Connecticut
COABE Data Fact Sheet
State Data Analysis
County/State/National Map
State Innovations
Connecticut
Adult Education Transitions Program
Norwich Adult Education
Norwich, Connecticut
The Challenge
Providing students with the necessary academic as well as college and career readiness skills before they graduate is a challenge given time constraints, the demands of student schedules, and the need to respect instructional time. The Transitions Program includes two courses—Transitions Math and College and Career Readiness Communications. The courses embed the skills into the academic coursework providing for contextualized learning, real life application, and a career pathway.
The Solution
Math, communication, and college and career readiness skills are delivered through real life assignments within the two Transitions courses. A master calendar delivers the following assignments with grades, which promotes student investment: a ten page research paper on a class chosen topic, the ONET Interest Inventory, a career research paper with an oral presentation, resume writing, attendance to a job fair with a resume, mock interviews, field trips to the local community college, financial aid presentations including instruction on amortization schedules, pre and post college ACCUPLACER tests to drive instruction, pre and post CASAS testing to monitor student progress, and the ASVAB test to assess vocational abilities.
The Outcome
Student feedback is positive due to the real life application, which still allows for assessing writing, communication, and math skills. There is greater investment in the activities because they are a course grade. Students are captured right in their classroom to receive the information instead of by appointments, which they frequently missed due to outside pressures or challenges. Instructional time is appropriately used to deliver skills in an academic and grading format.
Adult Learner Success Stories
After a turbulent teenhood, Eddie found himself incarcerated, but not forgotten. Adult education breathed life into the dreams he had always had, and upon reentry, Eddie began to chase his second chance with everything he had.
Depressed and suffering from addiction after his parents’ divorce, Eric O’Connell found himself in and out of jail. Adult education is helping him to find his way back to the life he really wants.