Paul,
You certainly nailed down the biggest problem that I see; i.e., not sharing students or being willing to effect a seamless transition from one phase, compartment or (as you said) silo to the next.  If you have any concrete ideas, pass them on!
Ann Burruss
Literacy Volunteers of Gloucester
and Gloucester County Public Schools
Gloucester, VA
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: JURMO at ucc.edu 
  To: specialtopics at nifl.gov 
  Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2007 12:26 PM
  Subject: [SpecialTopics 466] Re: What should GED programs do?


  Hello, David and Other Colleagues,

  A few thoughts in response to David's questions below (from someone who
  has been working in a community college for the past two years):

  --  Our community college offers a wide range of noncredit services,
  including literacy/ESOL/GED/computer programs and occupational
  certificate programs (which tend to be very "hands-on" and efficiently
  help learners get skills and credentials they can use to move ahead
  occupationally).  We are trying to develop a better integrated system of
  services, which help lower-skilled job seekers and incumbent workers
  develop educational and career plans, as well as basic skills and
  computer skills, which they can use to get a GED, move into
  more-rewarding jobs,  move into our noncredit occupational programs,
  and/or move into credit programs on the "credit" side of our college. 

  -- This requires a lot of coordination on the part of our various
  programs, with an eye on what jobs are out there, so we efficiently
  design and align our various programs.  This coordination, in turn,
  requires a willingness to "think different," share students (rather than
  horde them), higher and more transparent expectations for learners (so
  "getting a GED" is seen as an important but not sufficient achievement),
  and "matchmakers" (e.g., educational counselors, job developers,
  instructors) who are constantly thinking about how to help individual
  students (who each have their own unique interests, needs, abilities,
  life situations...)  (I believe the Council for the Advancement of Adult
  Literacy report on healthcare career ladders discusses the need for
  professionals who can facilitate smooth linkages among the many
  components of a career ladder.)

  -- One big problem:  "Silos" created by funders who will fund one part
  of such a system but not others.  Learners are blocked from moving
  efficiently from one stage of the ladder to the next.  Staff are
  conditioned to think inside boxes. 

  -- Two other big problems: (1) Limited resources to hire, train, and
  support professionals to do this challenging work. (2)Lack of
  understanding within the field -- and by funders -- about the need to go
  beyond piecemeal, underfunded programs and to create adult learning
  systems which really help people move ahead as workers, family members,
  and community members and citizens. 

  -- Whew!  Thanks again for an important discussion. 

  Paul Jurmo, Ed.D.
  Dean, Economic Development and Continuing Education
  Union County College
  12-24 West Jersey Street
  Elizabeth, NJ  07202
  908-659-5103 telephone  
  908-965-6010 fax
  Jurmo at ucc.edu 

  -----Original Message-----
  From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov
  [mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of David J. Rosen
  Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2007 11:59 AM
  To: specialtopics at nifl.gov
  Subject: [SpecialTopics 465] What should GED programs do?

  GED Discussion Colleagues,

  If you have been following along last week and this, you know that the
  news about earnings gains for GED students is not encouraging, that
  unless GED graduates go on to post-secondary education and complete a
  post-secondary certificate or a degree, that their GED attainment may
  not lift them out of poverty.  Of course, the good news is if they
  complete a four-year undergraduate degree their earnings gains, as a
  group, do not differ from 4-year degree holders who have high school
  diplomas.

  At this point in our discussion, with three days left, I hope some of  
  you who have been thinking about this problem might offer solutions.   
  Should every GED program provide students with this information (for
  example through the Beyond the GED lessons developed by Fass, Garner and
  Barry?) Should GED programs change their curriculum to include college
  preparation? Should they offer separate college preparation/ transition
  programs for GED graduates who want to go on for post- secondary
  education? Is there something else that they should do, or is it okay to
  continue with the status quo?

  This is a chance for everyone to chime in.  What do you think GED
  programs should do? What should policy makers do? What should GED
  students do?

  Send your thoughts to specialtopics at nifl.gov

  If you have just joined the discussion, you can catch up by looking at
  the archives,

  http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/specialtopics/2007/date.html

  beginning with posting 447.

  David J. Rosen
  Special Topics Discussion Moderator
  djrosen at comcast.net





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