RE: The role of Adult Education

To support what Teresa Reen and Michael Novick have said of the importance of adult ed remaining separate from the community college system because of our unique population and services, here is a sampling of things that occurred in my Basic Reading (grade equivalencies 5-8) just today.  "Jacqueline" told me that she and her two children have begun to go to the library to get books once every week because they're tired of her reading the same books over and over.  She now reads to both preschoolers 30 minutes per day and loves it.  When she started school, she said she hated to read.  "Art", a 19 year-old high school dropout,  passed a promotional test at reading level 11.0 having originally tested in at at 6.8.  (Yes we do pre- and post test and have standards for accountability.)  Two students living in residential drug and alcohol recovery programs have been drug-free for 2 and 3 months and are working towards their adult high school diplomas and/or GEDs. A beginning reader wrote and read a complete sentence with no errors.  None of these people would be comfortable in a community college setting at this time because they need the individual and small group instruction and support we can offer in community adult schools. After they earn their diplomas or GEDs, they will have the necessary skills and confidence to be successful in college or training programs.