Andrea,

I couldn't agree with you more.  I would love the day, there are no
waiting lists.   Adults come to a program and can get into a class and
then keep moving. Everyone benefits.  Investing in adult education
brings long term benefits, it just keeps earning interest.  Perhaps
someday we'll see the kind of funding that is deep not just surface.
Toniu

 

Toni F. Borge

Adult Education & Transitions Program Director

Bunker Hill Community College

Chelsea Campus

175 Hawthorne Street

Chelsea, MA  02150

Phone: 617-228-2108   *  Fax:617-228-2106

E-mail: tborge at bhcc.mass.edu

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that
matter." Martin Luther King Jr.

________________________________

From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Andrea Wilder
Sent: Friday, May 25, 2007 6:59 PM
To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 1421] Re: Content
StandardsandImmigrationDiscussions

 

Toni-- 

 

I know it's the money, but suppose we could get everyone off the waiting
lists, what a benefit to our economy and people's lives. 

 

Andrea 

 

On May 25, 2007, at 2:57 PM, Borge, Toni wrote: 

	 

	In Massachusetts, classes are free.  And there is a long wait to
get into classes - up to 2 years depending on the level.   Most programs
have an attendance policy, in my program it is 3 unexcused absences and
the student will be dropped from the class.  This policy has worked well
and has contributed to the strong retention we have.   When my program
was monitored, the team commented on how all the students knew the
attendance policy and felt it was important.  They felt it added value
to the program.  Another factor that contributes to strong retention is
curriculum that reflects the needs of the learners and good teaching.
Students have lots of demands on their time and if they believe the
education they are receiving doesn't meet their needs they vote with
their feet. 

	Toni 

	  

	Toni F. Borge 

	Adult Education & Transitions Program Director 

	Bunker Hill Community College 

	Chelsea Campus 

	175 Hawthorne Street 

	Chelsea, MA  02150 

	Phone: 617-228-2108   *  Fax:617-228-2106 

	E-mail: tborge at bhcc.mass.edu 

	"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things
that matter." Martin Luther King Jr. 

	 

	From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Lisa Mckinney 

	Sent: Friday, May 25, 2007 11:53 AM 

	To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List 

	Subject: [EnglishLanguage 1414] Re: Content Standards
andImmigrationDiscussions 

	  

	Mikal, 

	  

	Thanks for the info - I probably made my question too vague to
get the information I wanted.  I believe that a small fee for adult
education classes could HELP retention.  It seems to me that if students
in our state--where we have a real problem with attendance and
retention--paid a nominal fee, they would be more likely to keep up
their attendance.  I've even thought it could help if we charge a
nominal fee, and students with perfect attendance get a refund of their
fee at the end of the term-.  Sort of like the ol' deposit on the
returned Coke bottles idea. 

	  

	Do you have good attendance and retention, overall, in your
state? 

	  

	What about in other states?  Is student retention an issue for
your schools?  Has anyone ever researched this idea of how tuition
affects attendance? 

	  

	Thanks, 

	  

	Lisa McKinney 

	  

	 

	From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Steinbacher,
Mikal 

	Sent: Friday, May 25, 2007 11:21 AM 

	To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List 

	Subject: RE: [EnglishLanguage 1405] Re: Content Standards and
ImmigrationDiscussions 

	  

	In the State of Washington, ESL students and ABED students pay
$25/quarter regardless of how many ESL/ABED classes they take.  I have
several who are enrolled in my ABED class, my supplemental grammar
class, and my online class, for a total of 12 hours, for $25.   Another
is enrolled in a day ESL class, which is 12 hours, plus my ESL grammar
and online classes for a total of 18 hours .. again .. for the same $25
fee!  

	  

	If they take classes other than  ESL/ABED classes, they pay
regular tuition.  We have a waiver process for ESL/ABED classes for
those students who qualify.   I'm not sure, but I think that a waiver is
dependent on income + family size; a process similar to that for
financial aid.  Our ESL/ABED students don't seem to  have a problem with
the fee.  

	  

	I'm not sure if it has helped or hindered retention.   I've had
some students register and pay... .. and for some reason stop coming ..
then register and pay again, only to repeat the same routine .. who
knows!   Our students also purchase their books ... ~ $35 for the set ..
used several quarters if they repeat a level.. new books when they move
up.  We have "class sets" which they can borrow during class, if they
cannot afford to buy the books, but cannot write in and cannot take
home.  Again .. it hasn't seemed to be a problem. 

	  

	 

	From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Lisa
Mckinney 

	Sent: Thu 5/24/2007 1:48 PM 

	To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List 

	Subject: [EnglishLanguage 1405] Re: Content Standards and
ImmigrationDiscussions 

	Mikal, 

	  

	You mentioned something that I have questions about: students
paying a nominal fee for their classes.  We do not do this in Georgia,
and I've been told it would make everyone's hair stand on end to even
suggest (horrors!) that adult education students pay something for their
classes.  

	  

	Do other states charge something for adult education classes?
How much?  Has it helped student retention and class attendance? 

	  

	Thanks for any feedback, 

	  

	Lisa McK 

	Coosa Valley Technical College 

	Calhoun, GA 

	  

	 

	From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Steinbacher,
Mikal 

	Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2007 10:18 AM 

	To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List 

	Subject: RE: [EnglishLanguage 1395] Content Standards and
Immigration Discussions 

	  

	I teach an online class for level 4-6 ESL students which is a
supplemental class for them .. they must be enrolled in a face-to-face
class as well.  This class gives them the opportunity to practice what
they are learning in their ESL class, and also hones their computer
skills. 

	  

	The online class gives them additional grammar practice and
starts with the basic paragraph structures, continuing on with wrtiting
paragraphs using the grammar taught.  Students who complete the course
see an improvement in their writing.   They pay a nominal tuition fee
for the face-to-face course, as mandated by the state, but do not pay
anything additional for the online class. 

	  

	 

	From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Lynda
Terrill 

	Sent: Thu 5/24/2007 6:52 AM 

	To: englishlanguage at nifl.gov 

	Subject: [EnglishLanguage 1395] Content Standards and
Immigration Discussions 

	Dear subscribers, 

	  

	So far this week we have been conducting two interesting
discussions--the planned discussion on content standards and adult ESL
and the discussion on immigration sparked by Gloria Gillette's email
early this week about immigration. While both topics have engendered
much response, the immigration thread seems to have struck a personal
chord with many posters, and that makes sense, since many of us work
closely with immigrant learners.. 

	  

	However, I'd like to ask that we step back to explicitly
addressing  a main focus of this list-adult ESL instruction (which
clearly includes the discussion of how local, state, and federal policy
can affect instruction.). 

	  

	Some of you have touched on this when you mentioned issues
related to online instruction for adults learning English as a second
language  Given the often limited funding and available hours of
instruction, what do you think are effective instructional strategies?
How (or do) these relate to content standards-the other thread for this
week's conversation? 

	  

	Thanks, 

	  

	Lynda Terrill 

	Moderator, Adult English Language Learners Discussion  List 

	lterrill at cal.org 

	          

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