Good evening all!
I want to share with you a great article, Beyond the GED: Promising Models for Moving High School Dropouts to College. The article, recently released by MDRC, highlights two models, the I-BEST and the LaGuardia Community College GED Bridge Program. A summary of the article follows:
“Emphasizing results from quasi-experimental and experimental research, this literature review identifies the most promising approaches for increasing dropouts’ rate of attaining a GED certificate or other high school credential and making a successful transition to college. The report divides these 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 enroll in college while studying to earn a high school credential.
Though rigorous research on these reforms is limited, two available studies suggest that programs that contextualize basic skills and GED instruction within specific career fields and that support students in their transition to college show promise in increasing the rate of students’ persistence, earning a high school credential, and entering and succeeding in college. In comparison with traditional adult education programs, these models tend to (1) provide more coherent and relevant instruction through curricula that better align with students’ career goals; (2) provide increased connections with colleges and vocational training programs; and (3) build in an advising component that fosters students’ engagement in the program and supports their transition to college.”
Here is the link to the full article:
http://www.mdrc.org/sites/default/files/Beyond_the_GED_FR_0.pdf
Please share your thoughts and reactions to the article and let us know how you have used such models in your programs. I look forward to hearing from you!
Gail Cope, SME, LINCS Program Management Group