Across the nation, community colleges are serving an increasing number of adults who are trying to learn new skills or return to the workforce. Some of these students offer particular challenges, such as newly released prisoners, older adults and veterans transitioning to civilian life. While each of these nontraditional populations has its own…

When an adult migrant begins to acquire a second language, it is often presumed that the learner is already equipped with first language literacy and can therefore transfer these same literacy skills during their acquisition of the new, second language. However, many adult second language (L2) learners lack the opportunity to develop first…

The Covid-19 pandemic has vividly illustrated the centrality of frontline workers to the everyday functioning of the American economy and daily life. But while some articles have mentioned the high proportion of immigrant workers in these roles, there has been much less attention paid to the high number of English learners in particular. The…

As faculty chair of early childhood education at Vanguard University of Southern California, the author was challenged each day by questions: How to provide high-impact online professional learning to adult continuing education students? What barriers exist for adult learners seeking meaningful professional learning? How does practice as a…

A junior faculty member arrives at an unfamiliar university for a new teaching assignment. She is poised for the adventure, but feels like a traveler at the edge of long, unknown road. She does not know what obstacles or vistas may appear on the road, and wants to avoid major potholes. She takes a nervous look around and finds an experienced…

It may be hard to imagine teams of high school educators--teachers, counselors, principals, central office leaders, curriculum specialists--working together to overcome the student achievement barriers of poverty, ethnicity, apathy, and inconsistencies in rigor and access to the curriculum in order to pursue the "ought-ness" of a better…

Project Read at the San Mateo Public Library is one of 106 library programs in California helping adults improve their reading, writing, and communication skills. Like many adult literacy programs, Project Read trains and matches volunteer tutors with students. About 30% of the Project Read students are men in Project 90 (P-90), a residential drug…

Increased class sizes and advising responsibilities are the new realities in California's graduate programs of Educational Administration. In order to effectively meet new challenges, professors must make adjustments in venue, plan meticulously, utilize technology, distribute leadership, and implement alternative grading systems. This is a…

This paper considers noncredit instruction in the California Community College System. It identifies three related concepts: a state need for increased levels of education that noncredit instruction is well placed to supply, several changes that begin to facilitate that response, and additional changes that are needed to ensure success. The…

Designs for Learning is a California-based professional-development program organized around 10 design elements central to teachers' teaching and learning process: student data, planning, release time, leadership development, content and pedagogy, inquiry, collaboration, adult learning, administrative and community support, and accountability.…

The 285 adult schools in California enrolled 1,206,864 adult learners supported through state apportionment funds in program year 2006-07. This report presents the results of data collected by the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems (CASAS) from all learners enrolled in California adult schools. The report analysis was prepared by…

The Adult Literacy Program at the Alameda County Library provided employment oriented programs. The project served a community of over 200,000 people, and targeted workforce/workplace learners. The project served 578 adult learners and provided 35,904 hours of direct tutoring service. The report provides a comparison of actual accomplishments to…

A recent survey of state directors of adult education reveals that 31 states include distance learning as either a current initiative, or in a future plan, to provide education delivery to adult learners. Distance learning modes employ technology in four categories: computer, video, audiographic, and telephone. Distance learning for adult learners…

This document on involvement by states and higher education in adult learning is one in a series of four developed to provide a comprehensive overview of the scope of training practices relating to adult learning. It consists of two sections, each summarizing the results of extensive surveys pertaining to training programs for special adult…

The Orange Public Library (California) conducted a project that involved recruitment, retention, coalition building, public awareness, training, basic literacy, collection development, tutoring, intergenerational/family, and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs. The project served a community of 100,000-200,000 and targeted…