Our state and our college have key indicators now, and one of them is
quantifying the number of ABE/GED students who move on and complete one
year of college. There is a major push on our campus to provide
information to this population in an effort to get them into college.
Just two weeks ago we held our second annual Next Steps: Making
Connections conference for all of our ABE, GED and upper level ESL
students and developmental education and adult high school students. We
had a panel of students who had made the transition tell their stories
and the audience was completely spell-bound. We had our associate dean
tell his story, too , as it was a similar one. We had pull out sessions
on specific professional technical programs and an area where students
could connect with many of our college services.  There were about 500
students in attendance (day and evening session) and many of them had
assignments they had to do as part of the process from their classes
that guided them through how to make the most of going to a conference
and getting their questions answered. We will be looking at our
participants in the coming weeks to see how many of them did any of
these things: made an advising appointment, registered for the next
quarter, applied for financial aid, etc. 
The best part is our state has opened the door through opportunity
grants that students in financial need without a HS diploma or GED can
apply for and receive financial aid for GED or HS completion and take a
college program at the same time or directly after. It has allowed 72
students this year who would not have had aid, get it and stay in
school. We will be monitoring this effort very closely. 
Karen Johnson, Dean of Developmental Education 
Edmonds Community College

-----Original Message-----
From: focusonbasics-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:focusonbasics-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Katrina Hinson
Sent: Monday, February 26, 2007 6:13 PM
To: The Focus on Basics Discussion List
Subject: [FocusOnBasics 661] Re: GED to PostsecondaryEducation
Discussion--Greetings!

I tend to agree with the others with regards to the reasons GED holders
are not enrolling in college classes or finishing once they start. I
just ran into an issue with two of students. I asked them what they
wanted to do when they completed the program. They are both 1 test away.
Their response was "No one ever asked me that before." I spent the rest
of the time I had with them that day, discussing what they liked, what
they disliked, what they were willing to do, and what they were not
willing to do in terms of moving, commuting etc. for a job. Again, the
response was that "no one ever asked me." For both of these women, they
saw work as their only option and even saw assembly work as the only
option. They'd never really given any thought to what other options
there might be. The GED was simply a means to secure a job. Since then,
those two students really have worked on identifying various avenues
including pursuing financial aid resources because they are considering
school beyond the GED now.

I think too often GED holders do not get enough information to help
them beyond the ABE class. Then they place poorly when they enter - they
end up battling the same issues of self-esteem and feeling unsuccessful
that they end up giving up rather than pushing forward.

I've been working and pushing for a transitional program at my school
for a year now and the biggest obstacle and the "competition" between
departments - everyone wants to know whose responsibility it is to
transition students. I loved the chant below because I think with more
and more transitional programs in place we'd go a long way to breaking
the cycle of illiteracy and helping all of our students find success.


Regards,
Katrina Hinson


>>> "Brown, Charlene" <Charlene.Brown at Jefferson.kyschools.us> 2/26/2007

2:22 pm >>>
We have a similar arrangement with our local community college.  We do
count them for the time they are with us and we do use or state adult
education approved assessments. This has helped so many lower level
students be able to truly benefit from college that it should have
been
done years ago. 

My personal belief is "I count 'em--you count 'em--we all count 'em so
we can win the literacy attainment race!"


-----Original Message-----
From: focusonbasics-bounces at nifl.gov 
[mailto:focusonbasics-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Barbara Arguedas
Sent: Monday, February 26, 2007 11:05 AM
To: The Focus on Basics Discussion List
Subject: [FocusOnBasics 648] Re: GED to Postsecondary Education
Discussion--Greetings!

I am not sure if this would be considered a "transition" model, but at
our college ABE may provide supplemental instruction to students
already
enrolled in credit classes.  For example, students enrolled for
college
credit classes may also be enrolled in ABE.  These students test below
the NRS level 6 and therefore are eligible for ABE.  I would like to
know if other ABE programs do this and, more importantly, whether you
count these students in your ABE reports as ABE students (only for the
time that ABE serves the student and also complying with state
assessment policies). 
Thank you.

Barbara Arguedas
ABE Director
Santa Fe Community College
Santa Fe, NM 

-----Original Message-----
From: focusonbasics-bounces at nifl.gov 
[mailto:focusonbasics-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Cynthia Zafft
Sent: Monday, February 26, 2007 7:59 AM
To: focusonbasics at nifl.gov 
Subject: [FocusOnBasics 646] GED to Postsecondary Education Discussion
--Greetings!

Dear FOB Listers:

Greetings from snowy Boston!  I direct the National College Transition
Network (NCTN), which is located at World Education.  For me, the work
of John Tyler and his colleagues has been extremely powerful and
helpful
in telling us why students need to move beyond the GED to
postsecondary
education.

The National College Transition Network is a relatively new
organization.  We began in 2003 and initially focused on promising
practices learned from 25 adult education transition programs
participating in a regional project, the New England ABE-to-College
Transition Project.  Now, we bring together the work of practitioners,
administrators, policy-makers and researchers from around the country,
all are people interested in adult transition.  There's a lot more to
be
said but, since a picture is worth a thousand words, you might prefer
touring our websites:
http://www.collegetransition.org 
http://www.collegeforadults.org 

Back to John's work.  In the FOB article, "Is the GED an Effective
Route
to Postsecondary Education?" you mention that GED holders, when they
do
go on to college, only accumulate 7.3 credits within three years
compared to 32.8 credits for all high school grads.  Does your
research
show which courses students take or at what level they begin when they
enter college?





Cynthia Zafft, Director
National College Transition Network (NCTN)
World Education, Inc.
44 Farnsworth Street
Boston, MA 02210
(617) 482-9485
www.collegetransition.org 
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