I definitely would see how there would be less students with a GED in
postsecondary education than there are high school graduates.  One of
the greatest high school dropout factors according to research is
whether or not a student sees a connection between what they are
learning in school and life after school (such as a school to career
goal).  Therefore, effective career counseling and academic counseling
where students can learn the requirements of entering a postsecondary
education, options of financial aid, various careers at different levels
of training and education, etc. is necessary to promote students staying
in school and entering postsecondary environments.  Another obvious
factor is that often students who have left high school did not feel
comfortable in the school environment and/or did not feel successful.
Many of those students take a brief GED prep class, take the test, and
pass, and never attain any type of counseling services about future
options for education.  If students did not feel comfortable in high
school it is very imaginable that they might fear returning to a school
environment.  However, there are many strong vocational postsecondary
programs that do not utilize the traditional school type setting and/or
teaching approaches that many students who left high school might find
very rewarding and beneficial.  There needs to be a way to encourage and
promote these students to consider this type of training as a vital
option.  Many technical programs result in salaries that are often
stronger than some bachelor degree programs.  Technical skills often
bring increased job security.  

Donna Hohmann,
School Counselor, NCC

-----Original Message-----
From: assessment-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:assessment-bounces at nifl.gov]
On Behalf Of Marie Cora
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 3:36 PM
To: Assessment at nifl.gov
Subject: [Assessment 664] Discussion on FOB list: Transitions

Colleagues:  the following discussion will take place on the Focus on
Basics Discussion List.  To subscribe go to:
http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/Focusonbasics.

Marie Cora
Assessment Discussion List Moderator


************************************

February 26 - March 2

Transition from GED to Postsecondary Education

This will focus on the results of a study by NCSALL researcher John
Tyler of Brown University and colleague Magnus Lofstrom of the
University of Texas at Dallas. The study found a low rate of enrollment
in postsecondary education among GED holders as compared with high
school graduates, and is described in Tyler's article in FOB 8C, "Is the
GED an Effective Route to Postsecondary Education?". Barbara Garner,
editor of Focus on Basics, will introduce the findings, and then Cynthia
Zafft, Director of the National College Transitions Network, and Sandy
Goodman, Director, New England College Transition Project
at World Education, Inc. will discuss promising strategies that are
being done to address this issue.


Recommended Reading:

Is the GED an Effective Route to Postsecondary Education?
A Conversation with John Tyler
by Barbara Garner
http://www.ncsall.net/?id=1155

Recognizing that high school is not enough, growing numbers of adult
basic education programs (ABE) are emphasizing the transition to
postsecondary education. What impact does earning a certificate of
General Educational Development (GED) have on the post secondary
enrollment of high school dropouts? Brown University professor and
NCSALL researcher John Tyler and a colleague, Magnus Lofstrom of the
University of Texas at Dallas, examined this question using data from
Texas. Focus on Basics asked John Tyler to summarize the results and
discuss the questions they raise.


Focus on Basics, Transitions Issue (6D)
http://www.ncsall.net/index.php?id=154  
This contains several articles about different aspects of transitions.

Guest Speakers:

Barb Garner was the editor of all 31 issues of "Focus on Basics", and
co-author with Sara Fass of "Beyond the GED: Making Conscious Choices
about the GED and Your Future." Having studied statistics with
researcher John Tyler, she enjoys working with him to make sure his
research findings reach the adult basic education community.

Cynthia Zafft, MA, is the director of the National College Transition
Network (NCTN), a network to support ABE staff, programs, and state
programs in establishing and strengthening ABE-to-college transition
services through technical assistance, professional development,
collegial sharing, advocacy and increased visibility for this critical
sector of the adult basic education system.  Prior to coming to World
Education, Cynthia coordinated several federally-funded postsecondary
education transition projects for the Institute for Community Inclusion
(ICI) at the University of Massachusetts at Boston.  The ICI is part of
a national network of university-affiliated centers that offers
training, conducts research, and provides assistance to organizations to
promote inclusion of people with disabilities in school, work, and
community activities.

Sandy Goodman has been the Director of the New England College
Transition Project at the New England Literacy Resource Center/World
Education since November 2006. Prior to joining the College Transitions
team, she directed a career ladders project under the Skillworks
initiative called Partnership for
Automotive Career Education (PACE) and facilitated collaboration between
community based organizations, post-secondary and secondary education
institutions, and private sector employers. Before PACE, she directed a
community based ABE program in Boston that served approximately 400
people each year, and was also active in a number of city and statewide
planning and advocacy efforts. She has a BA in Women's Studies/Social
Thought and Political Economy from UMass, Amherst and an MPA from the
Kennedy School of Government.
When: Feb.26-March 2.


Julie McKinney
Discussion List Moderator
World Education/NCSALL
jmckinney at worlded.org



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