Colleagues,

In our discussion about state content standards, one of the issues  
that has emerged implicitly is what the state standard should be for  
the end point of adult literacy education. Should it be the passing  
the GED? Successful transition to higher education? Success in at  
least a year of post-secondary education? In the past, the answer was  
clear: passing the GED.  Now, in many states there is a push toward  
successful transition to higher education, and/or post-secondary job  
training and/or apprenticeship. One state professional association,  
the New Jersey State Association for Lifelong Learning (NJALL) now  
calls for one year of post secondary education and a certificate as  
the new standard. (See the conclusion and recommendations in this  
policy paper below.)

Of course, many students want a GED, and only a GED. They want the  
pride of having earned the credential, or they need it to keep their  
present job. But the earnings research done by John Tyler and others  
( A National Institute for Literacy-sponsored video panel discussion  
on this with Dr. Tyler will be found at http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/ 
webcasts/ged/webcast_ged.html ) shows that if the student's goal is  
to affect his/her earnings through increased education, then more is  
needed, that passing the GED plus at least a year of college and a  
certificate or degree are required.  Has your state been discussing  
this issue? What are the considerations? Has your state made a  
decision on the end point? If so, what?

I did say in my earlier message that I would post only one question  
today, but then I saw the recommendations in the policy paper from  
the NJALL, and I thought it was so interesting and pertinent that I  
couldn't help but raise this in the context of our discussion of  
state content standards, especially as for some states an important  
goal may be to align adult literacy education with successful  
preparation for college.

Your thoughts?

 From the NJALL policy paper:

Conclusion
Considering the available data, the conclusion is inescapable.  If  
adult literacy educators
want to do more than educate our students to become members of the  
working poor, we
must rethink our mission.  Completion of adult literacy must become  
the half-way point
in a trajectory that leads to transition to and success in post  
secondary education. This
will require new partnerships between adult literacy programs and  
post secondary
institutions at both the state policy level and the local operational  
level. If we accept
anything less, are we meeting our professional responsibility?

Recommendations

1. Establish a high-level taskforce between the SETC, the Commission  
on Higher
Education and other stakeholders to study the transitions issue and  
recommend a
state policy response.

2. Accept one year of post secondary education and a certificate as  
the new standard
for completion of adult literacy education and insure that resources  
are adequate
to meet this standard.

The full NJALL policy paper will be found at http://www.njall.org/ 
index.php


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



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