The Well

How Washington state is centering equity and justice in adult education

Adult educators have long looked to Washington State for inspiration. The Washington Integrated Basic Education and Skill Training (I-BEST) remains the Cadillac of Integrated Education & Training (IET) models, replicated in the Accelerated Opportunity initiative and continuing in states across the country. As of July 1, there is yet another reason to admire Washington’s Basic … Continue reading How Washington state is centering equity and justice in adult education

4 Big Ideas from the 2019 NCTN Conference

One question that drives our work is, “Can we make adult education accessible, affordable, and open doors to opportunities?” The answer comes in many forms from many different voices. After three days at the 2019 National College Transition Network Conference, one thing is clear: enabling adult learners with college and career readiness requires all hands … Continue reading 4 Big Ideas from the 2019 NCTN Conference

Pandemic Pivots

Adults enrolled in adult education programs are among the most vulnerable and hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic: low-wage workers in the front line of the service sector, preparing and delivering our take-out food, stocking our warehouses and grocery stores, taking care of the elderly and ill. Much like children and youth now needing to … Continue reading Pandemic Pivots

Making Math Meaningful in the ESOL Classroom

By Sherry Lehane Math in ESOL Coursebooks Did you ever start a home do-it-yourself project and suddenly realize you were in over your head? Maybe you didn’t have the carpentry skills or the right tools to do the project? This is how I felt many years ago when I attempted to teach math to my … Continue reading Making Math Meaningful in the ESOL Classroom

Stand Up and Be Counted: Preparing Students for Census 2020

During a recent webinar about the importance of teaching about the census in the adult education classroom, a participant said this: “If I bring this topic into my classroom, my students will leave and not come back.” That’s how afraid some people are—and also how much misinformation there is—about the 2020 Census. During the webinar, … Continue reading Stand Up and Be Counted: Preparing Students for Census 2020

Backpacks to Briefcases: Taking the Leap to College

For many high school students, taking the step from high school to college is a natural one. But most adult education students face barriers that make the step feel more like a leap: not knowing what program is a good fit, being unaware of critical financial aid or scholarship information, or missing the personal success … Continue reading Backpacks to Briefcases: Taking the Leap to College

The Census Online

The results of the Census 2020 will have a deep impact on the lives of everyone living in the United States, yet the “count” will happen differently next year than it has in the past. The odds are good that you won’t receive a census survey in your mailbox. Instead, most people will receive a … Continue reading The Census Online

Stand Up and Be Counted!

With a presidential election and the decennial census coinciding, 2020 is a big year for adult education students and programs. Each of these major civic events will determine a great deal about the future. For example, the census will determine how more than $800 billion in federal aid is distributed to states for housing, education, … Continue reading Stand Up and Be Counted!

Adult Education & Family Literacy Week 2019

Celebrate the Innovations! Federal adult education policy and I are both well into our 50s. Perhaps that’s why I’m entering 2019 Adult Education & Family Literacy Week in a reflective mood. Adult education’s history reveals policy spurred by military preparedness, immigrant influxes, economic downturns, and historic inequities. Today’s context is no less complex, and the … Continue reading Adult Education & Family Literacy Week 2019

New Federal Guidance on IET Leaves Us Wanting More

Integrated Education and Training (IET) is the core educational program design in adult career pathways–a research-proven strategy. While IET efforts have been evolving for as long as we have had a federal investment in adult education (e.g., workplace literacy, Vocational English as a Second Language (VESL), contextualized high school equivalency), IET is now well-defined in … Continue reading New Federal Guidance on IET Leaves Us Wanting More