A recent overhaul to the GED exam has made it significantly more difficult for all students to pass, further adding to the burden of those who must take it in a second language. The revamped 2014 version of the exam highlights the need for accommodations for speakers of minority languages who must take the test in English. In fact, there is plenty…

This study explores schooling in prison for young Chicano bilingual men as they work toward their GED. Using Gee's notion of "mushfaking," the study focuses on the experiences of two young men, Benny and Flaco, who partially acquire, use, value, and believe in the power of academic register Discourses for "sounding smart" in a…

Understanding the elements of educational success for adult English language learners (ELLs) is an important priority for correctional educators, especially today with an increased population of non-English speaking students in correctional schools throughout the country. There is a dearth of information, however, about incarcerated adult ELLs and…

Correctional educators, recognizing that the majority of inmates lack the math, reading, and language skills required to be successful in today's workplace, strive to equip offenders with the skills and abilities needed to find and maintain work on their release. However, most adult literacy programs in prisons fail to raise the gradelevel…

In this qualitative research study, we sought to better understand the experiences of adult learners in adult education centers. We conducted eight focus groups with 104 adult education students from 25 adult learning centers. Five groups were made up of English-speaking ABE students; learners in the three ESL groups spoke Spanish. We used an…

Many adult basic education programs use the Tests of General Educational Development (GED[R] Tests) to measure the skills and knowledge associated with a high school program of study as well as to assess the achievement gains of adult learners through participation in their programs. Using data from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy…

Of 13 New York adult educators and directors of General Educational Development, English as a second language, and work force preparation programs, 12 used needs assessments. Assessment data were used most often for program redesign/development and teacher planning. They recommended involving students, using a variety of methods, administering…

Analyses of General Educational Development (GED) ratings of U.S. jobs illustrate the estimation of components of variance and covariance, univariate nd multivariate generalizability coefficients, and canonical coefficients. GED scales, ranging from one to six points, measure reasoning, mathematics, and language abilities needed to perform various…

A study was conducted to determine demographic characteristics, motivation, and program satisfaction of General Educational Development (GED) candidates and adult education (including adult basic education, secondary adult education, and English as a second language) students in Texas. Between June and December 1985, about 6,000 adult education…

The articles in this issue include "Let's Talk about What This Means" (Duncan); "Dyslexia and Adult Literacy--Forging the Missing Link" (Kidder); "Competency-Based ESL, One Step Forward or Two Steps Back?" (Auerbach); " A Comparative Look at Adult Literacy Programs in Stockholm, London, and Boston" (Nickse);…

The purposes of this study were (1) to determine achievement levels of External High School Diploma Program (EHSDP) graduates at Waukesha County (Wisconsin) Technical Institute on the General Educational Development Test (GED) or other standardized tests nationally normed on high school students, and (2) to measure the basic skills level of…

In an attempt to draw valid conclusions concerning the ways in which American Indian/Alaskan Natives who took the General Educational Development (GED) Tests differed from the non-Indian examinee population, questionnaire responses of 319 candidates who identified themselves as American Indians/Alaskan Natives were compared with those of 11,583…

Issues surrounding teaching competencies in family literacy programs were examined in a study of two well-established Even Start sites in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The program, which served 34 ethnically diverse adult learners, offered 25 hours of adult basic education, general educational development (GED), and…

Teacher perspectives on the adult education profession were examined in a national survey designed to improve understanding of the current cadre of "professional" adult educators and assess their experiences, needs, and preferences for professional development. A 31-item questionnaire, called the Professional Development Kit Needs…

This document contains nine papers from a systematic, classroom-based study of multiple intelligences (MI) theory in different adult learning contexts during which adult educators from rural and urban areas throughout the United States conducted independent inquiries into the question of how MI theory can support instruction and assessment in…