I've already got my worthless degree.
"Mass. plans to update adult education" March 20, 2012|By James Vaznis
Massachusetts education officials are planning to retool adult basic-education programs to focus more on preparing students for college or further job training, instead of simply passing high school equivalency exams.
More than 20,000 adults across the state enroll in adult education programs annually with the goal of building a better life for themselves or their families.
But after earning a high school equivalency diploma, many of them discover that they still are not academically ready for college or lack the skills for decent-paying jobs.
The effort would lead to increased instructional intensity, more academic and career advising, and a curriculum geared toward college and career readiness, including courses in specialized areas of interest, education officials said.
“We think it is important for the programs to be aware of what is necessary for someone to be ready for college or a career,’’ Mitchell Chester, the state commissioner of elementary and secondary education, said in an interview. “If, ultimately, adults in the programs are not prepared for college or a career, their life choices are limited.’’
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The emphasis on college and career readiness would bring adult basic education in line with the mission of elementary, middle, and high schools, which is to prepare students for postsecondary education or further job training, to compete in a global economy, and to be civically engaged in their communities.
Adult education is often overlooked in the K-12 system, but it provides a critical second chance for the thousands of students who quit high school every year and later regret they gave up on a high school diploma.
The changes are planned come as Governor Deval Patrick is trying to bolster the technical training of the state’s labor market so more workers are eligible to fill thousands of job vacancies, many of which require credentials beyond a high school diploma.
A key part of Patrick’s proposal would have community colleges focus more on workforce development....
Related: Cutting Globe's Community College Classes
Sorry, readers.
Providers interviewed said they welcome the new focus.
“I think it’s fantastic, and, in many ways, it’s overdue,’’ said Jerry Rubin, president and chief executive officer of Jewish Vocational Service, a nonprofit education, training, and employment program in Boston. “Over the last decade, the value of a high school equivalency diploma, while still important, has declined relative to a certificate or degree, and adult education has to change to reflect that.’’
Jewish Vocational Service has already embraced the shift in philosophy for adult education....
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