Hofer, J., & Gillespie, M. (Focus on Basics, Volume 4, Issue D, April 2001)
- Connecting Research and Practice Garner, B., Bingman, M. B., Comings, J., Rowe, K., & Smith, C. (Focus on Basics, Volume 4, Issue D, April 2001)
- Practitioners Speak: Contributing to a Research Agenda for Adult Basic Education. Bingman, M. B., Smith, C., & Stewart, K. with Practitioner Dissemination and Research Network (1998)
- NCSALL Report #4: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Brief
Julie Viens, Harvard Project Zero
- Multiple Intelligences and Adult Literacy: A Sourcebook for Practitioners Kallenbach, S. & Viens, J. (New York: Teachers College Press, 2004)
- Open to Interpretation: Multiple Intelligences Theory in Adult Literacy Education Kallenbach, S. & Viens, J. (2002)
- NCSALL Report #21: Full Report [PDF]
- NCSALL Research Brief [PDF]
- Multiple Intelligences in Practice: Teacher Research Reports from the Adult Multiple Intelligences Study Kallenbach, S. & Viens, J., Eds. (NCSALL Occasional Paper, 2001)
- Understanding Multiple Intelligences: The Theory Behind the Practice (Focus on Basics, Volume 3, Issue A, March 1999)