Many community colleges, along with some public-school districts and family-literacy programs, are overhauling their GED curricula and support services. Nearly 40 million American adults do not have high-school or GED diplomas, according to 2009 data from the American Council on Education, which developed the GED test. Another of the council's…

New York City's College Access and Success Initiative (CAS) focuses on improving the odds of success for young people who have graduated from failing high schools, are recent immigrants, or who have dropped out and then attained a GED. Begun in 2004, it demonstrates how colleges and community organizations can integrate education and youth…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Deficit Committee's Failure Triggers Automatic Spending Cuts: Education Programs Could Face $3.5 Billion in Cuts; (2)…

Quinsigamond Community College's (QCC's) Adult Community Learning Center is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, and offers ESOL and ABE/GED classes to students who reside in Worcester and the surrounding towns (urban area). Its ABE/GED program has historically had low retention and persistence. Students often left before the end of the year or…

With the advent of "Get tough on crime" and "Three strikes" in the 1980s and 1990s, correctional facilities have become overloaded with prisoners who are often repeat offenders. 51% of those imprisoned have a GED or high school diploma. Out of the remaining 49%, 36% of inmates had not completed the ninth grade and approximately…

Economic and demographic changes are dramatically increasing the need for adult education, basic literacy, and English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) programs. Millions of Illinois residents lack the level of literacy skills needed to obtain good jobs, perform well on the job, and function well in an increasingly complex society. Addressing the scope…

Due to Lack of Funding, the Percentage of Inmates Participating in Education Programs Is Declining, while the Prison Population Continues to Surge Stretching across 1,700 acres in the middle of the desert near the California-Nevada border, the Ironwood State Prison may seem like a forbidding place, but for at least 10 percent of its 4,600 inmates,…

Economic and demographic changes are dramatically increasing the need for adult education, basic literacy, and English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) programs. Millions of Illinois residents lack the level of literacy skills needed to obtain good jobs, perform well on the job, and function well in an increasingly complex society. Addressing the scope…

The elements of the Adult Basic Education (ABE) program at Kishwaukee College are reviewed. ABE program elements include General Educational Development (GED) program and testing; basic skills courses; English as a second language (ESL); in-plant classes; specialty courses in communicative linguistics and English grammar under ESL; adult…

This brief describes the Academic Pathways to Access and Student Success (APASS) project, a research initiative that identifies and disseminates information about existing and emerging academic pathways that extend from high school to college. Drawing upon the results of a 50-state survey, an extensive review of literature and consultation with…

The Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) continues its commitment to expand Adult Education and Family Literacy programs necessary for individuals and families to have a high quality work and life in Illinois. This report provides a summary of ICCB programs and activities in adult education and family literacy during the fiscal year July 1,…

This booklet contains descriptions of the 13 finalists in the U.S. Secretary of Education's Program of Awards for Outstanding Adult Education Programs. The programs, which include adult basic education (ABE), English as a second language (ESL), and adult secondary education (including general educational development--GED) programs are grouped into…

The number of high school age students who do not complete high school is receiving increased attention as a serious challenge facing the educational system. This is happening for several reasons. New research estimates that about 30 percent of high school students fail to earn a diploma in the standard number of years, a higher figure than state…

This report documents how the Business/Training Institute of Northwest Iowa Community College and Coilcraft, Inc., of Hawarden, Iowa, worked as partners to establish a basic workplace skills program for Coilcraft's workers. The project goals were to develop and offer a workplace literacy program that would enroll 160 workers and prepare them to…

During FY 1992-93, Utah's adult education program served 19,863 adults aged 18 years and older and 3,377 students aged 17 years and under. Adult basic education (ABE) programs served at least 7,335 adults in 27 of the state's 40 school districts and in correctional facilities, applied technology centers, the Salt Lake Skills Center, and several…