NLA Discussion: Meeting the Needs of Out-of-school Youth

[Sally Gabb]

Dear Joye and NLA,

In response to the following note about serving 16 - 18 year olds in 
ABE/GED/ESOL programs:  Joye wrote -

>North Carolina community college ABE programs have been having this
conversation for years now...and here it is again. In terms of policies, the 
best one my former community college ever instituted was a mandatory six 
month waiting period after leaving high school, and the waiting period could 
not begin before the age of sixteen. So in effect, this gave us 16 1/2 year 
old folks at a minimum. The policy did wonders for everyone - potential 
students, parents, older ABE students, instructors and administrators. Our 
entrance policies were coupled with a combination of "we are here for you" 
and "we expect you to behave as an adult while you're here." All of this was 
and still is backed by strong administrative and board support, and I might
>add community support including the public high school counselors.
>

The idea of the 'waiting period' certainly aids specific issues with 
accepting 16 year olds into adult ABE/GED/ESOL as Joye has noted. This 
policy makes it less likely that young people will treat ABE as 'just 
another school' or maybe, 'a better school without those rules',  and also 
that school personnel may be less likely to see adult ed as the alternative 
to 'problem students' for which they can still count 'positive terminations' 
and not drop out statistics, while not paying the bill.

However, it is my belief that most programs and practitioners need support 
in working with younger learners in 'mixed' classes - those that include 
both 16/17 year olds, and much older learners.  Advising youth that they 
'must act like adults' seems a confusing message for many reasons (not the 
least of which is the behavior of many adults) but also, the needs of young 
learners often differ in significant ways from those of older learners, not 
still in the throes of adolescence.

I'm not suggesting there are not positive solutions.  In Massachusetts, we 
are beginning to address how we can find creative ways for programs and 
practitioners to meet the challenge of a potentially growing pool of young 
applicants to our programs.  Through our SABES professional development 
system, groups of practitioners may  create/join sharing groups to address 
the issues, and to create positive classroom/instructional/support models to 
meet the needs of this audience. Some suggest the need for separate classes, 
other for creative curriculum for 'mixed' groups.  Respect for the learning 
and life needs, strengths, and styles is essential in this effort. Programs 
like YouthBuild in Boston have built powerful models for youth-only out
of school models.  There are indeed positive possibilities. But who
should pay the bill?

Joye also wrote:
....we are for most young folks - and their parents - [often] the only 
decent option and the only hope.

Most importantly, adult education programs across the country need to 
carefully document the numbers of young learners turning to us as their 
educational 'hope'. Without us, as Joye notes, these young people are
denied their right to basic education.  This information can be powerful
currency in our struggle to gain acceptance and support for adult basic
education as a legitimate part of the US public education system.

Sally Gabb
SABES SE Coordinator
Bristol Community College
Fall River, MA


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