Bridging the Gap: Moving From Dropout to College

• In Event: Current Trends in Adult Education Research and Their Implications for Policy, Practice, and Science

Abstract

Purpose: This talk will present results from a review of adult education and General Educational Development (GED) program evaluations. I will discuss the findings of these studies and the policy implications thereof.

Perspective(s): Traditional adult education and GED programs have served as the main avenue for preparing dropouts for achieving a high school credential, yet they’ve been unable to help large numbers of students achieve this goal and successfully transition to postsecondary education. Reforms to adult education and GED instruction are often fraught with challenges, ranging from limited professional development to and transient student attendance, and changes are still underway. In order to determine which programmatic reforms are likely to increase transitions and long-term success, we need to review current practices, the theories behind them, and their potential for improving academic outcomes.

Methods: This research synthesizes the results of rigorous program evaluations—experimental or quasi-experimental—as well as studies noting promising trends in students’ achievement. It divides recent interventions into three primary types of adult education reforms: (1) efforts to increase the rigor of adult education instruction and the standards for achieving a credential; (2) GED to college bridge programs, which integrate academic preparation with increased supports for students’ transition to college; and (3) interventions that allow students to concurrently enroll in college while completing their high school degree.

Data: Research for this report encompassed reviews of adult education-focused journals, reports from major adult education and GED research institutions, and reports and program descriptions from national, state, and local adult education program and reform networks; and one-on-one interviews and focus groups with over 20 individual programs.
Results: Though rigorous research on these reforms is extremely limited, two available studies suggest that programs that contextualize basic skills and GED instruction within specific career fields and provide enhanced transitional supports for college entry show promise in increasing students’ program persistence, high school credentialing rates, and college entry and success. However, our synthesis of the research identified critical gaps and areas needing attention, including developing interventions that serve lower-level students, developing more streamlined funding and management systems for increasing innovation, and improving the research base on adult education programs’ effectiveness.

Significance: The need for postsecondary educations and improved workforce skills will continue to grow. Thus, we must identify or develop and then evaluate programs and practices that are likely to increase academic success, especially for high school dropouts. Innovations to adult education and GED are currently underway, and as such, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners must learn as much as they can about how particular adult education reforms seek to affect change in students’ outcomes—and their effectiveness in reaching these goals. Policy research, such as that discussed in this presentation, helps to form and guide conversations. With this guidance, practitioners and policymakers can make more informed choices about how best to serve students.

Author

• Elizabeth Zachry Rutschow, MDRC