Although high school completion rates have slowly increased over the past several decades, nearly 30 million adults today still lack a high school credential and, as a result, face a significant barrier to both higher education and employment opportunities. Policymakers and practitioners in the adult education field are searching for ways to…

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…

Adult learners often face barriers to participation in traditional classroom instruction. As technology access grows and adults naturally incorporate technology into their daily lives, adult education programs are finding innovative ways to blend technology with instruction through quality online learning opportunities. This article highlights the…

This guide is designed to link New York's learning standards with curriculum goals and objectives developed by adult education (AE) practitioners. It includes learning standards for English language arts (ELA) and mathematics, two areas identified by AE practitioners as the most important for beginning adult learners. Also provided are curriculum…

There are more than 60 million U. S. adults who lack a high school diploma. Their employability is decreasing, due to the upswing in white collar occupations. Also, they are often barred from the skilled and unskilled labor market; on-the-job training is increasingly academic; General Educational Development (GED) examinations are rigorous and the…

These nine articles reflect the diversity of activities taking place in adult education and adult literacy in the Boston area. An introduction briefly describes each article; notes on the authors follow. In "A Different Third 'R'--Radical Math," Marilyn Frankenstein describes a mathematics course that, through content and method, both…

This manual examines components of a non-traditional adult high school program. It is intended to aid districts interested in establishing similar programs. The first of five parts defines the role of the weekend non-traditional high school as designed to meet the needs of undereducated adults who are unable to participate in evening high school…

Ten papers address areas of concern regarding improvement in serving the needs of limited English proficient (LEP) adults. The first paper (by D. Terdy) overviews the background and skills LEP adults bring to adult education programs as well as their language needs and educational goals. The second paper (by S. Smith) describes changes in adult…

The growing number of youth enrolling in adult literacy education is a little-documented trend across the nation that is having a major impact on programs in some areas but appears to be unnoticed by educational policymakers and researchers. A central question is whether youth enrollments provide an opportunity for adult literacy education to…

Most of the job losses that occurred in New York City after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center occurred in low-wage jobs held by lower-skilled workers. Many of those affected faced multiple obstacles limiting their employment prospects, including limited literacy and English language skills and a lack of "connections" to…

This document is intended as a template for individuals initiating and developing adult education distance learning programs. The introduction discusses the following issues: benefits of distance learning; flexibility; confidentiality; retention; and the best students to target. The template and supplementary materials are organized in five…