Texas has a large and growing population of adults who do not have a high school diploma or something equivalent. Recent changes to the national GED test and the introduction of additional exams in Texas have potentially exacerbated the problem. This report presents information derived from a community assessment of the Austin and San Antonio…

Colorado's traditional public school system cannot meet the needs of many students with unique, and often challenging, life circumstances. For many of these students, alternative education campuses (AECs) are a valuable way to earn a high school diploma and acquire the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in postsecondary education or the…

Using longitudinal data, this analysis: (1) documented educational outcomes for serious offending girls, and (2) identified risk and protective factors associated with academic achievement in mid-adolescence and degree attainment by early adulthood. In mid-adolescence, girls performed nearly one standard deviation below the population mean on…

Dropping out of high school seriously impacts an individual's job opportunities, income potential and employment stability. To minimize those risks, individuals can earn a General Educational Development (GED) credential. Researchers have studied the impact of obtaining a GED on candidates' lives and found that the credential affects their…

The Portable Assisted Study Sequence (P.A.S.S.) is a nationally recognized program originally designed to offer migrant students the opportunity to work semi-independently on course work to earn full or partial credit toward high school completion. Two of the most outstanding characteristics exhibited by P.A.S.S. are its flexibility and its…

The Young Inmate Initiative of the New York Department of Correctional Services has three objectives: (1) raise inmates' educational level (the number earning high school equivalency diplomas has tripled); (2) provide enhanced services such as vocational training, substance abuse education, and aggression replacement (communication between inmates…

A study investigated the educational levels of 196 inmates (85 percent male, most Caucasian, 5 ethnic groups represented) of the Cumberland County Jail (CCJ) in Portland, Maine, using a self-perception instrument and the results of the Tests of Applied Literacy Skills. Information was obtained regarding gender, age, recidivism, highest level of…

A female inmate profile was compiled as the first phase of a three-part model for developing an educational and vocational program for female prison inmates. A 67-item questionnaire addressed demographics, education, educational programs, employment, behavior and attitude, and personal relationships; it was administered to the female population at…

"YouthBuild" offers low-income youth both education and job training services. "YouthBuild's" education component emphasizes attaining a GED or high school diploma, typically in alternative schools with small class sizes and an emphasis on individualized instruction. In "YouthBuild's" job-training program,…

The Ohio Legislative Office of Education Oversight examined the education programs in adult prisons operated by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC). Telephone interviews with staff associated with each prison facility, interviews with inmates, and structured observations of 12 prison classrooms provided first-hand…

Because General Educational Development (GED) graduates in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, were in need of an association to encourage their further educational development and enhance their newly established feelings of self-worth, an alumni association was formed. Within this peer group, alumni vented frustrations, obtained special training,…

Examines the impact of illiteracy, the high school dropout rate, the influx of Hispanic and Asian immigrants, and the challenge of lifelong learning on U.S. national well-being, as well as the community college's role in dealing with these issues. (DMM)

Although numeracy demands in today's workplace are rising steadily, the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) suggests that many workers do not possess sufficient higher-level numeracy skills. Analysis of the NALS results by occupation reveals that large percentages of workers in a wide variety of industries perform only at the two lower levels of…

Education drives the economy. Almost a decade into the 21st Century, America faces a choice: It can invest in the basic education and skills of its workforce and remain competitive in today's global economy, or it can continue to overlook glaring evidence of a national crisis and move further down the path to decline. In this report, the National…

This curriculum was developed to assist adult education teachers (especially in Kentucky) to prepare adults to function in today's society and that of the next century. Materials in the guide go beyond preparing adults to pass the General Educational Development (GED) test to preparing them with life skills. The curriculum includes traditional…