Program Profiles and Classroom Formats
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Good morning, afternoon and evening to you all.
Today begins our week-long discussion on Transitions in Adult Education.
For full information on this discussion, go to:
[1]
I have some questions for subscribers:
What seem to pose the biggest obstacles for your program when trying to successfully transition adult students from one education level to another, or from education to the workforce? What does your program try to do about this?
What resources have you found helpful when trying to successfully transition a student? How have they been helpful?
Please comment on the Introduction and/or Recommended Preparations for this Discussion, found at the announcement URL above.
Please post your questions and share your experiences now.
Thanks!!
Marie Cora
Assessment Discussion List Moderator
Hello and welcome everyone,
I'm Wendy Quiñones, an ABE teacher at a community-based learning center, the Community Learning Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I also taught for two years in our college transition program while Cynthia Zafft, whom you'll also meet in the course of the discussion - was head of NCTN. Recently - this past Saturday, in fact - I also began teaching a high-level ESOL communication class at a private two-year college in Boston, Urban College. This class consists of women who are family day care providers working toward a certificate; they have had all their content courses in Spanish and are now trying an academic English course for the first time.
Marie asked me to talk about the "process" at my learning center for transitioning students from ESOL into ABE. I can name it in a word: none. Our ABE program aims to move students toward a GED; many of our ESOL students have no need of or desire for one. We are also fortunate to receive a number of scholarships to the ESOL program at Harvard University's extension school, so our advanced students who want to work hard at improving their English often go there. We tried a specific transition class one year, but it was the only time we had a large enough cohort of students who were "stalled" in high-intermediate ESOL but wanted a GED.
However, when students do move into the ABE program from our ESOL classes, or they enter the ABE program with skills that are too high for ESOL but low by ABE standards, they generally go into a low-intermediate reading and writing class which I taught for two years. Higher-level students who already have a high school credential (and sometimes college as well) in their home countries often entered our transition to college program. As we all know, these students are very different from native speakers in the same classes. In his research on low-intermediate adult learners, John Strucker noted the following distinction between native speakers and ELLs (English Language Learners):
Native speakers tended to have relatively stronger "meaning-based skills" (like comprehension and vocabulary) as compared to "print-based skills," [for example, word recognition] while non-native speakers exhibited the opposite pattern. Chall (1991) reported similar findings.
Many second-language speakers in ABE classes had surprisingly low levels of oral vocabulary in English (GE 2 to GE 4), despite their fluent levels of conversational English. Similarly low levels of oral vocabulary occurred among some inner-city young adults who were native speakers. Strucker, John. "What Silent Reading Tests Alone Can't Tell You: Two Case Studies in Adult Reading Differences," Focus on Basics, May 1997. [2]
So the question is, how do we cope with these learners with different needs? At my center, teachers are mostly left to our own devices. In the lower-level classes, where student need is universal for vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension instruction, concentrating on those is easy. At higher levels, it gets more complicated. In my GED class, using "The Lord is my shepherd" to demonstrate metaphor, my ELL students didn't know the word "shepherd"; in my college class, my Spanish-speaking students didn't know the word "rhyme."
One year in the transitions class, I tried to differentiate the instruction, having the lower-level ELLs work with an ESOL teacher for an hour of the 3-hour class. They learned the same vocabulary words but in contexts they could understand, and their writing assignments and grammar instruction paid attention to more specific ESOL issues in which to this day I have not been trained. We learned that while we could expect these ELLs to learn the words, we couldn't use the same tests; their tests needed to be much more similar to the examples they used in class. Native speakers and higher-level ELLs could be expected to know the words in different contexts. I also gave some readings at different levels - either different materials or in many cases short stories for which I provided both an adapted version and the original, like O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi." Except for the fact that all the students were exposed to great American short stories, I can't say that any of these techniques worked particularly well.
So I'm still hunting for a "process" that will help ELLs to transition into ABE and college classes. I imagine many of you have much better ideas than I do. I'm looking forward to hearing about them!
Regards,
Wendy Quiñones
Hello...I'm Kathy Ellithorpe. My teaching situation is a unique one-I teach at an alternative school in Southern Colorado. We are an online and onsite school for adults and at risk students. We have a student base of about 300-most are adult and returning students. It's so interesting to see that the difficulties we face in our adult ed. program are found everywhere.
Like you-the academic skills of our students are varied. Some read at a GE8-9 but writing is typically at GE2-3. Math falls well below expectation as well. Usually GE1-3. Where do we begin? We have a combination of computer learning programs and books. It takes a while for many of the ELL and even native speakers (as adults) to have the courage to tackle a computer-but once they get the hang of that they enjoy that as a method of learning. The ELL's have a harder time and need much more one on one time with a teacher and a book.
Retaining our learners is a problem. Many adult learners are transient and just don't "stay put" long enough to realize much success.
Kathy Ellithorpe
Hello, Everyone,
My name is Pam Ferguson and I'm an ESL instructor and department chair of Basic Skills (ESL & ABE) at Yakima Valley Community College in Yakima, Washington. How great to have our work in transitions here at YVCC referenced in the Assessments Resources!
Torchlights in ESL: Five Community College Profiles
See Yakima Valley Community College for description of how the ESL and ABE/ASE faculty collaborate
Please note, if you read this publication, that NRS levels for ESL have changed since this report was written. Old NRS levels were ESL Levels 1-5 and YVCC started transitioning students in Levels 4 and 5, with concurrent enrollment in both ESL and ABE classes. Now, with the NRS changes to ESL Levels 1-6, YVCC starts transitioning ESL students in Levels 5 & 6. So, essentially, it's the same practice with different level numbers.
Thanks for your consideration!
Pam Ferguson
Hi Pam,
Welcome - it's nice to have a representative from a program being highlighted in our discussion! We welcome your thoughts!
Marie Cora
Assessment Discussion List Moderator
Hi All,
Our program is a small (under 200 ADA) adult school in southern California. I concur with Wendy in that the majority of our ESL students do not presently have a desire or any self-determined need to transition to an ASE program. The majority of our transition program is aimed toward transitioning ESL students into higher level ESL classes as they progress in language acquisition. This, to us, is actually a bigger problem than transitioning them into ABE/ASE. We have found that most Hispanic students in the ESL programs are very reluctant to change instructors, whether it is due to transition or teacher turmoil. To help encourage transition and language acquisition progression we have developed a program of instructor-assessed competencies, in addition to our standardized test scores, to determine if a student is really ready to transition to the next level of instruction. This program is also highly dependent on the instructors communicating with each other on the readiness of their students to enter the next level.
We do have a transitional ABE/ASE course that we call a Pre-GED instructional course. Since we are a small agency we enroll both transitioning ESL and ABE students in this class and provide a heavy emphasis on English language arts. We use a combination of both traditional direct instruction and computer based instruction and we have also found, like Wendy's program, that transitioning ESL students like the computer based instruction (once they are familiar with it) as they can work at their own level and repeat lessons as much as they feel is necessary to gain mastery.
David Williams
Principal
Beaumont Adult School
David,
This sounds good to me. How happy are you with the results? And people may be interested in how you developed the instructor assessed competencies. Clearly the available standardized tests aren't adequate for this purpose, and I think many programs have adopted some version of your approach.
Forrest Chisman
Dear All -
Here at the Del Mar College Department of GED Instruction all students must be reading at the 7th grade level or higher. We are part of a CO-OP that implements tiered instruction. The Adult Learning Center focuses on students reading between the 4th and 6th grade level. The Corpus Christi Literacy Council focuses on students with a 3rd grade reading level and below. During our 12 hour mandatory orientation all students are given a Locater Test (1st day) and TABE Test (2nd day). The two exams contain a Reading section, Math (math computation/applied math), and Language Arts. The exams are then given to our test assessor who determines the academic level each student is functioning at. All students reading at the 7th grade level or above are allowed to register in our program and the remaining students are divided among the CO-OP members that can specifically meet their needs.
The Del Mar College Department of GED Instruction no longer serves ESL students. However, we do have some students that at one time were ESL students and have remained with us over time and are functioning as well or even better than some of our English speaking students. In fact, several have transitioned into college level courses at DMC. There is an ESOL Program at DMC that specifically serves ESOL students and eventually mainstreams with the rest of the student body.
Our classes are divided into two tracks; Track II and Track III. Both classes teach the same material needed for the GED exam, but the Track III class is taught at a faster pace and students are introduced to college level material.
We have developmental labs, expanded academic classes, and a Friday only math lab which runs outside of our usual class schedule(s), all of which allow students to get extra instruction.
Our current pass rate for first time test takers is between 99% and 100% and our average test scores are among the highest in the United States.
Last year 72% of our student body transitioned from our GED program and into college.
Charlene Salazar
Charlene-
I'm curious what regulations your state has for those that wish to take the GED test. Can students "just" sign up to test and bypass your system without preparation? 99-100% pass rate is extraordinary and the fact that you have a track for GED prep which includes college prep is enviable!
Phyllis Bonneau
Regional Coordinator
EASTCONN Adult Services
Charlene,
The ideas of a collaborative and tracking are fascinating. But they raise the question of whether students who enter at low levels of ability make it through the system. Do you know what percentage of students who start at the Literacy Council and the Adult Learning Center enroll in your GED program and obtain GEDs? Also, how do you select students for Tracks II and III, what percentage are in each, and how do they differ in their personal profiles?
Forrest Chisman
I'm the GED Coordinator for an adult education agency in Missouri. We understand our mandate to be serving adults with a need for basic or secondary-level education whether or not they are working toward a GED credential. Among the things we're doing to expand the perception of what we do is offering a Transitions to College class. We have what I think is an excellent class that combines a lot of information/conversation about college issues with higher-level reading, writing, and math, and the few students who have completed it agree. However, we have a lot of trouble recruiting for the class. Students want to do it, but they have transportation problems or schedule issues and can't commit to the eight-week attendance requirement. We serve seven school districts, so trying to offer a class in a central location is difficult.
We are considering changing models and having our Transitions teacher, who is also an ABE/ASE instructor as well as a community college English teacher, do the traveling. She would hold one Transitions to College session per month at each of our sites. She would address issues such as time management, financial aid, the work load, and so forth. Then we would hope/expect that the demand for academics beyond the level required to pass the GED Tests would increase system-wide, and all our sites would be working on academics with Transitions students.
We might pilot this model for a few months to find out whether having the teacher providing a teaser onsite would increase interest in and commitment to the eight-week class, or alternatively, whether the traveling teacher could provide enough information about college and the transitions academics could be done on an individual basis so that the new model would address our need to provide support for students transitioning to post-secondary education.
I would be interested to hear any feedback, suggestions, or cautions you all might have about our experience and our thinking here. Thanks!
Debra Morris Smith
Debra,
Kendra (see contact info below) can explain more about how our eight-week intensive college transition program runs. I think the recruiting works much more effectively at the adult education center site because each AEC knows its student populations and can present the benefits and buy-ins powerfully.
Kendra Rodriguez
Project Manager
Colorado Success UNlimited (SUN) Initiative
Colorado Community College System Foundation
9101 E. Lowry Boulevard
Denver, Colorado 80230
720-858-2787 (office)
303-620-4094 (fax)
Stephanie Moran
At the Community College of Denver, we have a summer program called College Connection that transitions GED/HS grads to college. It's an intensive/accelerated 8-week program. We are fortunate to have a Navigator that helps students navigate the college system.
College Connection, in addition to instruction in math, reading and writing, offers a 1-credit college course, AAA 101 - College 101: Student Experience, where students get further instructions on how to succeed in college. They also do a career goal exploration. Part of this exploration is connecting students to advisors that would guide them in their next "journey" in the following semester, if they choose to register for classes.
Also, our subject area instructors schedule a student/teacher conferencing regularly to make sure students are on track. Through these meetings, we learn a lot of things about the students, including personal issues. We deal with these issues when we can and if necessary, we refer them to professionals on campus.
Ranee Cervania
Curriculum Specialist
Ready for College - Colorado Success UNlimited (SUN)
Colorado Community College System
At our site we TABE test our entering students. This gives us a general idea where they are academically and just what areas need to most work. Most community colleges use the Accuplacer (see thread entitled 'Accuplacer').
Kathy Ellithorpe
Hi Marie:
I've been busy reading down the many facets of this discussion: teacher/student challenges with algebra (see thread entitled 'Math and Transitions'), the role and reality of online learning, how tests like the Accuplacer (see thread entitled 'Accuplacer') and Compass created a "narrow door". I'll comment on a few of them but I thought I would just mention something about models first.
One way to decrease the likelihood of being overwhelmed by all this is to think in terms of models of transition. There are many, many out there. The five that we've focused on at the National College Transition Network (NCTN) are the ones in our models paper (here's a brief review we did for a conference in Washington State: [3]
The models we discuss in the paper are:
Advising
GED-Plus
ESOL/ESL
Career Pathways
College Prep
Each has the same goal: to prepare students for post-secondary education. And they share many of the same content (e.g., all include some focus on what the K-12 system refers to as "college knowledge" and preparing students for the college placement test) but the delivery is different.
For example, the Advising model relies upon one-to-one and small group counseling by someone familiar with adult education students' transition needs as they transition into college. Many adult education programs partner with their local college to provide this service through a designated counselor/advisor at the college or adult education center.
Depending on its level of intensity, it can be effective. Some programs follow students for a year before they arrive in college and then through the first year of college. The magic word here is "intensity."
Getting a dedicated advisor is key. Adults, in particular, like the 1:1 help with problem-solving but keep in mind that many advisors/counselors may end up being assigned to 1000 students.
Another model that folks are often familiar with is the career pathways model. Many adult learners are looking to enter more promising employment and, while the math has been a challenge for many of the health care and technical careers, the contextualized nature of study is very motivating. The folks from Washington State can maybe comment on the I-Best model, but I'll include a link here, just in case: [4] It combines basic skills with post-secondary-level technical training. In the planning process and classroom you will find both an adult educator and the technical instructor. This has been a hard model for rural and small programs.
Lastly, I'll mention the College Prep model which is an intensive, semester's work located between completing the GED/ELL and college. Students attend class up to 12 hours per week and focus on reading, writing, math, digital literacy, placement testing, and all that "college knowledge." Much of what is on our website is based on this model. The state of Maine has decided to use this model and has funded 20 adult education centers around the state to provide this service to adults. See [5]
Cynthia Zafft
National College Transition Network
www.collegetransition.org
In my program, we do sometimes take people who have diplomas/GEDs but low skills -- but only if we have room. We are not funded to improve people's basic skills once they have the credential.
Wendy Quiñones
All -
At Del Mar College are students are introduced to computerized tests through the computer software known as PLATO. PLATO allows them to take practice tests in all of the five subject areas found in the GED exam. Every Thursday our students also take what we call OPT'S (Official Practice Tests). When a student has mastered a subject, they are allowed to test in the computer lab with a proctor who records their score(s). When a student tests in all five subject areas and reaches a combined score of 2500 or higher, they are then given the green light to take the official GED exam and given a scholarship to pay for the test.
Charlene Salazar
Hi Charlene,
I love that you have students take GED practice tests through PLATO. Here in DC we also use PLATO. After reading your post, I looked to see if we had the option to have students take practice tests but it doesn't appear to be available. Do you know what steps need to be taken to add that ability to PLATO?
Thanks so much for you help,
Jessie Stadd
Charlene,
What kind of preparation do students receive? Is it one-on-one or class format? How much instruction time do they get (if they do) before they are allowed to do the practice test? How much time do they spend on the practice test before they master a subject? Does the mastery of a subject depend solely on the practice test?
Ranee Cervania
Curriculum Specialist
Ready for College - Colorado Success UNlimited (SUN)
Colorado Community College System
I have the impression (based on inquiry and what I've seen at CCD) that GED sites are generally a lab format -- one-on-one tutoring.
I'm doing a survey. Please let me know which format you follow at your GED sites--classroom, i.e., regular classes are held or LAB, i.e., one-on-one tutoring.
Thank you for your participation.
Ranee Cervania
Curriculum Specialist
Ready for College - Colorado Success UNlimited (SUN)
Colorado Community College System
We use a combination of one-on-one and lab. Also use computer programs and peer tutoring...Byron Syring DELTA Center...Colorado
Kathy Ellithorpe
We offer small classes M-R (Monday through Thursday) in all 5 GED subjects and also have ABE-level reading and math classes as well as our LMB reading program. Afternoons are 1:1 tutoring as are our evening classes.
We also have Guided Instruction in all 3 morning slots where a student basically works 1:1, take practice tests, registers for the test, gets whatever brief counseling for the GED/college/etc. s/he might need. Works great for fast trackers, some older students who don't want to be with a youthful crowd, and those with LDs (learning disabilities) who need a quieter space.
Stephanie Moran
Thanks for your response, Stephanie.
I have a few more questions, though.
How small is 'small'? What is your minimum number of Students? Maximum number of students?
Since there are 5 GED subjects, does that mean you offer 5 separate GED classes for each subject area?
If so, how long is a GED class?
Are these classes offered the year round?
Thanks,
Ranee Cervania
We have managed classroom settings for morning, afternoon and evening classes. When our students go through a six-week session and still need additional remediation, they go to a one-on-one targeted instruction setting.
Kay Combs
GED Coordinator
Center for Lifelong Learning
Georgetown, KY
Hi Kay,
Are your six week sessions broken out according to educational levels? How do you handle the students if they have not made any progress within the 6 weeks?
Brigette Satchell
Assistant Dean, Programs and Instruction
Gloucester County College
We have pre-GED and GED classes. Anyone who tests below a 5.0 GE in Reading and Math on the TABE are in pre-GED classes. Everyone else is in a GED class. Typically our Pre-GED class size is small so these students can be served in a classroom and individual basis based on their needs. If the GED students have not progressed at the end of the six weeks, they have a choice of repeating the class or receiving individual targeted instruction. Contrary to popular opinion, most of the students opt for the classroom setting again. It is the student engagement and relationship part of adult education that I believe allows students to want to be with the students they have formed a relationship with over the six-week time period.
In the Pre-GED class, we look at the six-week time frame mostly for post-testing purposes, but there is not a standard time for their educational obtainment. Some of these students are very low-level readers and they know they will be in this classroom environment until they progress. Amazingly, we have had almost the same group of students throughout the school year and they have low absenteeism, high motivation for achievement and consistently ask for homework.
There are many other students we serve that cannot be in the classroom setting because of home and work life. We partner with KET (Kentucky Educational Television) and for $40 they receive the set of GED Connection books and we arrange for them to meet with an instructor weekly to catch up on homework, review any issues they having, etc. In addition, we document hours they are working through homework they turn in. When they have achieved the ability to take their GED, they receive a $40 voucher which pays for their GED test. So, they really aren't loosing any money; they have a set of books that the instructor has in the classroom and many times instructors can assist the students over the phone or on-line. I hope this helps.
Kay Combs
GED Coordinator
Center for Lifelong Learning
Georgetown, KY
At our center, students get nearly all their instruction in classes of up to 12. Those who need it can request a tutor, which we will supply if we have enough.
Wendy Quiñones
Kay used the phrase "contrary to popular opinion" when she talked about the students who want to remain in a classroom setting. I'm interested in finding out more about this "popular opinion" and why it leads teachers to believe that students prefer individualized instruction in workbooks.
Thank you,
Dianna Baycich
I would say regarding 1:1 vs. small group instruction, different strokes for different folks. Most of our students do like being in a classroom, but fast-trackers just want the quick version and then take the GED and move on with other goals. The students who seem to respond best to small group are the ones who perhaps never before truly experienced being a part of a *successful working* group, and they know they are valued in our classes, their opinions are taken into account, and their intelligence is recognized and made note of in comfortable, public ways. These students often need more "breathing space" as well as content/skill improvement, and our centers are the perfect place to take time. I'm not talking about "mascots" who don't make progress-just people whose lives need a "clean-well-lighted place" where studying is part of the larger healing/learning environment.
Stephanie Moran
Assessment Colleagues,
Although the Transitions discussion is now over, here's an article that may be of interest. Midland College in West Texas has combined adult basic and developmental education. The merger is intended to ease the transition of ABE students into college. The Dean in charge was formerly a director of adult basic education. [6]
David J. Rosen
DJRosen@theworld.com
