Students entering college face many obstacles to success. Students who received a General Education Development (GED) face additional barriers that must be addressed in order for success in higher education. The Successful Transitions and Retention Track Program employs a holistic approach to addressing the needs of GED holders entering college.

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…

Besieged by poverty, American Indians have historically trailed other minority groups in attending and finishing college. Many lack the literacy skills to succeed in college courses or job-training programs--natural routes to employment. But as the country focuses on increasing college attainment and reducing unemployment, basic education for…

In 2006, this author decided to make multiple intelligences (MI)-inspired "activity menus" a regular part of her ESOL/Civics classes. She first tried this technique in a single class session to review what students had learned about industrialization, and it was a huge success. Since 2006, the author has introduced MI-inspired activity…

In adult education, algebraic thinking can be a sense-making tool that introduces coherence among mathematical concepts for those who previously have had trouble learning math. Further, a modeling approach to algebra connects mathematics and the real world, demonstrating the usefulness of math to those who have seen it as just an academic…

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…

Two facts have become clear since passage of the Workforce Investment Act in 1998. First, when low-skilled individuals increase their basic skills, these higher skills pay off in the labor market in the form of higher employment and earnings. Second, these earnings increases are typically modest and fall short of what people need to become…

The first of six issues of the GED Items Newsletter publishied in 1988 contains articles on General Educational Development (GED) mathematics instruction, suggestions for teaching writing, and public relations and marketing. Issue 2 has articles on GED science instruction, GED for Marines, holistic scoring, and a review of the new GED tests.…

The first document in this set is a final report titled "Preparation for the Mathematics GED Test: A Computer Based Program," which describes a project to develop a General Educational Development (GED) mathematics preparation program for the adult learner at the 9-12 grade level. The other two documents are a teacher's guide and a…

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 first of six issues of the GED Items newsletter published in 1987 contains articles on one company's approach to literacy in the workplace, General Educational Development (GED) teacher training videotapes, and a process model for improving thinking skills. Articles in issue 2 address military recruiting, synthesis thinking skills, and GED in…

The authors share the New York State experience in addressing the need for greater emphasis on writing in adult education. A list of 10 objectives for the teaching of writing is included. (CH)

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…

A staff development program was conducted to provide adult educators in Pennsylvania with information about adults with learning differences and information about using alternative instructional tools and techniques to instruct such adults. The following four training sessions were developed: (1) Teaching GED (General Educational Development) Math…

This report provides research on the ramifications of implementing computer-assisted instruction (CAI) within the established framework for conducting adult basic education. The first part is narrative beginning with an historical overview of CAI. Topics include the availability of computer hardware in public schools, teacher preparation for CAI,…