Information is presented on a study to explore similarities and differences among adults in their perceptions of attributes associated with exemplary instruction. Three purposes were to: determine how returning adults describe the instructors they find exemplary and compare these findings with the findings of previous research about younger…

Information on Project Turning Point, an educational equity model for mature minority women at the nontraditional State University of New York College at Old Westbury, is presented in this report. Minority women have essentially been locked out of mobile careers due to sexual and racial discrimination and lack of adequate preparation in…

A study was conducted at a rural community college to explore the process by which adult women who had returned to college decided whether to persist or drop out. In-depth interviews were conducted with 17 women who had been identified as exceptional in that they either persisted and graduated even though they had been initially identified as…

College seniors--129 who were 25 years of age or older, and 734 younger students were administered the objective portion of the American College Testing (ACT) College Outcomes Measures Project (COMP) test. The total COMP scores and subscores were compared for the two groups, as well as their entering ACT scores and grade-point averages using…

This document is a short guide to developing and marketing a customized job training course for business and industry. Aimed at administrators/teachers in colleges or universities, the plan covers three main topics: marketing, program design and operation, and on-campus presentations. The marketing section explains how to create a marketing…

A study was conducted to identify the factors that influence adults to continue their education by taking formal course work on a part-time basis. Using May 1981 Current Population Survey data gathered by the Bureau of the Census, the study assessed the importance of price, socioeconomic characteristics, family income, and unemployment rates in…

This working paper presents guidelines for negotiating learning contracts between tutors and postsecondary students enrolled in a vocational program. The first two sections discuss the general rationale for negotiating curricula and the specific benefits of conducting such negotiations with students over the age of 16. Addressed next is the…

Germanna Community College (Virginia) instituted a program involving computer-based career aptitude testing of nontraditional adult learners enrolled in community colleges. The APTICOM computerized aptitude testing apparatus (purchased from the Vocational Research Institute) was selected for the program. A publicity campaign was organized to…

Based on a method to estimate undergraduate enrollments using age and residency information, undergraduate projections to 1990 for Connecticut colleges and universities are presented. Implications of the projections for competition among institutions and postbaccalaureate enrollments are also addressed. The projections show little overall decline…

The basic skills level of returning adult students was investigated longitudinally. A total of 217 entering juniors majoring in business administration in fall 1980 were followed for 3 years. Through assessment and course work, 146 students demonstrated at least minimum basic skills competencies in English usage and algebra, but 71 students had at…

This curriculum guide was designed by the Coudersport, Pennsylvania, school system to be used in teaching 0-4 level mathematics skills to adult basic education students. The guide is intended to provide consumer-oriented, problem-solving material that correlates with those skills found in the Noonan-Spradley Diagnostic Program of Computational…

Students enrolled in formal continuing education classes were studied to determine if their motivations were similar. Eighty-six percent of the students were enrolled in formal credit courses. Students were also compared to graduates who did not continue their education. Included in the analysis were college graduates (23-62 years old) from 46…

A study of the developmental patterns of reading proficiency of seven adult second language learners over a four-month period to determine the changes in their oral reading behavior and in their comprehension of written English is reported. The study looked specifically at oral reading and retelling. All subjects were beginning to low-intermediate…

A guide for colleges concerning institutional financial aid services for adults is presented. Results of national surveys on participation in adult education are provided to help institutions design programs for adults. Nine characteristics of adult students are described, along with implications for policies and procedures of the financial aid…

This paper discusses adult reading levels, the differences between adult and child learners, and diagnostic techniques that can be used to develop reading competence in an adult learner. In the example provided of an adult learner, a profile analysis of the adult revealed his motivation for developing reading competence and his perceived reading…