Policies to Promote Adult Education and Postsecondary Alignment

Policies to Promote Adult Education and Postsecondary Alignment PDF Author: Julie Strawn
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 38

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Book Description
This Policy Brief is intended to help the National Commission on Adult Literacy consider state and federal policy strategies that hold promise for increasing the number of lower-skilled adults, including those with limited English skills, who earn postsecondary credentials that can open the door to family-supporting jobs and careers. It examines obstacles to moving toward this goal--with major attention to lack of alignment between federal and state adult education efforts, job training services, and postsecondary education policies. It also draws attention to the financial, personal, and family challenges that prevent adults from seeking and completing programs. Section 1 summarizes the research on why adult and postsecondary education should focus more on helping lower-skilled adults earn marketable postsecondary credentials. Section 2 describes some of the key policy challenges to achieving this goal. Section 3 discusses some current state policy innovations related to these challenges and makes recommendations for state and federal policy changes that could help more lower-skilled adults earn marketable postsecondary credentials. (Contains 1 figure, 2 footnotes, and 81 endnotes.).

Policies to Promote Adult Education and Postsecondary Alignment

Policies to Promote Adult Education and Postsecondary Alignment PDF Author: Julie Strawn
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 38

Get Book Here

Book Description
This Policy Brief is intended to help the National Commission on Adult Literacy consider state and federal policy strategies that hold promise for increasing the number of lower-skilled adults, including those with limited English skills, who earn postsecondary credentials that can open the door to family-supporting jobs and careers. It examines obstacles to moving toward this goal--with major attention to lack of alignment between federal and state adult education efforts, job training services, and postsecondary education policies. It also draws attention to the financial, personal, and family challenges that prevent adults from seeking and completing programs. Section 1 summarizes the research on why adult and postsecondary education should focus more on helping lower-skilled adults earn marketable postsecondary credentials. Section 2 describes some of the key policy challenges to achieving this goal. Section 3 discusses some current state policy innovations related to these challenges and makes recommendations for state and federal policy changes that could help more lower-skilled adults earn marketable postsecondary credentials. (Contains 1 figure, 2 footnotes, and 81 endnotes.).

Adult Education and Postsecondary Success. Policy Brief

Adult Education and Postsecondary Success. Policy Brief PDF Author: Stephen Reder
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 33

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Book Description
This Policy Brief takes a first look at a newly identified national population of GED holders, who are compared with their counterparts who received a high school diploma as well as with their counterparts who have no high school credential. The focus of these comparisons is on long-term postsecondary education outcomes. Because these postsecondary outcomes are vital for the economic well-being of individuals and society, the Brief considers carefully the role that adult literacy development plays in postsecondary education, not only for GED holders, but for those with high school diplomas and those without any secondary credentials at all. Far too many individuals in all three groups are shown to lack the skills needed to succeed in postsecondary education. These findings indicate that our adult education system needs to be substantially expanded and restructured, not only to increase the number of individuals it serves, but also to raise the skill levels of students well above the passing level of the GED if they wish to succeed in postsecondary education. The Brief identifies other important barriers besides academic skills that need to be addressed in order to increase substantially the number of students obtaining college degrees. There is a surprisingly large unserved target population of adults who already have the basic skills needed for success in postsecondary education but face many of these other barriers to college entry and completion. Arguing for a broadened and restructured adult education system, the Brief suggests segmenting the target population for adult education into three groups: (1) adults without secondary credentials needing improved basic skills to pass the GED, essentially the current target population for adult education; (2) adults with or without secondary credentials needing improved basic skills to complete a 2-year college degree; and (3) adults who already have the necessary basic skills to complete a 2-year college degree but may need other skills or persistence supports to succeed in college. (Contains 17 figures, 2 tables, and 46 notes.).

Building America's Skilled Technical Workforce

Building America's Skilled Technical Workforce PDF Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309440068
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 259

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Book Description
Skilled technical occupationsâ€"defined as occupations that require a high level of knowledge in a technical domain but do not require a bachelor's degree for entryâ€"are a key component of the U.S. economy. In response to globalization and advances in science and technology, American firms are demanding workers with greater proficiency in literacy and numeracy, as well as strong interpersonal, technical, and problem-solving skills. However, employer surveys and industry and government reports have raised concerns that the nation may not have an adequate supply of skilled technical workers to achieve its competitiveness and economic growth objectives. In response to the broader need for policy information and advice, Building America's Skilled Technical Workforce examines the coverage, effectiveness, flexibility, and coordination of the policies and various programs that prepare Americans for skilled technical jobs. This report provides action-oriented recommendations for improving the American system of technical education, training, and certification.

Refocusing Adult Education on Career and Postsecondary Success

Refocusing Adult Education on Career and Postsecondary Success PDF Author: Marcie Foster
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 14

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Book Description
Two proposals to reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) are in the House of Representatives: the "Workforce Investment and Improvement Act of 2012" ("H.R. 4297") and the "Workforce Investment Act of 2012" ("H.R. 4227"). Both proposals reflect a priority of greater alignment among adult education (Title II), workforce development (Title I), and postsecondary education, and both increase the focus on preparing adult students not just to earn a secondary school diploma but for college and careers. Despite these similarities, the bills differ across several dimensions, such as the degree to which they hold states and local providers accountable for improving student access and success in postsecondary education and the commitment to expanding the capacity and resources of the adult education system nationally. This analysis highlights key provisions in each bill that strengthen or weaken the overall goal of refocusing Title II on career and postsecondary success. The analysis is organized by CLASP's four core priorities in adult education: (1) To align services and improve outcomes across workforce development, postsecondary education, and adult education/English as a Second Language; (2) To incent and encourage innovation in promising practices, such as career pathways, contextualization, dual or concurrent enrollment, and integrated basic education and occupational skills training; (3) To develop a national research center for adult education to advance promising practices and expand and improve the body of evidence-based research; and (4) To fund Title II to meet the growing demand for adult education and English language services. On the whole, "H.R. 4297" offers improvements to the adult education system and supports alignment between programs, although it does little to ensure that this alignment will happen. Furthermore, it creates an option for states to override adult education requirements and consolidate these funds with a newly created Workforce Investment Fund, leaving no assurances that low-skilled adult learners will be served. "H.R. 4227" modernizes and enhances the adult education system to better meet the longer-term, postsecondary, and employment needs of students. It also builds capacity for additional research on innovative and promising practices that have the potential to accelerate student progress toward these goals. Lastly, it requires that education and training programs work together in each state to develop a joint state plan, yet it maintains individualized programs to ensure that those who need targeted attention or more specialized instruction can receive it. (Contains 10 endnotes.).

Helping Adults Succeed in Postsecondary Education

Helping Adults Succeed in Postsecondary Education PDF Author: Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 16

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Book Description
To become more economically competitive and reap the benefits of postsecondary educational levels, Kentucky has set a very ambitious goal to double the number of bachelor's degree holders by 2020. Clearly, increasing the college-going rate of working-age adults is an important strategy in the state's efforts to produce more degree holders. The Kentucky Adult Learner Initiative, which is funded by Lumina Foundation for Education, seeks to align the state's postsecondary policies with the needs of adult learners, with the ultimate goal of increasing the number of adults with college degrees. As part of this initiative, working groups were formed to address three major policy issues identified by the Council's research--credit for prior learning, flexible academic programming, and financial aid. Because all stakeholders must work together to help adult learners meet their educational goals, working groups included representatives from CPE, public and postsecondary institutions, the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority, the General Assembly, and the private sector. The groups met monthly in the summer and fall of 2008 to devise recommendations to make Kentucky's postsecondary education system more responsive to the needs of adult learners. This document presents a list of recommendations developed by the working groups. All recommendations address the barriers of access, affordability, and aspiration in different ways. Taken together, these recommendations will help surmount those barriers and enable adults in Kentucky to continue their education, achieving the goal of doubling the numbers.

The Handbook of Adult and Continuing Education

The Handbook of Adult and Continuing Education PDF Author: Tonette S. Rocco
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000978117
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 926

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Book Description
Co-published with Colleges and universities are increasingly becoming significant sites for adult education scholarship—in large part due to demographic shifts. With fewer U.S. high school graduates on the horizon, higher education institutions will need to attract “non-traditional” (i.e., older) adult learners to remain viable, both financially and politically. There is a need to develop a better corpus of scholarship on topics as diverse as, what learning theories are useful for understanding adult learning? How are higher education institutions changing in response to the surge of adult students? What academic programs are providing better learning and employment outcomes for adults in college? Adult education scholars can offer much to the policy debates taking place in higher education. A main premise of this handbook is that adult and continuing education should not simply respond to rapidly changing social, economic, technological, and political environments across the globe, but should lead the way in preparing adults to become informed, globally-connected, critical citizens who are knowledgeable, skilled, and open and adaptive to change and uncertainty.The Handbook of Adult and Continuing Education provides rich information on the contemporary issues and trends that are of concern to adult and continuing education, of the programs and resources available to adult learners, and of opportunities to challenge and critique the structures embedded in the field that perpetuate inequity and social injustice. Adult education is a discipline that foresees a better tomorrow, and The Handbook is designed to engage and inspire readers to assist the field to seek new paths in uncertain and complex times, ask questions, and to help the field flourish.The Handbook is divided into five sections. The first, Foundations situates the field by describing the developments, core debates, perspectives, and key principles that form the basis of the field.The second, Understanding Adult Learning, includes chapters on adult learning, adult development, motivation, access, participation, and support of adult learners, and mentoring.Teaching Practices and Administrative Leadership, the third section, offers chapters on organization and administration, program planning, assessment and evaluation, teaching perspectives, andragogy and pedagogy, public pedagogy, and digital technologies for teaching and learning.The fourth section is Formal and Informal Learning Contexts. Chapters cover adult basic, GED, and literacy education, English-as-a-Second Language Programs, family literacy, prison education, workforce development, military education, international development education, health professions education, continuing professional education, higher education, human resource development and workplace learning, union and labor education, religious and spiritual education, cultural institutions, environmental education, social and political movements, and peace and conflict education.The concluding Contemporary Issues section discusses decolonizing adult and continuing education, adult education and welfare, teaching social activism, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and straight allies, gender and its multiple forms, disability, older adults and intergenerational identities, race and ethnicity, working class, whiteness and privilege, and migrants and migrant education.The editors culminate with consideration of next steps for adult and continuing education and priorities for the future.

Adult Education and Welfare to Work Initiatives

Adult Education and Welfare to Work Initiatives PDF Author: Deborah D'Amico
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Adult education
Languages : en
Pages : 94

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Book Description


Improving Adult Literacy Instruction

Improving Adult Literacy Instruction PDF Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309219590
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 504

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Book Description
A high level of literacy in both print and digital media is required for negotiating most aspects of 21st-century life, including supporting a family, education, health, civic participation, and competitiveness in the global economy. Yet, more than 90 million U.S. adults lack adequate literacy. Furthermore, only 38 percent of U.S. 12th graders are at or above proficient in reading. Improving Adult Literacy Instruction synthesizes the research on literacy and learning to improve literacy instruction in the United States and to recommend a more systemic approach to research, practice, and policy. The book focuses on individuals ages 16 and older who are not in K-12 education. It identifies factors that affect literacy development in adolescence and adulthood in general, and examines their implications for strengthening literacy instruction for this population. It also discusses technologies for learning that can assist with multiple aspects of teaching, assessment,and accommodations for learning. There is inadequate knowledge about effective instructional practices and a need for better assessment and ongoing monitoring of adult students' proficiencies, weaknesses, instructional environments, and progress, which might guide instructional planning. Improving Adult Literacy Instruction recommends a program of research and innovation to validate, identify the boundaries of, and extend current knowledge to improve instruction for adults and adolescents outside school. The book is a valuable resource for curriculum developers, federal agencies such as the Department of Education, administrators, educators, and funding agencies.

Review of Adult Education Programs and Their Effectiveness

Review of Adult Education Programs and Their Effectiveness PDF Author: Mary T. Moore
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Adult education
Languages : en
Pages : 68

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Book Description


Global Perspectives on Adult Education and Learning Policy

Global Perspectives on Adult Education and Learning Policy PDF Author: Marcella Milana
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1137388250
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 281

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Book Description
The worldwide appearance and expression of adult education and lifelong learning have changed significantly during the past 20 years. This book explores recent changes in their related national and international policies, how they intersect with developments in higher education and how they may contribute to debates on citizenship and democracy.