An Overview of Adult Education in the United States. Susan Sclafani, Managing Director Chartwell Education Group, LLC

Transcription

1 An Overview of Adult Education in the United States Susan Sclafani, Managing Director Chartwell Education Group, LLC

2 Overview of Adult Education in the U.S. Need for 21 st Century Skills Adult Education in the U.S. Federal and State Policies Federal and State Funding Federal and State Governance

3 Need for 21 st Century Skills

4 Skill Level Changes Skilled Unskilled Unskilled 60% 20% Professional 20% 15% Professional 20% Skilled 65% National Summit on 21 st Century Skills for 21 st Century Jobs

5 Fastest Growing Jobs Require Some Education Beyond High School First-professional degree Doctoral degree Master's degree Bachelor's or higher + work exp Bachelor's degree Associate degree Work experience Long-term OJT Moderate-term OJT Short-term OJT Total Percent of Employment Growth

6 High Learning = High Earning 50,000 S A L A R Y 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 Female Male 0 No HS diploma HS diploma/ GED Associate Bachelor's

7 Lifetime Earnings by Educational Attainment Millions in 1999 Dollars $5 $4 $4 $3 $3 $2 $2 $1 $1 $0 $1.0 $1.2 $1.6 $2.1 $2.5 Less than HS DegreeAssociates Bachelors Masters HS $3.4 $4.4 DoctoralProfessional U.S. Census Bureau, 2002 Current Population Survey

8 Losing Our Edge? Percentage of Population with a Postsecondary Credential in % 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% U.S. Canada Ireland Japan Korea Finland Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators 2008

9 School completion A world of change in the global skill supply Approximated by percentage of persons with high school or equivalent qualfications in the age groups 55-64, 45-55, 55, und years % s 1970s 1980s 1990s United States Czech Republic Estonia Germany Switzerland Denmark Canada Norway Sweden Russian Federation4 Austria3 Slovenia Israel Slovak Republic New Zealand Hungary Finland 1. Excluding ISCED 3C short programmes 2. Year of reference Including some ISCED 3C short programmes 3. Year of reference United Kingdom3 Netherlands Luxembourg EU19 average OECD average France Australia Iceland Belgium Poland Ireland Korea Chile2 Greece Italy Spain Turkey Portugal Mexico Brazil2 Science Competencies for tomorrow s world: Seeing school systems through the prism of PISA, December 2007

10 National Statistics 60 % of jobs require some postsecondary education Nearly 1/3 of all students enrolling in college are not ready Only 71% of 9 th grade students will graduate on time and only slightly more than 50% of black and Latino students will graduate on time. Only 18% of 9 th graders will make it through high school, enter college and earn a two-year or four-year degree 2005 National Education Summit on High Schools

11 Adult Education in the U.S.A. Definition: Education for out-of of-school adults aged 16+ Other Terms: Adult Literacy Education Programs: English language learning, family literacy, workplace literacy, basic skills instruction, civics education, secondary education to get a high school diploma or equivalent, technology training, etc. Adult Education system (Vocational and Adult Education) encompasses more than 30,000 learning sites in the country (schools, workplaces, libraries, fire halls, community centers, technology-based learning labs, union halls, community colleges, or churches) (National Institute for Literacy)

12 2003 National Adult Literacy Survey Levels Below Basic. Able to do no more than the most simple and concrete literacy skills. Basic. Able to perform simple and everyday literacy activities. Intermediate. Able to perform moderately challenging literacy activities. Proficient. Able to perform more complex and challenging literacy activities.

13 Percentage of adults in each literacy level: 1992 and 2003 Prose Document Quantitative Below Basic Basic Intermediate Proficient

14 Literacy skills of American adults Of 222 million American adults 16 and older million scored Below Basic and can perform no more than rudimentary tasks. 63 million can only perform simple, basic everyday literacy activities. 93 million lack literacy levels to enroll in any post-secondary secondary education. (Source: National Adult Literacy Survey, 2003)

15 Unemployment Rate by Educational Attainment 9.0% 8.0% 7.0% 6.0% 5.0% 4.0% 3.0% 2.0% 1.0% 0.0% 8.5% 5.3% 4.8% 4.0% 3.1% 2.8% 1.6% Less than HS HS Degree Some College Associates Bachelors Masters Doctoral U.S. Census Bureau, 2002 Current Population Survey

16 The Costs of Low Literacy Adult without high school diploma earns 42% less than an adult with a high school diploma. Limited literacy skills cost business and taxpayers $20 billion in lost wages, profits and productivity annually % new jobs in the fastest growing occupations will require language and mathematic skills at or above the 8 th grade level. (Hudson Institute)

17 The Costs of Low Literacy 50% of the chronically unemployed are not functionally literate % 44% of adults who scored in Level 1 on the National Adult Literacy Survey (1992) were in poverty (federal guidelines), compared with 4-6% of adults who scored in the highest level.

18 Policies

19 Education for All: The American Ideal If the condition of man is to be progressively ameliorated, as we fondly hope and believe, education is to be the chief instrument in effecting it. -- Thomas Jefferson (1818)

20 Education for All : The American Ideal Universal secondary education Land Grant colleges The GI Bill Community and technical colleges Higher Education Act of 1965

21 Federal Policies Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 Department of Labor Create integrated, one-stop system of workforce investment and education activities for adult and youth. Adult education services provided through the Adult Education and d Family Literacy Act (Title II of WIA) Federally funded adult Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) Department of Education Grants to States (20 U.S.C et seq) ) through State Education Agencies (SEAs( SEAs) Who: State Education Agencies (SEAs( SEAs) National Leadership Activities (20 U.S.C. 9253) Who: (Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs( IHEs), Local Education Agencies (LEAs( LEAs), Nonprofit Organizations, Other Organizations and/or Agencies, State Education Agencies (SEAs( SEAs). Support activities to enhance quality of adult education and literacy program nationwide Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE) Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education 2003 Reauthorization of the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act

22 A shared vision for ABLE Adults will have opportunities to improve their basic and literacy skills in high-quality, research-based programs that will equip them to succeed in the next step of their education and employment.

23 ABLE Key Strategies Hold local programs and State agencies accountable for student achievement; Require State-developed or adopted content standards and aligned assessments; Focus on what works by promoting local use of research-based practice; Provide increased options for basic skills acquisition;

24 Key Strategies, continued Expand appropriate technology options; Promote collaboration and resource sharing across agencies that serve under educated adults; Connect GED programs to community college programs leading to credentials/degrees; and Coordinate the delivery of services through the One-Stop Career Center System.

25 Kentucky Legislation Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, 2005 The Kentucky Postsecondary Education Improvement Act of 1997 Ties the future well-being of Kentucky citizens to the development of a well- educated and highly-trained workforce Establishes a long-term goal of raising the standard of living and the quality of life in the Commonwealth above the national average by the year 2020 Created the Kentucky Virtual Campus The Adult Education Act of 2000 Created a partnership between the Council on Postsecondary Education and Kentucky Adult Education Identifies adult literacy as a fundamental barrier to every major r challenge facing Kentucky Calls for multi-faceted strategy to address the diverse needs of undereducated adult population in all counties and regions of the e state Strategy includes: Boosting the high school graduation rate Get more adults into the GED programs Move more students from the community and technical college system into four-year degree programs with successful completion rates

26 Governance

27 Federal Governance Promotes programs that help American adults get basic skills they need to be productive workers, family members, and citizens. Provides Provides funds to states for adult education and literacy programs. Provides Provides assistance to states to improve program quality and capacity by taking a lead in providing resources to guide the improvement of adult education and literary services. Approximately $1.9 billion is spent annually in programs to support adult education.

28 State Governance- Washington Office of Adult Literacy, State Board for Community and Technical l Colleges 1991 Adult Education moved from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) Scope: includes homeless adults, English language instruction, citizenship c for undocumented adults, workforce basics, adults with disabilities, basic skills for welfare reform participants, and family literacy Works with adult learners, service providers, and literacy supporters to assist them in getting the skills they need. Have access to information Act independently Express their own ideas and feelings Keep up with a changing world Exercise their full rights and responsibilities as family members, workers and community members Executive Director of Community and Technical Colleges administers programs supported by federal moneys

29 Funding

30 Adult Education Funding Adult education is not just funded by federal, state, and local governments, but also by unions, corporations, foundations, human service agencies, churches, libraries, employment agencies, and various other private and public organizations. (National Institute for Literacy) Public and Private Partnerships are the backbone of the adult literacy education system. (National Institute for Literacy) Federal Funding: Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (Ex. Washington received $9,110,000 from the US Dept of Ed for the last school year beginning July 1, 2007 and ending June 30, 2008.)

31 State Funding- Kentucky Adult Education: Academic skills instruction, GED preparation, and a reading instruction English as a second language Family literacy Workforce education: SkillMobiles and learning opportunities Corrections education: Kentucky Community and Technical College System and federal funds for adult education and life skills in state prisons p and local jails Kentucky Virtual Adult Education (KYVAE): distance learning technology Free classes at adult education centers and online to prepare for r the GED test High school grads to improve reading, math, or communication skills for college or employment Provides adult educators with information for professional development opportunities, online resources and lesson plans, on-call call reference librarians, computer help, and call center/help desk Transitions to postsecondary: GED graduates who went to college increased from 12% in 1998 to 19% in 2002

32 State Funding- Washington $90,556,000 (July 1, 2006-June June 30,2007) from the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) budget Funds allocated from 6 funding areas ABE/ESL/GED Prep EL Civics: English Literacy and Civics Education Family Literacy: Washington State Adult and Family Literacy State Plan High School Completion: High School Completion, Technical High School, Credit Retrieval, Youth Reengagement, External Diploma Program, or other high school option Organization of Parent Education Programs (OPEP) Volunteer Literacy

33 Problems in Adult Education System tends to be staffed mostly by part-time time and volunteer teachers Level of funding of barely $800 per enrollment. U.S. Scores Poorly Internationally High School Dropout Rates are Staggering Low Parent Learning Affects Children Low Literacy in Burgeoning Prison Population Large and Growing English Language and Literacy Needs Aging of the Baby Boomers The Great Crisis in Workforce Skills Debate, National Institute for Literacy, 2008 and Reach Higher, America: Overcoming Crisis in the U.S. Workforce, National Commission on Adult Literacy, 2008

34 Solutions Align programs and streamline services to increase access and reduce duplication of services (Ex. Mandate partner in one-stop stop centers; Professional Partnerships or agreements for referrals, information on and resource sharing, case management, and provision of in-kind services). Pass legislation to overhaul and expand adult education and workforce skills training (Ex. Adult Education and Economic Growth Act). Focus on service needs of unemployed; low-skilled incumbent workers; immigrants with limited or no English; parents or caregivers with h low basic skills; incarcerated adults; high school dropouts Redefine fundamentals of adult education, set program goals, and offer incentives and strategies to increase learner access Strong national leadership to provide support for national, independent research and development program National Institute for Literacy and Reach Higher, America: Overcoming Crisis in the U.S. Workforce, National Commission on Adult Literacy, 2008

35 Solutions States should engage in comprehensive planning and establish goals to improve educational attainment and workforce skills of their adults in light of their economic goals. States should legislate authority for coordination and alignment of systems consistent with their postsecondary education, workforce, and economic development goals. In some cases, a cross-agency planning body already exists; in others it may need to be created. In some states, a cabinet level position might be b either established or strengthened. Whatever the approach, the involvement of the governor s s office is essential. Under the Act, new federal funds should be awarded to states following federal approval of a comprehensive adult education plan that each state develops and updates periodically for federal review. These funds should be available for awards within the first year of passage of the new Act. States should be held harmless at current federal adult education grant levels. Reach Higher, America: Overcoming Crisis in the U.S. Workforce, National Commission on Adult Literacy, 2008

36 Solutions States must invest in the skills of their workers so that increased productivity helps offset the effect of low-cost labor furnished by developing countries. Business must be an active partner in this effort. Philanthropic and Nonprofit Involvement Build public awareness More emphasis on addressing the needs of adult learners, affordability, degree production, role of institutions as community leaders, economic development, and closing the achievement gaps Reach Higher, America: Overcoming Crisis in the U.S. Workforce, National Commission on Adult Literacy, 2008

37 Education : Our Competitive Edge Productivity in the United States has increased generation after generation, creating ever-rising standards of living Our knowledge-based skills in a business environment, supported by a rule of law, have enabled our workforce to create ever-greater value added--irrespective of what goods and services we have chosen to produce at home and what and how much we have chosen to import. -- Alan Greenspan (2004)