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WORKPLACE LITERACY PRODUCT CHECKLIST - JUDGING THE QUALITY OF

WORKPLACE LITERACY PRODUCTS

National Alliance of Business

The National Workforce Assistance Collaborative builds the capacity

of the service providers working with small and mid-sized companies

in order to help businesses adopt high-performance work practices,

become more competitive, and ultimately advance the well-being of

their employees. The Collaborative was created with a $650,000

cooperative agreement grant from the Department of Labor to the

National Alliance of Business. Current partners on the project

include the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, the

Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy at The Pennsylvania State

University, the Maryland Center for Quality and Productivity, and

the National Labor-Management Association. The Collaborative

provides assistance in four areas: employee training, labor-

management relations, work restructuring, and workplace literacy.

For more information, contact Bernice Jones at the National Alliance

of Business, 202/289-2915.

Development and printing of this publication was funded under Grant

Number F-4357-3-00-80-60 by the U.S. Department of Labor. Opinions

expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the

official policy of the U.S. Department of Labor.

R5581

To order additional copies, contact:

National Alliance of Business

Distribution

P.O. Box 501

Annapolis Junction, MD 20702

1-800-787-7788

(fax: 301-206-9789)

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This Workplace Literacy Product Checklist was developed by Terri

Bergman with the assistance of Louise Bertsche, Stephen Mitchell,

Michael Puzia, and Peggy Siegel.

The National Workforce Assistance Collaborative would like to thank

the many workplace literacy specialists who reviewed draft versions

of the Checklist and provided advice and guidance:

* Judith Alamprese, COSMOS Corporation

* Eunice N. Askov, Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy,

Penn State University

* Ann Belletire, Illinois Secretary of State Literacy Office

* Dale Brandenburg, Labor-Management Council for Economic Renewal

* Forrest P. Chisman, Southport Institute for Policy Analysis

* Lynne Fry, U.S. Department of Labor

* Regina Guaraldi, Workplace Literacy Programs,

Miami-Dade Community College

* Karl O. Haigler, The Salem Company

* Inaam Mansoor, Wilson School

* Michael O'Brian, CertainTeed Corporation

* Anthony Sarmiento, AFL-CIO Department of Education

* Sondra G. Stein, National Institute for Literacy

* Johan Uvin, Massachusetts Adult and Community Learning Services

* Kenneth Edwards, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

This Product Checklist could not have been completed without their

help.

Bernice Jones, Denise Hall, Cathy Stewart, and Kim West handled the

design and production work.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION.....................................................3

THIS CHECKLIST IN CONTEXT........................................4

HOW TO USE THE PRODUCT CHECKLIST.................................5

CHECKLIST........................................................7

Step 1: Program Development.....................................7

Step 2: Program Preparation.....................................7

Step 3: Curriculum Development..................................8

Step 4: Instructional Development...............................9

Step 5: Training Staff Preparation..............................9

Step 6: Program Delivery.......................................10

Step 7: Training and Program Evaluation........................10

COMPARISON CHART................................................11

ADVISORY GROUPS.................................................13

INTRODUCTION

PURPOSE OF THE PRODUCT CHECKLIST

This Product Checklist can be used to determine whether a particular

workplace literacy product - such as a series of instructional

workbooks or computerized instructional system - follows best

practice and will meet the needs of your firm and build the

productive capacity of its employees. It also allows you to evaluate

what parts of a workplace literacy program your firm is prepared to

undertake in order to successfully integrate the literacy product

you ultimately select into your company practices.

The Checklist will help you, as a business person or labor

representative, to review potential workplace literacy products and

get the most value for your training investment. It can be used to

assess the quality of a variety of workplace literacy products,

including, but not limited to:

* Workplace literacy training development guidebooks,

* Curricula,

* Series of instructional workbooks, or

* Computerized instructional systems.

WORKPLACE LITERACY

The Checklist was developed from a list of Workplace Literacy Best

Practice Guidelines, constructed by nationally recognized workplace

literacy professionals, business people, and union representatives.

These individuals defined workplace literacy as the following:

Workplace literacy encompasses the basic and higher order skills

individuals need to function in the workplace. Using the definition

of literacy contained in the National Literacy Act of 1991,

workplace literacy is an individual's ability to read, write, and

speak in English, and compute and solve problems at levels of

proficiency necessary to function on the job.

The most effective workplace literacy programs use the workplace as

the context for instruction and take account of workers' skills,

knowledge, and interests in training design and delivery. This

"functional context" approach has benefits for both companies and

employees. The approach:

* Increases participants' motivation to learn, because they

can see the value and applicability of the training;

* Increases participants' ability to learn, because the

concepts being taught are less abstract; and

* Increases training's return to the company, because it is

easier for employees to transfer learning back to their jobs.

PRODUCT CHECKLIST STRUCTURE

The Product Checklist is divided into five sections:

1) Introduction - Explains the purpose of the Checklist, defines

workplace literacy, and lays out the structure of the Checklist.

2) This Checklist in Context - Explains how workplace literacy

training fits within the larger context of workforce and

workplace change, and lists other Collaborative products designed

to help small and mid-sized companies in their change efforts.

3) How to Use the Product Checklist - Provides instruction on using

the Checklist.

4) Checklist - Provides an annotated listing of the key elements in

each of seven steps in the development and implementation of a

workplace literacy program, against which you can measure various

workplace literacy products.

5) Comparison Chart - Provides space to compare the merits of three

different products you review, along with your firm's own

capacity to undertake parts of a workplace literacy program.

THIS CHECKLIST IN CONTEXT

Workplace literacy training is just one of a number of workforce and

workplace changes companies must undertake to remain competitive in

today's global economy. For many companies, staying profitable

involves the adoption of new technologies, restructuring work

processes, redefining the relationship between employers and

employees, as well as upgrading employees' knowledge, skills, and

abilities.

All of these changes are interrelated. New machines frequently

require new work processes if they are to be fully utilized. New

work processes can lead to changes in the locus of decision making

and a redefinition of both labor's and management's roles. Training

in a variety of skills, including basic reading, writing, and

mathematics, is almost always necessary to put any other changes

into place successfully.

The National Workforce Assistance Collaborative has prepared a

series of tools to help small and mid-sized companies select the

high quality service providers and products they need to undertake

successful workforce and workplace changes, including:

* Employee Training Interview Guide: Judging the Quality and

Effectiveness of Training Providers,

* Employee Training Product Checklist: Judging the Quality of

Training Products,

* Labor-Management Interview Guide: Judging the Quality and

Effectiveness of Labor-Management Relations Consultants,

* Work Restructuring Interview Guide: Judging the Quality and

Effectiveness of Work Restructuring Consultants,

* Workplace Literacy Interview Guide: Judging the Quality and

Effectiveness of Workplace Literacy Providers, and

* Workplace Literacy Product Checklist: Judging the Quality of

Workplace Literacy Products.

In addition, the Collaborative has published a listing of national

membership organizations and state program offices supporting

workforce and workplace changes in employee training, labor-

management relations, work restructuring, and workplace literacy.

Companies seeking training or consultant services, tools, or

resources in any one of the four areas can use this guide -

Resource Guide: A Key to Organizations Working in Employee

Training, Labor-Management Relations, Work Restructuring, and

Workplace Literacy - to find organizations or agencies that can

steer them in the right direction.

All Collaborative publications can be ordered through the National

Alliance of Business Distribution Center, listed on the inside front

cover. Collaborative products can also be downloaded from our

Internet gopher server. The gopher server address is INFO.PSU.EDU.

After you reach the gopher server, open "Information Servers at Penn

State," then open "Research Centers and Institutes" to find the

National Workforce Assistance Collaborative gopher site.

HOW TO USE THE PRODUCT CHECKLIST

The Checklist itself is divided into seven steps in the development

and implementation of a workplace literacy program:

1) Program Development - Tying training to company business

objectives and company, employee, and customer needs.

2) Program Preparation - Determining the literacy skill needs of

your workplace and its employees.

3) Curriculum Development - Creating a curriculum that reflects

workplace requirements and bridges the gap between the skills

needed in your workplace and employees' current skill levels.

4) Instructional Development - Adapting training methods to the

workplace and employees.

5) Training Staff Preparation - Ensuring staff are skilled in

literacy training and the needs of your workplace.

6) Program Delivery - Tailoring training to employees' needs.

7) Training and Program Evaluation - Using evaluation to assure

training quality.

To use the Checklist, just compare the products you are considering

purchasing against the quality elements asked about for each of the

seven steps. (The questions in the Checklist vary slightly

depending on whether the product you are evaluating is "ready-to-

use" or serves as a "how-to guide.")

Not all products you review will cover each of the seven steps. A

training development guidebook, for example, would probably provide

instructions on all seven steps. A computerized instructional

system, on the other hand, may cover only curriculum development,

instructional development, and program delivery.

All seven of the steps are important parts of a workplace literacy

program, and each must be accomplished if the program is to be

completely successful. However, each step does not have to be a

part of the workplace literacy product you purchase. In cases where

the product you are reviewing does not encompass a particular step,

your firm should be prepared to undertake that step itself in order

to successfully integrate the workplace literacy product into your

company practices.

The ideal workplace literacy product would meet all of the quality

elements in the Product Checklist that your firm is not prepared to

undertake itself. However, you will probably find that the

different products you review will vary in the percentage of

elements they cover, possess differing strengths and weaknesses, and

have relatively divergent costs. In the end, you will have to use

your own set of criteria to select one from among the products you

review. Factors to consider include:

* The percentage of elements they cover;

* The relative value you place on the elements the products either

did or did not cover;

* Your ability to use other methods to address any of the elements

not covered by a product; and

* The cost of the products - compared to each other and to your

budget for workplace literacy training.

You can use the Comparison Chart at the back of this Checklist to

summarize the results of the reviews you conduct. The Comparison

Chart also has space for you to indicate which of any key elements

missing from the products you review your firm has the capacity to

provide. By using the chart, you will be able to compare the

products you are reviewing to each other and to your firm's own

capabilities in order to determine the best product for you to

purchase.

CHECKLIST

--> Feel free to make copies of the Checklist <--

Instructions: Check the boxes where you can answer positively.

For a ready-to-use product - one that you can immediately use in

your company, with no development or adaptation required on your

part - read only part of each question, for example:

Does the product: . . .

For a how-to guide - a product that provides you with instructions

in doing something - read all of the question, for example:

Does the product provide instruction on how to: . . .

STEP 1: Program Development - Tying training to company business

objectives and company, employee, and customer needs.

Does the product (provide instruction on how to):

* Incorporate training into company strategies?

Incorporate basic skills training into the company's business

strategy and link employees' continuous learning with the

company's continuous improvement efforts.

* Align the program with company objectives and practices?

Align the workplace literacy program with the company's

overall performance objectives, workplace practices, and job

requirements.

* Involve key players?

Gain input and buy-in from management, supervisors, employees,

and, in unionized workplaces, union representatives.

STEP 2: Program Preparation - Determining the literacy skill needs

of your workplace and its employees.

Does the product (provide instruction on how to):

* Determine workplace skill needs?

Determine the basic and higher order skills needed to meet

company goals and customer needs, and carry out company work

processes and job tasks, including the skills needed to solve

problems, work in teams, and make decisions related to

products and processes affecting employees' work.

* Provide, select, or develop appropriate assessments?

Provide, select, or develop assessments that are valid for

training purposes and reliable indicators of the literacy

skills required in the workplace.

* Assess potential trainees?

Assess the target population's knowledge, skills, abilities,

attitudes, and behaviors.

* Assure confidentiality?

Assure confidentiality of trainees' assessment results and

training participation.

STEP 3: Curriculum Development - Creating a curriculum that

reflects workplace requirements and bridges the gap between the

skills needed in your workplace and employees' current skill levels.

Does the product provide (instruction on how to develop) a

curriculum that:

* Bridges the skill gap?

Brings the target population's skills to the level required

for their work.

* Uses jobs as the context for training?

Uses real on-the-job work as the context for teaching literacy

skills. (For example, teaching reading by using company

safety instructions, or learning to measure variability using

the products the company produces.)

* Incorporates company processes?

Incorporates and draws on company work processes, tasks, and

materials. (For example, practicing speaking English by

simulating a company team meeting, practicing writing skills

by producing a written report required by a supervisor, or

learning to read and understand measuring instruments using

company tools and machines.)

* Allows trainees to solve job problems?

Allows trainees to use the knowledge and skills they are

gaining to solve problems commonly encountered on the job.

(For example, determining which supplier is offering a better

price when each supplier uses a different metric to express

price per quantity, volume, or, weight, or, for a brick layer,

calculating the number of bricks needed to build a wall.)

* Links literacy with other training?

Links or integrates, where appropriate, literacy skills

training with other training required in the workplace.

* Trains workers to continue learning?

Trains workers to continue their learning and transfer

knowledge and skills from one work situation to another.

STEP 4: Instructional Development - Adapting training methods to

the workplace and employees.

Does the product provide (instruction on how to develop) training

activities that:

* Match employee needs?

Match instructional methods and media to the different

learning styles and the ethnic, linguistic, and cultural

backgrounds of individual trainees.

* Use company equipment?

Use company technology and equipment.

* Can be adapted to workplace schedules?

Have a flexible format that can be adapted to workplace

schedules.

* Allow for self-paced instruction?

Include self-paced training modules.

STEP 5: Training Staff Preparation - Ensuring staff are skilled in

literacy training and the needs of your workplace.

If training staff are to be drawn from among a company's

operations staff or training department, does the product

(provide instruction on how to):

* Train staff in the principles of learning and literacy

instruction?

Train staff in the basic principles of adult learning, adult

education, and literacy instruction.

* Train staff on good instructional delivery?

Train staff on good instructional delivery techniques.

* Train staff to work with employees with different backgrounds?

Train staff to work with the various ethnic, linguistic,

and cultural backgrounds of employees.

If training staff are to be drawn from professional functional

literacy instructors outside of the company, does the product

(provide instruction on how to):

* Introduce staff to the corporate and industry environment?

Introduce the staff to the corporate environment, your

industry, and working with individuals at all levels of the

company.

* Train staff to work with employees with different backgrounds?

Train staff to work with the various ethnic, linguistic, and

cultural backgrounds of employees.

STEP 6: Program Delivery - Tailoring training to employees' needs.

Does the product (provide instruction on how to):

* Assess employees' needs and customize training plans?

Assess each individual's skill development needs - defined by

his or her own skill levels and training goals - and customize

each individual's learning plan accordingly.

* Assess participants in order to change training plans?

Assess participants during training so that needed changes can

be made in the training plan.

* Provide trainees with feedback?

Provide trainees with regular, ongoing feedback concerning

their progress while in the training program.

* Help employees to apply their new skills to their jobs?

Help employees, during and after the training program, to

apply their newly-acquired skills to their jobs.

* Encourage and reward employee participation?

Encourage participation, and recognize and reward employees

who complete training successfully.

* Foster a desire to learn?

Foster workers' desires for continued learning, and

demonstrate that learning can benefit other aspects of their

lives.

STEP 7: Training and Program Evaluation - Using evaluation to

assure training quality.

Does the product (provide instruction on how to):

* Involve key players in evaluating the program?

Involve management, supervisors, employees, and, in unionized

workplaces, union representatives in evaluating program

effectiveness and its responsiveness to their needs.

* Assess individuals against learning objectives?

Use assessments to determine whether individuals attained

their learning objectives.

* Provide, select, or develop multiple evaluation measures?

Provide, select, or develop multiple evaluation measures that

gauge participant satisfaction, performance gains, and the

quality and effectiveness of the training process.

* Conduct evaluations in order to revise the training program?

Conduct evaluations regularly to inform and revise the

training program and to ensure that the training program is

meeting its objectives.

COMPARISON CHART

--> Feel free to make copies of the Comparison Chart <--

Instructions: Put the names of the products you reviewed in the

blank boxes across the top. Copy the Checklist results for each

product over to this chart, add up the number of elements covered by

each product, and note the products' costs. In the last column,

check the elements your firm will be able to undertake in order to

successfully integrate the workplace literacy product into your

company practices. In comparing products, do not rely solely on the

total number of elements covered by each product. Be sure also to

compare which elements the products did and did not cover, whether

your firm is capable of undertaking the missing quality elements,

and product costs.

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| WORKPLACE LITERACY PROGRAM |______|______|______|

| |######|######|######|

| 1. Program Development |######|######|######|

| strategies. |______|______|______|

| objectives. |______|______|______|

| - Involves key players. |______|______|______|

| |######|######|######|

| 2. Program Preparation |######|######|######|

| - Determines workplace skill needs. |______|______|______|

| - Provides appropriate assessments. |______|______|______|

| Assesses potential trainees. |______|______|______|

| - Assures confidentiality. |______|______|______|

| |######|######|######|

| 3. Curriculum Development |######|######|######|

| - Bridges the skills gap. |______|______|______|

training. |______|______|______|

| - Incorporates company processes. |______|______|______|

| problems |______|______|______|

| - Links literacy with other training. |______|______|______|

| - Trains workers to continue learning. |______|______|______|

| |######|######|######|

| 4. Instructional Development |######|######|######|

| - Matches employee needs. |______|______|______|

| - Uses company equipment. |______|______|______|

| - Adapts to workplace schedules. |______|______|______|

| - Allows for self-paced instruction. |______|______|______|

| |######|######|######|

| 5. Training Staff Preparation: |######|######|######|

| literacy principles. |______|______|______|

| delivery. |______|______|______|

| employees. |______|______|______|

| Or Staff from outside of the Company |######|######|######|

| environment. |______|______|______|

| employees. |______|______|______|

| |######|######|######|

| 6. Program Delivery |######|######|######|

| customizes training. |______|______|______|

| training plans |______|______|______|

| - Provides trainees with feedback. |______|______|______|

| skills to jobs. |______|______|______|

| participation. |______|______|______|

| - Fosters a desire to learn. |______|______|______|

| |######|######|######|

| 7. Training and Program Evaluation |######|######|######|

| the program. |______|______|______|

| learning objectives. |______|______|______|

| measures. |______|______|______|

| revise training. |______|______|______|

| |######|######|######|

| TOTAL NUMBER OF ELEMENTS |______|______|######|

| |######|######|######|

| COST |______|______|######|

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ADVISORY GROUPS

Stephen Mitchell

Project Director

Terri Bergman

Products and Services Manager

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BOARD

Chair

William H. Kolberg

National Alliance of Business

Eunice Askov

Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy, The Pennsylvania State

University

William L. Batt, Jr.

Consultant

Robert Baugh

Human Resource Development Institute

Clair Brown

National Center for the Workplace

Robert Fien

Stone Construction Equipment, Inc.

Evelyn Ganzglass

National Governors' Association

Marshall Goldberg

The Alliance for Employee Development, Inc.

Andy Hartman

National Institute for Literacy

Cathy Kramer

Association for Quality and Participation

David Pierce

American Association of Community Colleges

Jack Russell

The Modernization Forum

Benjamin Schneider

University of Maryland

Dennis Sienko

Prairie State 2000 Authority

Stephen Sleigh

International Association of Machinists

Pamela Tate

Council for Adult and Experiential Learning

Hugh Tranum

National Labor-Management

Benjamin Tregoe

Kepner-Tregoe, Inc.

Thomas Tuttle

Maryland Center for Quality and Productivity

Joan Wills

Institute for Educational Leadership

John Zimmerman

MCI

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EMPLOYEE TRAINING

Chair

Pamela Tate

Council for Adult and Experiential Learning

Brian Bosworth

Regional Technology Strategies

Thomas L. Clogston

Boeing Defense and Space Group

Kenneth Edwards

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

Phyllis Eisen

National Association of Manufacturers

Wendell Fletcher

Congressional Office of Technology Assessment

Patti Glenn

Texas Instruments

Ruth Haines

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Janet Steele Holloway

Kentucky Small Business Development Center

John Hoops

Bay State Skills Corporation Center

Tom Huberty

Upper Mid-West Manufacturing Technology Center

Dan Hull

The Center for Occupational Research and Development

Victoria Kraeling

Southeastern Institute for Advanced Technologies

Arny Manseth

US West

Alfred Moye

Hewlett Packard

Frederic Nichols

National Coalition for Advanced Manufacturing

Joan Patterson

UAW/Chrysler National Training

Paula Reeder

Sallie Mae

Martha Reesman

National Center for Manufacturing Sciences

Lee M. Shrader, Jr.

Great Lakes Manufacturing Technology Center

Duc-Le To

U.S. Department of Education

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LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATI0NS

Chair

Hugh Tranum

National Labor-Management Association

Nick Argona

Xerox Corporation

William L. Batt, Jr.

Consultant

Betty Bednarczyk

SEIU- Local 13

Barry Bluestone

University of Massachusetts

Rena Cross

Foamade Industries

Joel Cutcher-Gershenfield

Michigan State University

David Fontaine

Maryland Labor-Management Committee

Pat France

Stark County Labor-Management Council

Robert Frey

The CIN-MADE Corporation

Maria Heidkamp

Wisconsin Labor-Management Council

Edsel Jones

Mapleton Local No. 7-7807

Robert Landsman

New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations

Malcolm Lovell

National Planning Association

Charlene Powell

Kentucky Association of Labor-Management Committees

John Stepp

Restructuring Associates

Brian Turner

Work and Technology Institute

Earl Willford

Bureau of Mediation

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WORK RESTRUCTURING

Chair

Thomas Tuttle

Maryland Center for Quality and Productivity

Eileen Appelbaum

Economic Policy Institute

Mike Beyerlein

The Center for the Study of Work Teams

Jane Reese Coulbourne

Restructuring Associates, Inc.

John Dodd

Computer Science Corporation

Ned Ellington

Productivity and Quality Center

Michael Galiazzo

Regional Manufacturing Institute

Debbie Goldman

Communications Workers of America

Bruce Herman

Garment Industry Development Corporation

Robert King

Goal/QPC

Vaughn Limbrick

Society for Human Resource Management

Peter Manella

New York State Department of Economic Development

Robert Meyer

Work in Northeast Ohio

Joe Rigali

Sanden International, USA

Jill Scheldrup

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Maureen Sheahan

Labor-Management Council for Economic Renewal

Peggy Siegel

National Alliance of Business

Audrey Theis

Maryland Department of Economic and Employment Development

Edwin Toussaint

Xerox Corporation

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WORKPLACE LITERACY

Chair

Eunice Askov

Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy,

The Pennsylvania State University

Judith Alamprese

COSMOS Corporation

Lorraine Amico

National Governors' Association

Dale Brandenburg

Labor-Management Council for Economic Renewal

Jinx (Helen) Crouch

Literacy Volunteers of America

Regina Guaraldi

Miami-Dade Community College

Karl O. Haigler

The Salem Company

Mary Ann Jackson

Wisconsin Technical College Board

Inaam Mansoor

Wilson School

Donna Miller-Parker

State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

Michael O'Brian

CertainTeed Corporation

James Parker

U.S. Department of Education

James Ryan

District 1199C

Anthony Sarmiento

AFL-CIO

Johan Uvin

Massachusetts Adult and Community Learning Services

Robert Visdos

NETWORK

Jo Ann Weinberger

Center for Literacy, Inc.