What criteria should be used to asses whether Adult Education/CCs are meeting the students educational goals? Before we can set criteria, we need to define the students' goals. The adult student at a CC will more likely define his/her goals in terms of academic or career preparation than will the adult learner in Adult Education. For nearly 2/3 of our students, Adult Education provides the opportunity for learning life skills that help them better function in society. From the parent who needs help raising children to the Senior who is trying to master e-mail, we serve the day-to-day living skill needs of those in our communities. Academic criteria will not effectively measure success in all Adult Education programs.
To what extent should they be identical? Academic criteria could be identical for both systems. The levels of assessed ability that indicate a successful program should be a continuum with the community college standards set at post-secondary levels and Adult Education at K-12 levels.
What areas should be funded in addition to basic education, ESL, and vocational education? Parent education, Older Adults, Adults with Disabilities. All of these programs reach members of our communities who can easily feel isolated and alone. These are also the members of our communities who rely most heavily on local, easily accessible services and are least likely to attend a community college. Adult Education program provide them with a connection to the local community.
Posted as a reply to:
SB 823 - Adult Education by Charles Ratliff 
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