6 minute read
VA Programs Transition
from PROGRESS Winter 2008
by VALRC
by Susan Erno
GED students from through- out central Virginia recently gathered for a presentation on promising career opportunities. The group included teens, middle- aged adults, and seniors. In short, a typical GED class composite. Stu- dents, teachers, and Piedmont Vir- ginia Community College staff talked informally while dinner was served. Every student had a career in mind, from architect to computer program- mer.
Unfortunately, their odds of reach- ing these dreams are not in their favor. Here are the grim statistics: • Most GED testers say post-second- ary education and training is a goal.
Yet, only 12% who earn a GED complete 1 year of college within 10 years.1 • 85% of GED recipients who transi- tion into post-secondary must take remedial courses.2
In a recent Progress3 article, Hal Beder characterized most GED classes as “warm fuzzies.” When he makes the point that students aren’t prepared for the rigors of college level work, he is echoing the find- ings of several recent studies.4 Success- ful transition will require adult literacy professionals to work closely with post- secondary educators, particularly those in community colleges.5
Many Virginia Adult Education pro- grams have responded to this challenge. They have forged productive partner- ships with community colleges and have implemented promising initiatives such as bridge and transition classes. What follows is a sample of what is happening in the field.
Taking the first step
Northern Shenandoah Valley Adult Education and Lord Fairfax Community College (LFCC)
Recent GED recipients are eligible for one of 20 scholarships for the one- credit College Success Skills class. Ac- cording to the LFCC catalog, “The course is designed to assist students with the transition to college; introduce col- lege resources and services; and enhance the intellectual, cultural, personal and social development of students. Effective study skills, career and academic plan- ning, college transfer processes, wellness components and issues related to student life are among the topics offered to help students succeed in their course work and accomplish their goals.”
As Susan Utt, Regional Planner, states, “This is a wonderful opportunity and transition into college life. Some GED recipients may be intimidated at the thought of college. This scholarship will encourage them to take the first step. It is to be hoped that they will experience success and continue their pursuit of an associate’s degree.”
Mount Rogers Regional Adult Education Program and Wytheville Community College and Virginia Highlands Community College
The Mount Rogers Regional Adult Education Program (MRRAEP) imple- mented transition classes in Fall 2007 at Wytheville Community College and Virginia Highlands Community College
Southside Virginia Community Collge Students Achieve Success
Irene Fowlkes (left) is 61, a mother, grandmother, and GED graduate. She worked in a factory for 22 years until it closed and currently resides in Nottoway County. She is enrolled full-time at Southside Virginia Community College in the Human Services program and hopes to one day teach and show the importance of education. Roy Wine (right) is 21 and lives in Mecklenburg County. He passed the GED on his first attempt and is now a fulltime SVCC student in the college transfer program. Wine would like to transfer to a four-year college and become a teacher.
Many Virginia Adult Education programs ... have forged productive partnerships with community colleges
using funding from the Tobacco Com- mission and the Workforce Investment Board. The funding provides teachers’ salaries, supplies and materials, mentors, child care, and assistance with transpor- tation. One goal is to increase postsec- ondary enrollment by removing as many obstacles as possible. A second goal is to prepare the students to pass the COM- PASS with a score high enough to enroll in credit-bearing classes as opposed to remedial classes. The classes provide ac- celerated instruction in reading, math, and writing; counseling; study skills; and time management strategies.
“The GED is not a means to an end. It is a means to a beginning. Exciting op- portunities await those who successfully transition from ABE into postsecondary. The key to a successful program is an effective partnership between the ABE program and the community college,” states Susan Seymore, Regional Planner for MRRAEP.
Paving a path to success
Southside Virginia Community College Adult EducationProgramsSouthside Community College, with Shelia Harper’s leadership, became a GED Testing Center in July 2007. “Having the testing here on campus has been a great benefit,” Harper explains. “Our staff leads the student through the admissions process for SVCC. And, it also helps the student to have a contact, a familiar face and name. This presents the student fewer hoops up front that he or she needs to jump through in dealing with the admissions process.”
Other initiatives include: a letter signed by the SVCC President inviting GED recipients to enroll in community college classes, GED Graduate Scholar- ships for tuition and textbooks for any GED graduate, and an Honors Graduate Scholarship for any GED graduate scoring 2,700 or above. Finally, Harper’s office works closely with the Counseling Center and with the Admissions process for GED recipients. She meets with fac- ulty and adjunct faculty to discuss advis- ing and class load, recognizing that some faculty can offer that extra nurturing touch.
A new learning community
Charlottesville Adult Learning Center and Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC)
GED recipients scatter after gradu- ation ceremonies and are often hard to reach. To plant the seed early on, a PVCC recruiter meets with every GED class early in the first session to inform students of opportunities and career paths. This is followed up with a formal presentation at the Adult Learning Cen- ter. The next month, all GED students and recipients, as well as instructors, are invited to the PVCC campus for dinner and an introduction to the community college. The deans from each field talk Susan Erno, Program Manager Adult Learning Center, Charlottesville City Schools
susan.erno@ccs.k12.va.us
Shelia Harper, Adult Education Program Manager and Director Middle College Adult Education/Middle College Southside Virginia Community College
shelia.harper@southside.edu
Susan Seymore, Regional Planner Mount Rogers Regional Adult Education Program
sseymore@vhcc.edu
Susan O. Utt, Regional Planner Northern Shenandoah Valley Adult Education
utts@frederick.k12.va.us
In addition to being Program Manager for the Adult Learning Center in Charlot- tesville, Susan Erno is the RLCC co-chair for her Region. Learning of the activities around the state at the Lead Agents’ meeting in November led her to write this article. References
about careers and potential salaries. Fi- nally, at the GED testing site, everyone receives PVCC information.
This year, two college credit classes are available at no charge for GED stu- dents and recipients who live in Char- lottesville City. They are an orientation course, similar to the LFCC College Suc- cess Skills class described earlier, and a 3-credit computer literacy course. These courses may be taken while a student is still in a GED class. There is support for child care and transportation. It is hoped that this early exposure to college courses will result in success and a greater commitment to pursuing education and training beyond the GED.
While it is too soon to tell the value of these programs, it is safe to say the field of adult education in Virginia is moving in the right direction, based upon cur- rent research.
For more information about the programs cited in this article, contact the program managers listed below. .:
1 Murnane, R.J., Willett, J.B., & Tyler, J.H. (2000). Who benefits from a GED? Evidence from high school and beyond. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 82 (1), 23-37. 2 US Department of Education. The Condition of Education 2004, Indicator 18. http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2004/ section3/indicator18.asp 3 Beder, H. Post-secondary Transitioning: The GED Is Only Halfway There.Progress, Fall 2007, 20(1), p.1. 4 Duke, A. L. & Ganzglass, E. Strengthening State Adult Education Policies for Low-Skilled Workers. Working Poor Families Project Policy Brief.Summer 2007 5 Beder, p. 12.
