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Basic Ed or GED?
Students who are new to an adult school program, often don’t know whether to choose an Adult Basic Education, high school diploma, or GED class. The answer depends on each student’s particular skills and goals. Over a decade ago, Sweetwater Union High School District Adult Education established an Academic Orientation program to solve this problem.
It helps students succeed by placing them in classes that best meet their needs. All new Sweetwater students are required to attend a three-hour orientation, in which they first learn about the school and its programs, including what’s offered, what’s required for graduation, and when counseling centers are open. They then take two assessment tests—the Test of Adult Basic Adult Education (TABE) and a custom-designed math survey. At the end of the session, students meet with a counselor to get their results and class placement. Students who score above 560 out of 702 are placed in the high school or GED classes, while those who score lower than 560 are enrolled in Adult Basic Education.“The idea is to guide students through our program and the options available to them,” says Lisa Diaz-Lopez, teacher on special assignment. “We try to align their classes with their goals. If we do this early on, it helps increase learner persistence.” Sweetwater’s Academic Orientation dates to 1997, when teachers noticed many struggling in the high school diploma and GED classes. They needed more preparation, and teachers needed a better guide for placement. It should be noted that the assessment tests cause some students to feel nervous or frustrated, but staff makes a point of encouraging them through the process.
Over the years, several factors have contributed to the success of the orientation program: Getting teachers involved early, and providing a high counselor-to-student ratio. With more than a full-time counselor at each of four sites, every student starts the program knowing what they need to graduate. “Our counselors allow us to assist our students and individualize their experience at our school,” says Ms. Diaz-Lopez. The school is testing approximately 3,000-3,500 students per year and during the 2008-09 school year, it assisted 80 percent of its “college ready” students as they transitioned into the college system. With a proven track record for success, the school now is considering whether to continue to use its math survey, or switch that part of the assessment to a writing test. “We’d like to test all three—reading, writing, and math—but due to budget constraints, we are unable to address all three assessments in the given amount of time,” Ms. Diaz-Lopez explains. For more information, visit the school’s website at www.suhsd.k12.ca.us/adult-education.
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