NLA Discussion:Policy Recommendation to Support Young Adult Education

[Young, Glenn]

Jon and David

You may want to also look at the issues of special education and adult
education to try and clarify some of those issues as well.  Right now,
because of the language in the laws covering adult Ed and special Ed -- if a
student is in special education and leaves school and enters adult education
... special education support ends for that student (in most states.)  This
puts a large burden on adult education programs to meet the needs of persons
with disabilities without the access to funding that is brought with special 
education.  So ... adjusting language in that area may be very important
too ...

>But on the other hand - I need to say something about this approach you
are recommending.<  We need to be >very, very careful<  on how we address
this issue, both for those youth in special education and those without
disabilities but who are leaving schools and entering Adult Ed programs.
H.L. Menkin (the muckraking journalist of the early 20th cent... said "for
every problem there is an obvious quick and simple solution - that is
absolutely wrong and will make matters worse ..."  I am very afraid that the
proposal you are offering on adult Ed and young people may fall into that
H.L. category.

Right now the major concern of schools is not student count -- or ADA - it
is to "increase test scores" of students.  Their future funding in general
is now dependent on doing so ---  The  cheapest way to increase the
average of the schools' tests is to get rid of the low scorers - another
one of those approaches HL warned us about ..  We do not want to set up a
system where schools can "increase their average high states test
scores" simply by getting rid of those who do not test well by moving them
to adult education. So even with the moving of money with the child ---
the schools will benefit by pushing out the low testers into adult
education ... and actually would legitimize the process by moving
money.  >Therefore< - adult education very quickly evolves into a separate
high school substitution for low skilled test takers and persons with
disabilities --- >This sounds very familiar< -- >It sounds like a form of
segregation<  - even with equal money ....

>And we have learned through very hard lessons - that "separate but
equal" is not equal...<

(We can see some school systems are taking advantage of this concept already
- Currently several states are now referring students going into adult Ed
GED programs while still in high school,  not as "drop outs" but as
"transfers" - so ... it doesn't matter to them if the student completes the
GED or not .. since the student is out of their system - and not counted as
a "drop-out" so ... their drop-out rates don't go up ... regardless of the
success or failure of the child ---)

So - while adult ed. faces the immediate crisis created by "push-out kids" -
I think we have to be very careful about suggesting a solution that can lead
to a very clear means for the school systems to justify their denial of
proper education of young people....  What we need is to support a system
where intervention happens early and well (as is currently being proposed
by the Bush administration) and that the solution for low-literacy is to
make the schools do their jobs ... 

So we are faced with a dilemma -- how to we solve our immediate crisis of
the moment without making it worse in the long run ... I am not sure that
making adult Ed as the alternative high school is the right solution.  
>I think we should be vrying "foul" more than "show me the money."<

Someone suggested to me that the best solution for the "push-out kids" is to
push them back in --- it does not sound "obvious, quick or simple"  ... but
it may in fact be the best solution.  Let the schools create the alternative
education that these children need and if disabled, are clearly entitled to
under law --- using school and federal funds already developed for this
purpose.    We can support those arguing for those services in the schools
by saying what is happening to those leaving schools now ... (crying foul).
Give the states and Congress evidence of the "push out" problems - and not
appearing self-serving (by saying - ok give us money)  .. but by being the
clarion call - >"Houston we have a problem"<

As an example of an alternative solution to what you are suggesting ... I
urge you to look at the findings concerning high stakes testing in Oregon
called "Do No Harm." This can be found at the web site of Disability
rights Advocates www.dralegal.org.  I think this settlement of the suit
can and should serve as a model for helping to keep down the numbers of
pushout kids and we should look at this as a possible solution.  It
requires the state to use accommodations and alternative assessments in
high stakes testing, and also required preparation of the students for the
tests with accommodations. Supporting this - "in school solution" rather
than saying  --- just give us money and we'll do it - it something that
will benefit the young student as well as our programs over the long haul
... 

I hope you all will consider my remarks in the spirit intended - of
stimulating debate and discussion on the crisis we all see.  And they should
not be interpreted as an OVAE position, but simply my concerns.

Glenn Young
Adult Literacy and Disabilities Specialist
US Dept. of ED/OVAE
400 Maryland Avenue MES 4428
Washington DC 20202
202-205-3372
glenn_young at ed.gov
 

-----Original Message-----
From: David J Rosen [mailto:DJRosen at world.std.com]
Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2001 6:05 AM
To: nla at world.std.com
Subject: NLA: A Policy Recommendation to Support Young Adult Education


NLA Colleagues,

Jon Randall has rightly challenged us to focus on adult literacy public
policy. After all, that is the main purpose of this list.  Jon has asked
that we put forth public policy recommendations which, I presume, might be
considered by the National Coalition for Literacy, and which we might also
choose to act on at the state level.

I would like to respond to that challenge, and I encourage others to do
this, too.

Recently we have been discussing here the best ways to support young
adults who have left school and who want to continue their education.  I
hope we continue the discussion, and I would like to recommend that:

**************************************************************************
Specific language should be added to federal and state legislation so that
16-22 year-olds who have left school without graduating may continue
their education in publicly-funded adult and youth education programs
leading to a high school diploma or GED  >and< , when a young adult 
enrolls in these programs, the funding must follow the student, that the
annual public expenditure per year for that student must then go to the
adult or youth education program.
***************************************************************************

There are at least two reasons why I think this is a good policy:

1. A serious disparity in funding now exists between K-12 and adult
education.  A 16-year old who leaves school, where there has been a
multi-thousand dollar annual investment, enrolls in an adult secondary
education (GED or ADP) program where there is usually a only a few hundred
dollars per year available to support his or her education.

2.  Average Daily Attendance (ADA) is a term used in many school systems 
and refers to the amount of public funds per student per year received.  If 
the ADA is subtracted from a public school budget for each young adult who
leaves before graduating, public schools may have a disincentive to push
students out who have low scores on high stakes tests.

I believe (someone please confirm this) that California allows ADA funds
to follow young adults (perhaps all adults) to adult schools. If your
state has a policy that the ADA must follow the student into an adult
education program please let us know, and also tell us if you think this
is a good policy and why.

David J. Rosen
<DJRosen at world.std.com>




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