Report Recommends Stronger Links Between Community Colleges, Adult Education

A recent report cites thirteen states that currently operate their Adult Education programs through their community college boards. The report calls on states to take advantage of the natural linkages between community colleges and adult education, which include adult basic education (reading, writing, and math remediation), adult secondary education (high school equivalency preparation), and English as a second language instruction. In most states these education services are regarded as separate from community colleges, despite the fact that community colleges see adult education as part of their mission to serve unmet education needs, focus on adult students, and respond to local workforce needs.

To build on these common interests, CAAL recommends that states:

* Encourage and facilitate local partnerships between community colleges and other adult education providers to mutually assess educational and workforce needs, to share resources, to develop joint programs, and to establish common quality standards;

* Clearly articulate seamless curricula transitions from adult education to college or other postsecondary programs;

* Establish state and local benchmarks that increase the number and percentage of adult education students who transition to postsecondary education successfully;

* Provide technical assistance to support the development of transition plans and their implementation over the long term;

* Allow state adult education funds to support transition programs; and

* Assess the need for Full Time Enrollment (FTE) reimbursement systems for adult education programs provided by community colleges, or where that exists, establish parity of funding between adult education and comparable credit programs.

The 13 states employing these partnerships are Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin. The report is based on 19 community colleges considered exemplary, 4 state case-studies (Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Oregon), and a study of adult education experience in 5 states (California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, and Oregon).

Related Links:

* ”Adult Education & Literacy and Community Colleges in Kentucky” report http://www.caalusa.org/caal_ky_case_chisman.pdf

* Report http://www.caalusa.org/ensureamericasfuture.pdf

* ”The Illinois Community College System and Adult Education” report http://www.caalusa.org/illinoiscasestudy.pdf

* ”Oregon Shines! Adult Education in Oregon Community Colleges” report http://www.caalusa.org/oregonfinal.pdf

* ‘Adult Education and Literacy in Community Colleges in Massachusetts’ http://www.caalusa.org/liebowitzmacase.pdf