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Lisa Freeman Ball State University 9/28/20 DR. Chang EDAC 631 History of Adult Education Adult Education programs are also known as continuing or recurrent education. They are typically designed for individuals who are no longer in school full time. Some public high schools hold adult classes at night in the same buildings used by school kids during the day. Colleges and universities offer extension courses for adult learners. These courses are offered in the evenings, via correspondence, or through the Internet. These programs may or may not lead to a degree, however they will provide some lifelong basic skills for the workplace or school setting. The first adult education programs began in the 1700s and are still a regular part of many education systems. Programs of the 1900s During the 1900s, the government began taking a more important role in adult education. Many pieces of legislation began popping up, such as the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, which provided federal funds for training in farming and home economics. Three years later, the Smith-Hughes Act was enacted to finance vocational programs. During the Great Depression, the government sponsored adult education programs to help create jobs for out-of-work teachers. At the end of World War II, the government set up a program for veterans wanting to go to school. This program was known as the GI Bill of Rights. The 1962 Manpower Development and Training Act and the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act both provided federal funds for training unemployed adults. The Economic Opportunity Act also established the Adult Basic Education (ABE) program. Modern Day Programs At one time, adult education referred to being taught remedial and basic skills. However, today's programs focus on broader, higher-level skills that include problem-solving, information literacy, and information technology. Students can enroll in adult education programs at adult high schools, community colleges, university extension programs, and even prisons. Educational opportunities are also offered at proprietary schools, which operate like businesses. The government also sponsors adult education programs. For example, the Department of Agriculture provides training in farming for adults in rural areas. Topics covered in today's adult education programs include: • Adult Basic Education (ABE) • Citizenship preparation • English as a Second Language (ESL) • Family literacy • GED classes • Workplace training ABE courses help students increase their basic academic skills, improve their life skills, and make sure they are ready to join the workforce. Citizenship preparation courses provide assistance to applicants for U.S. citizenship. In these courses, students learn about history, civics, and the English language so that they will be prepared for the naturalization test. Some courses also include legal services. ESL courses are for students whose primary language is not English. In a course like this, students will get help speaking and writing English as well as preparation to enter the workforce. Family literacy courses train parents to become the primary teachers of their kids. This course also helps parents become economically self-sufficient. GED classes are for students who did not finish high school and are looking for an alternative to the high school diploma. The same course subjects taught in high schools are learned in GED classes, including mathematics, English, history, science, and government. GED classes also include a practice test in preparation for the GED examination. Workplace training courses are for adults who want to develop the skills needed for particular trades. For instance, those who wish to work as office assistants or secretaries can find adult education courses where they learn to work with documents and spreadsheets. Most modern-day adult education programs are designed for students 18 years of age or older. However, some allow 16- and 17-year-old students not currently enrolled in high school to attend. They may need special permission to enroll, usually from a parent, legal guardian, or local government agency. For some workplace education courses, a high school diploma or the equivalent may be required for admission. Adult Education has long been a part of American culture and adult education opportunities today offer a broad range of training. Adult students can take GED and ESL courses, prepare for U.S. citizenship, and gain training for a specific trade or career. Educational program planning involves a series of decision making which can take place among different organizations, people, and activities (Caffarella, 1994). Adult learners have characteristics which are different from young learners including social roles of adult learners as parents and employees, obligations to work, family, and communities, abundant experience brought into classroom, and purposes of returning to university such as improving their working skills, developing their careers, and making a better life. According to Knowles (1990), adults are autonomous, self-directed, goal-oriented, and practical, and have accumulated work and life experience, family responsibilities and previous education. Besides, adult learners have barriers against participating educational programs such as limited time, transportation, motivation, interest, money, and confidence. Based on these characteristics of adult learners, educators should design curriculum and adopt instruction methods to meet the needs of adults and to ensure the continual process of learning for adults throughout their life. Unlike more traditional kinds of education, adults and continuing education should respond flexibly to the needs and interests of potential adult learners (Long, 1983). The history of AE shows the strong implications of adopting programs for the adult learner. Below is a time frame of the various Adult Education (AE) programs and acts that took place. I focused more on the latter part of the 1900’s than earlier eras. This is merely a basic time frame to implicate the various important programs in AE. 1957 National Commission on Adult Literacy established to raise awareness and promote community action 1962 Manpower Development and Training Act 1964 Adult Basic Education Act (part of the War on Poverty) 1966 Adult Education Act (AEA) adds English as a Second Language to program offerings 1968 AEA Amendment changes eligibility from 16 to 18 years of age and above 1970 AEA Amendment expands services to include Adult Secondary Education 1975 Adult Performance Level Project report identifies levels of adult functional competence, promotes development of competency-based programming 1978 Amendment to AEA defines Program purpose as "all adults acquire basic skills necessary to function in society". This reflects a competency-based approach to assessment and programming, and identifies levels of adult functional competency as an alternative to school-based measures of literacy 1988 AEA amended to include funding for National Workplace Literacy Demonstration Projects, English Literacy Grants Program, Research and Development Projects and requirements for improved planning and evaluation in State adult education programs 1990 Adult Education Act: 1966-1 991, DAEL, 1991 National Literacy Act (NLA) replaces AEA and establishes the National Institute for Literacy 1998 NLA replaced by Title I1 of the Workforce Investment Act Sources: Modeling a Future for Adult Basic Education, James Parker, Adult Learning Magazine, References Adult Education Act: 1966-1991, DAEL, 1991 Retrieved 9/28/20 Caffarella, R. S. (1994). Planning Programs for Adult Learners. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Duffy, Mary Lou & Forgan, James W. (2005). Mentoring new special education teachers: A guide for mentors and program developers. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press. Ends or Means: An Overview of the History of the Adult Education Act, Amy Rose, ERIC, 1991 https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1157810.pdf, Retrieved 9/28/20 Knowles, M.S. (1990). The adult learners: A neglected species (4th ed.). Houston, TX: Gulf Publishing. Retrieved 9/28/20 Long, Huey B. (1983). Adult and continuing education: Responding to change. New York: Teachers College, Columbia University. Retrieved 9/28/20 Modeling a Future for Adult Basic Education, James Parker, Adult Learning Magazine, 1990 https://study.com/articles/History_of_Adult_Education_Info_on_Adult_Education_Programs.html Retrieved 9/28/20