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Adult education in California: Strategic planning process needs assessment

Individual Author: Darche, Svetlana; Nayar, Nara; Downs, Paul

Reference Type: Report

Year: 2009

This needs assessment documents important issues facing California’s adult education system. California, like the rest of the nation, is at a crossroads. Global economic conditions, an aging and increasingly diverse population, and critical challenges in the state's K-12 education system have created unprecedented pressures to focus on the education of adults as a means to strengthen the economy, build sustainable communities, and ensure that resources exist to serve those most in need. Inadequate attention to the education of adults will compromise the attainment of all of these goals.

As documented in the report, California's K-12-based Adult Education system is positioned to reach a population group that is becoming increasingly important in the context of these intersecting challenges: adults with gaps in critical skills who are no longer school-age, and yet not ready for traditional postsecondary education and training or sustainable wage employment. Working-age Californians are the engine of the state’s economy, yet many lack the skills demanded by California’s...

This needs assessment documents important issues facing California’s adult education system. California, like the rest of the nation, is at a crossroads. Global economic conditions, an aging and increasingly diverse population, and critical challenges in the state's K-12 education system have created unprecedented pressures to focus on the education of adults as a means to strengthen the economy, build sustainable communities, and ensure that resources exist to serve those most in need. Inadequate attention to the education of adults will compromise the attainment of all of these goals.

As documented in the report, California's K-12-based Adult Education system is positioned to reach a population group that is becoming increasingly important in the context of these intersecting challenges: adults with gaps in critical skills who are no longer school-age, and yet not ready for traditional postsecondary education and training or sustainable wage employment. Working-age Californians are the engine of the state’s economy, yet many lack the skills demanded by California’s knowledge-based industries. Many in this group are also the parents of children in the K-12 system — the next generation — and the “backbones” of their communities, yet they often lack the knowledge and skills to help their children in school and provide models of success for youth, or to engage effectively in civic life. The California Adult Education system, administered by the California Department of Education (CDE), can significantly bridge these gaps, benefiting not only the economy in general and the workers themselves, but their children, their communities, and, through increased tax revenues, all who rely on California’s public services. (author abstract)
Improving basic skills: The effects of adult education in welfare-to-work programs

Individual Author: Bos, Johannes M.; Scrivener, Susan; Snipes, Jason; Hamilton, Gayle; Schwartz, Christine; Walter, Johanna

Reference Type: Report

Year: 2002

These analyses of how adult education works in the context of welfare-to-work programs were conducted for a large sample of welfare recipients who entered one of the 11 programs studied in the National Evaluation of Welfare-to-Work Strategies (NEWWS) without a high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) certificate. Thus, the findings do not generalize to welfare recipients who do have a high school diploma but who still may be served by HCD programs that provide more advanced levels of education and training. The types of adult education examined in the report encompass adult basic education (ABE) classes, programs preparing students for the GED exam, regular high school classes, and classes in English as a Second Language (ESL). Among these, ABE and GED preparation accounted for most of the adult education in the 11 mandatory welfare-to-work programs studied. These 11 programs operated in seven sites, and each program was operated under the federal FSA and its Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS) program. (...
These analyses of how adult education works in the context of welfare-to-work programs were conducted for a large sample of welfare recipients who entered one of the 11 programs studied in the National Evaluation of Welfare-to-Work Strategies (NEWWS) without a high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) certificate. Thus, the findings do not generalize to welfare recipients who do have a high school diploma but who still may be served by HCD programs that provide more advanced levels of education and training. The types of adult education examined in the report encompass adult basic education (ABE) classes, programs preparing students for the GED exam, regular high school classes, and classes in English as a Second Language (ESL). Among these, ABE and GED preparation accounted for most of the adult education in the 11 mandatory welfare-to-work programs studied. These 11 programs operated in seven sites, and each program was operated under the federal FSA and its Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS) program. (Program intake for this study began in June 1991 and ended in December 1994; data presented cover June 1991 through December 1997. See the accompanying box for further information about this study and report.)

This chapter summarizes most, but not all, of the analyses presented as a collection of papers in this report, specifically addressing the following questions:
1. What are the characteristics of adult education providers in welfare-to-work programs? What are typical attendance patterns in these classes?
2. To what extent, and for whom, do welfare-to-work programs increase participation in adult education services and increase educational attainment and achievement?
3. Do education-focused welfare-to-work programs improve education outcomes?
4. What is the payoff to additional participation in adult education?
5. How do education outcomes and milestones affect the employment outcomes and self-sufficiency of welfare recipients?
6. Among those who participate in adult education, who moves on from adult education to receive postsecondary education and training, and how does this contribute to their earnings and self-sufficiency? (author abstract)
Contextualized college transition strategies for adult basic skills students: Learning from Washington State’s I-BEST program model

Individual Author: Wachen, John; Jenkins, Davis; Belfield, Clive; Van Noy, Michelle; Richards, Amanda; Kulongoski, Kristen

Reference Type: Report

Year: 2012

Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) integrates the teaching of basic skills and technical content in order to accelerate basic skills students’ transition into and through a college-level occupational field of study.

The study reported on here represents the final phase of a multi-year evaluation of the I-BEST model that began in 2009, conducted by CCRC in collaboration with MPR Associates and the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. Based on fieldwork undertaken in spring 2011 on 16 I-BEST programs at eight colleges, this report builds on CCRC’s earlier qualitative and quantitative research by seeking to understand those aspects of I-BEST that best support student learning, progression, and completion.

In addition, the report considers the I-BEST student experience and presents the results of a cost-benefit analysis of the program. The findings and recommendations highlighted in the report will be of interest to funders, policymakers, and practitioners in other states who are considering transition interventions similar...

Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) integrates the teaching of basic skills and technical content in order to accelerate basic skills students’ transition into and through a college-level occupational field of study.

The study reported on here represents the final phase of a multi-year evaluation of the I-BEST model that began in 2009, conducted by CCRC in collaboration with MPR Associates and the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. Based on fieldwork undertaken in spring 2011 on 16 I-BEST programs at eight colleges, this report builds on CCRC’s earlier qualitative and quantitative research by seeking to understand those aspects of I-BEST that best support student learning, progression, and completion.

In addition, the report considers the I-BEST student experience and presents the results of a cost-benefit analysis of the program. The findings and recommendations highlighted in the report will be of interest to funders, policymakers, and practitioners in other states who are considering transition interventions similar to the I-BEST model. (author abstract)
Evaluation of the Allegheny County Jail Collaborative Reentry programs

Individual Author: Willison, Janeen; Bieler, Sam; Kim, KiDeuk

Reference Type: Report

Year: 2014

This study evaluates two of Allegheny County (PA)s programs to improve the successful reintegration of jail inmates following their return to the community. Both programs were designed to reduce re-offending through the use of risk/needs assessment, coordinated reentry planning, and the use of evidence-based programs and practices. Urban researchers conducted process and outcome evaluations of these programs to answer critical questions about program performance and effectiveness. The process evaluation examined alignment with core correctional practices, while the outcome evaluation examined rearrests for reentry program participants and two comparison groups of offenders (total N=798). Analyses indicate that both reentry programs reduce rearrest and prolong time to rearrest. These findings are supported by ample evidence of strong program implementation. (author abstract)

This study evaluates two of Allegheny County (PA)s programs to improve the successful reintegration of jail inmates following their return to the community. Both programs were designed to reduce re-offending through the use of risk/needs assessment, coordinated reentry planning, and the use of evidence-based programs and practices. Urban researchers conducted process and outcome evaluations of these programs to answer critical questions about program performance and effectiveness. The process evaluation examined alignment with core correctional practices, while the outcome evaluation examined rearrests for reentry program participants and two comparison groups of offenders (total N=798). Analyses indicate that both reentry programs reduce rearrest and prolong time to rearrest. These findings are supported by ample evidence of strong program implementation. (author abstract)
GED 21st century Learning Pathways Pilots: Final report

Individual Author: Zachry Rutschow, Elizabeth ; Grossman, Amanda; Cullinan, Dan

Reference Type: Report

Year: 2014

For the nearly 39 million U.S. adults who do not have a high school diploma, the General Educational Development (GED) programs and exam have served as the main avenue for improving individuals’ skills and helping them earn a high school credential. However, few students who start these programs ever get this credential and even fewer advance to the postsecondary education and higher-level training programs that could increase their earning potential. In response to this challenge, the American Council on Education (ACE) partnered with Pearson Inc. to release a new more rigorous GED test in 2014 that assesses the crucial thinking, writing, and analytical skills considered essential for success in today’s labor market. In addition, ACE partnered with the New York City Department of Education’s District 79 (D79), the Office for Adult and Continuing Education (OACE), and MDRC to create the Learning Pathways Pilots, a project aimed at improving students’ preparation for this new more rigorous exam.

The pilots focused on revising a K-12 writing curriculum (based on the Writers...

For the nearly 39 million U.S. adults who do not have a high school diploma, the General Educational Development (GED) programs and exam have served as the main avenue for improving individuals’ skills and helping them earn a high school credential. However, few students who start these programs ever get this credential and even fewer advance to the postsecondary education and higher-level training programs that could increase their earning potential. In response to this challenge, the American Council on Education (ACE) partnered with Pearson Inc. to release a new more rigorous GED test in 2014 that assesses the crucial thinking, writing, and analytical skills considered essential for success in today’s labor market. In addition, ACE partnered with the New York City Department of Education’s District 79 (D79), the Office for Adult and Continuing Education (OACE), and MDRC to create the Learning Pathways Pilots, a project aimed at improving students’ preparation for this new more rigorous exam.

The pilots focused on revising a K-12 writing curriculum (based on the Writers Express [WEX]) and an adult basic education math curriculum (based on Extending Mathematical Power [EMPower]) to align with the Common Core State Standards. The Common Core is a set of nationally recognized K-12 language arts and math competencies upon which the new GED exam was based. These curricula were then implemented in dozens of D79 and OACE classrooms. This report details the findings from MDRC’s evaluation of the implementation of these curricula over the course of the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 academic years. (author abstract)

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