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U.S. PIAAC National Supplement:

Prison Study Overview

Association of State Correctional Administrators

Research and Best Practices CommitteeGaylord National, Washington DC

August 10, 2013

Eugene Owen

International Program, NCES

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Background

• Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) is a large–scale, cyclical, direct assessment of adult skills conducted in households in multiple countries

• 5,000+ individuals per country• Ages 16 to 65• Coordinated by the international Organization for

Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)• Sponsored by National Center for Education Statistics

(NCES), U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Labor

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2013 National Supplement

• In 2011-2012, Round One of the PIAAC project conducted in 24 countries

• To expand on Round One, a supplemental study is being conducted in the U.S.:• Additional household sample of 3,600 persons, begins

August 2013• Additional sample of 1,200 adults in prison, begins

February 2014 • Coordinating with Bureau of Justice Statistics (2014 Survey

of Prison Inmates)

• Analysis and reporting early 2016

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What information does PIAAC collect?

• Begins with background questionnaire: • Education and training, past and present• Work experience • Skills used for work and outside of work• Literacy, numeracy, and computer skill use • Personal traits and other background information

• Followed by a skills assessment exercise that focuses on four key domains

• Two modes used in assessment: laptop computer and paper and pencil• Laptop not connected to internet during

interview/assessment

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What does the assessment measure?

Literacy:

“understanding, evaluating, using and engaging with written text to participate in society, to achieve one’s

goals and to develop one’s knowledge and potential.”  

•Data collected via paper and computer

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What does the assessment measure?

Numeracy:

“the ability to access, use, interpret, and communicate mathematical information and ideas, to engage in and

manage mathematical demands of a range of situations in adult life.” 

•Data collected via paper and computer

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What does the assessment measure?

Problem solving in technology-rich environments:

“using digital technology, communication tools, and networks to acquire and evaluate information, communicate with others, and

perform practical tasks.” 

•Data collected via computer only

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What does the assessment measure?

Reading components:

“measuring literacy skills of adults at the lower end of the literacy spectrum, focusing on reading components that are

comparable across the range of languages (reading vocabulary, sentence comprehension, and basic passage

comprehension and fluency).” 

•Data collected via paper only

Word meaningSentence processing

Passage comprehension

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What do the study data provide?

• Information on: • Basic adult skills and competencies • Cognitive and workplace skills • Relationships between individuals’ skills and

background variables such as: – Educational background,– Workplace experiences and skills, – Professional attainment, and– Use of information and communications technology.

• Trends in literacy and numeracy based on shared items from previous similar studies;

• Component skills of reading literacy among lower performing adults (and those not familiar with computers)

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Importance of the Prison Study

• Last time a national study like this was conducted was the National Assessment of Adult Literacy in 2003

• New study will: collect data on literacy and problem-solving skills

from a sample of state and federal inmates provide new information on the effects of education

and training programs• Sample includes males and females• State, federal and private prisons, randomly selected

from around the U.S. (100 facilities total)

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Conducting the Study: Step One

• Letters explaining the study will be sent to the appropriate state or federal officials responsible for the sampled facilities. NCES has contracted with Westat, a research firm, to assist in

conduct of study Westat will contact officials and request permission to conduct study Officials asked if they wish to contact the facilities first or whether

Westat should contact them directly If officials requests that Westat contact the facility directly, letters

explaining the study will be sent to facility

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Conducting the Study: Step Two

• After permission received from state/federal official, Westat will contact the selected facilities, confirm/request the cooperation of the warden or facility official and: Explain the steps of the study Discuss the type/level of support requested Provide materials for Institutional Review Board, if required Propose schedule for facility visit

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Conducting the Study: Step Three

• On day 1 in facility, the facility will be asked to provide an up-to-date list of all inmates who occupied a bed in the facility on the prior night

• Using the inmate list, trained Westat staff will randomly select and interview about 15 inmates from each facility

• The average interview/assessment will require about two hours

• One week visit to each facility is planned• Inmate sampling completed Monday AM and all

interviews completed by the end of Friday

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Study Timing

• State and Federal officials will be initially contacted this August-September

• Westat contacts all selected facilities in September-November.

• In-facility interviewing planned February 2014

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Thank you!Questions?